Dictionary, Census of Population, 2016
Aggregate dissemination area (ADA)Dictionary, Census of Population, 2016
Aggregate dissemination area (ADA)

Definition

The aggregate dissemination area (ADA) is a new dissemination geography created for the 2016 Census. ADAs cover the entire country and, where possible, have a population between 5,000 and 15,000 based on the previous census population counts. ADAs are created from existing dissemination geographic areas and are formed from census tracts (CTs), census subdivisions (CSDs) or dissemination areas (DAs). ADAs respect provincial, territorial, census division (CD), census metropolitan area (CMA) and census agglomeration (CA) with census tract (CT) boundaries.

The intent of the ADA geography is to ensure the availability of census data, where possible, across all regions of Canada.

Reported in

2016

Remarks

A consultation was undertaken with provinces and territories, and participating municipalities across Canada prior to finalizing the ADA boundaries for the 2016 Census. During consultations, from June to October 2015, Statistics Canada asked for input on an initial set of ADA boundaries to determine if any modifications should be made.^{Note 1}

Aggregate dissemination areas (ADAs) respect the following delineation criteria:

1. The ADAs cover the entire country and, where possible, have a population count between 5,000 and 15,000 (based on the population counts from the previous census). In order to meet the operational constraint of releasing population and dwelling counts for ADAs in the winter following the census year, the population counts used to delineate ADAs were taken from the previous census.
2. ADAs respect provincial, territorial, census division (CD), census metropolitan area (CMA) and census agglomeration (CA) with census tract (CT) boundaries in effect for the 2016 Census.
3. ADAs are based on one of three (3) 2016 census dissemination geographic areas: dissemination areas (DAs), census subdivisions (CSDs) or census tracts (CTs):
   
   • Within CMAs and CAs with CTs, adjacent CTs are grouped to meet the ADA population criteria.
   • In areas without CTs (areas outside the CMAs and the largest CAs) where CSDs have a population less than 15,000, adjacent CSDs are grouped to meet the ADA population criteria.
   • In areas without CTs where CSDs have a population greater than 15,000, adjacent DAs are grouped within these CSDs to meet the ADA population criteria.
4. Each Indian Reserve census subdivisions (CSD) and a small number of other areas where door-to-door canvassing occurred form their own separate ADA.

Aggregate dissemination area code

Each aggregate dissemination area is assigned a four-digit code. To uniquely identify each ADA within Canada, the province/territory (PR) two-digit code and the census division (CD) two-digit code are concatenated and precede the ADA code. For example:

Refer to the related definitions of dissemination area (DA), census tract (CT), census subdivision (CSD), census division (CD), census metropolitan area (CMA) and census agglomeration (CA).

Changes prior to the current census

Not applicable