Disaggregated data

1 min read · February 27, 2025
New Power Labs

In 2021, the federal government committed $172 million of initial funding over five years for Statistics Canada’s Disaggregated Data Action Plan (DDAP). This was a recognition that better data is essential to understanding inequities across race, gender, disability, income, and geography. 

A recent NUPGE analysis of the federal budget notes that the 2025-2026 financial year is the final year of this funding, with no mention of ongoing funding for DDAP in the current budget framework.

At the same time, Statistics Canada has been directed to reduce spending by 15% over three years. To do this, the agency notes that it will reduce the frequency of data collection whenever it can be replaced by statistical modelling or other methods. In addition, the frequency and level of detail collected will be adjusted for data that is deemed “less relevant” to Canadians.

Relevance is not a neutral concept.

Disaggregated data may not feel urgent to everyone, but without it, structural inequities disappear from view. While the DDAP has its shortcomings, it is a foundational step to build disaggregated data infrastructure that can help us understand demographic realities and systemic barriers in Canada. 

A potential defunding or rollback of this initiative threatens our ability to assess how race, gender, disability, income, and geography shape labour markets, wealth distribution, health outcomes, and access to opportunity – weakening both accountability and policy precision.

When data disappears, so does visibility. And what is invisible is far easier to ignore.

Narinder
New Power Labs

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