Target group profiles (TGP) provide Census Profile variables for a subset, or target group, of the population. This TGP crosses Profile variables by Visible Minority status and contains the following categories:
Total - Visible minority
Total visible minority population
South Asian
Chinese
Black
Filipino
Arab
Latin American
Southeast Asian
West Asian
Korean
Japanese
Visible minority, n.i.e.
Multiple visible minorities
Not a visible minority
Other (not a visible minority)
Indigenous peoples
Visible minority refers to whether a person is a visible minority or not, as defined by the Employment Equity Act. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as "persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non‑Caucasian in race or non‑white in colour." The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Arab, Latin American, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean and Japanese.
For more information on the Visible minority variable, including information on its classification, the questions from which it is derived, data quality and its comparability with other sources of data, please refer to the Visible Minority and Population Group Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021.
Note that the Indigenous peoples variable is not the same as the Indigenous identity variable:
Indigenous peoples includes Single Indigenous responses - persons who identify as only one Indigenous group, that is First Nations (North American Indian), Métis or Inuk (Inuit) and people) and Multiple Indigenous responses - persons who identify as any two or all three of the following: First Nations (North American Indian), Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit).
While Indigenous identity refers to whether the person identified with the Indigenous peoples of Canada. This includes those who identify as First Nations (North American Indian), Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), and/or those who report being Registered or Treaty Indians (that is, registered under the Indian Act of Canada), and/or those who have membership in a First Nation or Indian band.
From <Indigenous Peoples Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021>
The difference between the two is that Indigenous Identity includes persons who do not identify as First Nations (North American Indian), Métis or Inuk (Inuit) but who report having Registered or Treaty Indian status and/or Membership in a First Nation or Indian band. This would be under the category, Indigenous responses not included elsewhere, from the standard variable Indigenous Identity (9).
Target group profiles (TGPs) provide data for a specific group of persons (a "target group"). All variables in the Target Group Profile are ‘person-level’ variables: their age, their gender, their family status (e.g., are they in a census family), the languages they speak, and so on. Because TGPs deal with the universe of persons, they do not contain any family- or household-specific variables. For example, the average family size, household income or renter/owner status are variables that do not relate to a person, but to a family or household, and so they are not included in TGPs.
25% vs 100% samples – Comparing values with publicly accessible data
The 2021 short form Census questionnaire was sent out to 100% of all households. The 2021 long form Census questionnaire was sent out to 25% of all households. Target Group Profiles are produced using the 25% sample. Variables that are available in both the 25% sample and the 100% sample will have different values depending on the source of the data. For example, the total population of a city taken from the 25% sample (a Target Group Profile) will differ from that taken from the 100% sample (the online Census Profile).