Voluntary surveys in Canada risk data quality for crucial socio-demographic topics.
Statistics Canada conducted the National Household Survey in 2011 to gather important socio-demographic data for small regions and population subgroups in Canada. Unlike the mandatory Labour Force Survey, this survey was voluntary, which posed challenges like lower response rates and potential bias. To ensure data quality, Statistics Canada implemented various processes for data collection, processing, and estimation. Despite the voluntary nature of the survey, the agency developed measures to produce high-quality data for stakeholders across Canada.