General Social Survey - Well-being and Unpaid Care (GSS)

Detailed information for 2026

The two primary objectives of the General Social Survey (GSS) are: to gather data on social trends in order to monitor changes in the living conditions and well-being of Canadians over time; and to provide information on specific social policy issues of current or emerging interest.

In addition to providing a snapshot of the quality of life and social conditions of Canadians, this survey will also focus on the experiences of those who provide unpaid care to family and friends, including children and persons with long-term health conditions, disabilities, or problems related to aging.

• Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s)
• Description
• Data sources and methodology

Description

The General Social Survey - Well-being and Unpaid Care will be the first iteration of the newly transformed General Social Survey that will collect data annually on numerous social topics. It will also include modules that collect more detailed information on themes that historically were collected on a rotational basis, and a new flexible component to capture emerging issues, ensuring timely support for evolving priorities.

The survey collects data on key aspects of quality of life and well-being, as well as social trends and current issues affecting Canadians. The survey also gathers information on those who provide unpaid care to family and friends, including children and persons with long-term health conditions, disabilities, or problems related to aging.

Information collected in the core module includes content from previous GSS cycles and are important indicators for the Quality of Life framework. The module that collects more detailed topic-specific information will include questions from the General Social Survey Caregiving cycle, last collected in 2018. Similar data have been collected in past GSS cycles periodically since 1985, and this is the eighth iteration that addresses these topics. The flexible module will address emergent issues on the topics of well-being, social experiences, and perceptions of crime and safety.

Questions in the survey cover the types and amount of care provided to children as well as those with long-term conditions or disabilities, as well as the impact of providing care on various aspects of the lives of caregivers. Respondents are also asked questions about their overall health, employment, housing and other socio-demographic characteristics such as place of birth, religion and language.

Results from the survey will be used by researchers, all levels of government and organizations to help inform program development and services to better support the needs of Canadians, including for those who provide unpaid care.

Statistical activity

This record is part of the General Social Statistics Program (GSSP). The General Social Survey originated in 1985. Each survey contains a core topic, focus or exploratory questions, some qualitative questions to explore intentions and perceptions, and a standard set of socio-demographic questions used for classification. As part of GSSP's new model starting in 2026, the survey will be in continuous collection with modules covering annual core questions, rotating thematic questions allowing for more in-depth analysis on a specific topic of interest, and a flexible module with questions that meet emerging data needs.

Subjects

• Care and social support
• Children and youth
• Crime and justice
• Culture and leisure
• Disability
• Families, households and housing
• Health
• Immigration and ethnocultural diversity
• Labour
• Languages
• Mental health and well-being
• Older adults and population aging (formerly Seniors)
• Society and community

Data sources and methodology

Target population

The target population for the General Social Survey - Well-being and Unpaid Care is the Canadian population aged 15 years and over, living in the provinces. Individuals residing in Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut; full-time residents of institutions; and persons living on First Nation reserves are excluded.

Instrument design

The questionnaire was designed based on research and extensive consultations with data users. Qualitative testing, conducted by Statistics Canada's Questionnaire Design Resource Center (QDRC), was carried out, with respondents who were screened in based on representative criteria. Questions which worked well and others that needed clarification or redesign were highlighted. QDRC staff compiled a detailed report of the results along with their recommendations. All comments and feedback from qualitative testing were carefully considered and incorporated into the survey whenever possible.

Sampling

This is a sample survey with a cross-sectional design.

The sample consists of a random sample of units selected from the 2021 Census of Population (short-form questionnaire) along with the Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB) and the permanent resident file received from Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to better reflect the actual population.

Sampling Unit:
It is a targeted respondent survey. The sampling unit is the person.

Stratification method:
Strata were defined to achieve sufficient sample sizes in each domain of estimation and optimize sample allocation. The frame for the General Social Survey - Well-being and Unpaid Care was stratified by province and certain population groups. The domains of estimation consist of the provinces in addition to population groups of interest at the national level.

Sampling and sub-sampling:
In the provinces. within each stratum, a sample was drawn using systematic sampling, after sorting the frame by dwelling identifier, to reduce the possibility of sampling more than one person per household.
The survey is funded through the Disaggregated Data Action Plan (DDAP), Statistics Canada is producing detailed data to address gender gaps, racism and other systemic barriers, to apply fairness and inclusion to decisions that affect all people in Canada.

The total sample size for the survey is approximately 69,000 individuals, including an oversample of the Black, Chinese and South Asian populations.

Data sources

Data collection for this reference period: 2026-04-01 to 2026-12-31

Responding to this survey is voluntary.

Data are collected directly from survey respondents.

Data are collected from respondents either through an electronic questionnaire or through CATI (computer assisted telephone interviewing). The respondents have the choice between French and English. The average time to complete the survey is approximately 45 minutes.
No proxy reporting is allowed.

The information collected during The General Social Survey - Well-being and Unpaid Care is planned to be linked with personal and household level tax records file (T1FF) and with the Longitudinal Immigration Database for completed cases. The linkage falls under the omnibus record linkage authority (Type B) as the linkage will be used for data replacement purposes.

Respondents were notified of the planned linkage before or at the exit of the survey. Any respondents who objected to the linkage of their data will have their objections recorded, and no linkage to their tax data will take place.

View the Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s) .