--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/research/the-potential-for-national-statistics-to-transform-social-policy/" title: "The Potential for National Statistics to Transform Social Policy" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-02T10:13:02+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-02T10:13:02+00:00" post_type: "research" summary: "" post_tag: - "data linkage" - "evidence-driven policy" - "longitudinal data" - "microdata" - "national statistics" - "program evaluation" - "quality of life" - "social policy" - "social programs" - "Statistics Canada" country_focus: - "Canada" province_region: - "National" research_theme: - "Economic Well-Being" - "Fiscal Policy" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/old-reports_hero_banner_bg.webp" status: "publish" --- # The Potential for National Statistics to Transform Social Policy Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/research/the-potential-for-national-statistics-to-transform-social-policy/ # The Potential for National Statistics to Transform Social Policy [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2022-07-1.pdf) Cite this report × Cite this report as: Hicks, Peter. 2022. “The Potential for National Statistics to Transform Social Policy.” CSLS Research Report 2022-07. Ottawa: Centre for the Study of Living Standards. https://csls.ca/research/the-potential-for-national-statistics-to-transform-social-policy/ ## Author: - Peter Hicks Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) ## Report 2022-07 December 2022 16 pages ## Related research [New Estimates of Manufacturing Productivity Growth for Canada and the United States Andrew Sharpe March 1999 | Report 1999-02 | 21 pages](https://csls.ca/research/new-estimates-of-manufacturing-productivity-growth-for-canada-and-the-united-states/) [A Survey of Indicators of Economic and Social Well-being Andrew Sharpe July 1999 | Report 1999-cprn | 72 pages](https://csls.ca/research/a-survey-of-indicators-of-economic-and-social-well-being/) [Literature Review of Frameworks for Macro-indicators Andrew Sharpe February 2004 | Report 2004-03 | 79 pages](https://csls.ca/research/literature-review-of-frameworks-for-macro-indicators/) [Measuring the Impact of Research on Well-being: A Survey of Indicators of Well-being Andrew Sharpe, Jeremy Smith February 2005 | Report 2005-02 | 119 pages](https://csls.ca/research/measuring-the-impact-of-research-on-well-being-a-survey-of-indicators-of-well-being/) [The Measurement of Output and Productivity in the Health Care Sector in Canada: An Overview Andrew Sharpe, Celeste Bradley, Hans Messinger December 2007 | Report 2007-06 | 58 pages](https://csls.ca/research/the-measurement-of-output-and-productivity-in-the-health-care-sector-in-canada-an-overview/) [The Valuation of the Alberta Oil Sands Andrew Sharpe, Jean-François Arsenault, Alexander Murray, Sharon Qiao November 2008 | Report 2008-07 | 73 pages](https://csls.ca/research/the-valuation-of-the-alberta-oil-sands/) [Further Evidence on the Contribution of Services Outsourcing to the Decline in Manufacturing’s Employment Share in Canada Matthew Calver, Evan Capeluck July 2016 | Report 2016-11 | 84 pages](https://csls.ca/research/further-evidence-on-the-contribution-of-services-outsourcing-to-the-decline-in-manufacturings-employment-share-in-canada/) [Firm-level Productivity Research in Canada: Current State and Future Directions Andrew Sharpe October 2022 | Report 2022-06 | 62 pages](https://csls.ca/research/firm-level-productivity-research-in-canada-current-state-and-future-directions/) [Living Standards Domain of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing Andrew Sharpe, Christopher Ross November 2011 | Report 2011-17 | 124 pages](https://csls.ca/research/living-standards-domain-of-the-canadian-index-of-wellbeing-2011-17/) [Measuring the Appropriate Outcomes for Better Decision-Making: A Framework to Guide the Analysis of Health Policy Matthew Calver March 2016 | Report 2016-03 | 132 pages](https://csls.ca/research/measuring-the-appropriate-outcomes-for-better-decision-making-a-framework-to-guide-the-analysis-of-health-policy-2016-03/) ## Abstract ## Résumé EN FR Copy link Email LinkedIn Statistics Canada is considering radical improvements to its system of national social statistics in order to strengthen the evidence base for traditional social research and analysis and, in addition, to enable a major shift towards evidence-driven social policies and programs. These new uses have the potential to allow social programs to be designed, administered, revised, and evaluated based on evidence of what has worked best for program recipients in similar circumstances in the past. These include applications that will assist in referring individuals to those social program interventions that are most likely to meet their own needs and aspirations, regardless of the department or order of government that offers those programs. They will allow policies to focus on higher order objectives such as improving quality of life at the level of individuals. Existing social statistics are structured according to data sources, such as surveys, censuses or administrative records. The system being envisaged would be based on an integrated model of society that shows how individuals interact with social institutions, including social programs, over the course of their lives. The data will be drawn from multiple sources including from individuals and from many administrative files that can be linked for particular applications using techniques that protect privacy and confidentiality. Development will be gradual and uneven across the different domains of social policy. Success will rely heavily on new forms of partnership among the national statistical office, program departments and the research community. Statistique Canada envisage des améliorations radicales à son système de statistiques sociales nationales afin de renforcer la base de données probantes pour la recherche et l’analyse sociales traditionnelles et, de surcroît, de permettre un virage majeur vers des politiques et programmes sociaux fondés sur des données probantes. Ces nouveaux usages pourraient permettre de concevoir, d’administrer, de réviser et d’évaluer les programmes sociaux à partir de données probantes sur ce qui a le mieux fonctionné pour les bénéficiaires de programmes se trouvant dans des circonstances semblables par le passé. Cela comprend des applications qui aideront à orienter les personnes vers les interventions de programmes sociaux les plus susceptibles de répondre à leurs propres besoins et aspirations, peu importe le ministère ou l’ordre de gouvernement qui offre ces programmes. Elles permettront aux politiques de se concentrer sur des objectifs d’ordre supérieur, tels que l’amélioration de la qualité de vie à l’échelle individuelle. Les statistiques sociales actuelles sont structurées en fonction des sources de données, telles que les enquêtes, les recensements ou les dossiers administratifs. Le système envisagé reposerait sur un modèle intégré de la société montrant comment les individus interagissent avec les institutions sociales, y compris les programmes sociaux, tout au long de leur vie. Les données proviendraient de multiples sources, notamment des individus eux-mêmes et de nombreux dossiers administratifs pouvant être couplés pour des applications particulières au moyen de techniques qui protègent la vie privée et la confidentialité. Le développement se fera de façon progressive et inégale selon les domaines de politique sociale. Le succès reposera en grande partie sur de nouvelles formes de partenariat entre l’organisme statistique national, les ministères responsables des programmes et la communauté de la recherche. [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2022-07-1.pdf)