The Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) is a system maintained by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. It is headquartered in ...

for categorizing and enumerating the

census geographic units of Canada The census geographic units of Canada are the Census division, census subdivisions defined and used by Canada's federal government statistics bureau Statistics Canada to conduct Census in Canada, the country's quinquennial census. These areas exi ...

. Each geographic area receives a unique numeric code ranging from one to seven digits, which extend telescopically to refer to increasingly small areas. This

geocode A geocode is a code that represents a geographic entity (location or Geographical feature, object). It is a unique identifier of the entity, to distinguish it from others in a finite set of geographic entities. In general the ''geocode'' is a ...

is roughly analogous to the

ONS coding system The ONS coding system was a hierarchical code used in the United Kingdom for tabulating census and other statistical data. ONS refers to the Office for National Statistics. It was replaced by the GSS coding system on 1 January 2011. Code formula ...

in use in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Regions

The SGC code format for

regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

is , where ''X'' is a unique identifier incrementing from east to west, then north. :

Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (), is the list of regions of Canada, region of Eastern Canada comprising four provinces: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. As of 2021, the landma ...

: Quebec
: Ontario
: Prairies
: British Columbia
:

Northern Canada Northern Canada (), colloquially the North or the Territories, is the vast northernmost region of Canada, variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three Provinces_and_territories_of_Canada#Territories, terr ...

Provinces and Territories

The SGC code format for provinces and territories is , where ''X'' is the above regional prefix, and ''Y'' is a further identifier incrementing from east to west. Taken as a single digit, each value of ''Y'' is unique within the province group, or unique within the territory group. :

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the populatio ...

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Yukon Yukon () is a Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s we ...

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately and a 2021 census population of 41,070, it is the second-largest and the most populous of Provinces and territorie ...

Nunavut Nunavut is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' and the Nunavut Land Claims Agr ...

Census divisions

The SGC code format for census divisions is , where ''XX'' is the above province/territory code, and ''YY'' is the census division's code, unique within its own province. Census divisions are generally numbered from east to west. In some locations, a similar policy to American FIPS county codes has been adopted, with even-numbered slots being left vacant for future expansion. Examples:
: Division No. 4, Newfoundland and Labrador
: Division No. 5, Newfoundland and Labrador
:

Kent County, New Brunswick Kent County (2021 population 32,169) is located in east-central New Brunswick, Canada. The county features a unique blend of cultures including Mi'kmaq people, Mi'kmaq, Acadian, and English Canadians, English. Some larger tourist attractions in ...

Northumberland County, New Brunswick Northumberland County is located in northeastern New Brunswick, Canada. Geography Northumberland County is covered by thick forests, whose products stimulate the economy. The highest peaks in the province, including Mount Carleton lie in the ...

York County, New Brunswick York County (2021 population 105,261) is located in west-central New Brunswick, Canada. The county contains the provincial capital, Fredericton. Outside the city, farming and forestry are two major industries in the county, which is bisected by ...

Les Moulins Regional County Municipality, Quebec Les Moulins () is a regional county municipality in the Lanaudière region of Quebec, Canada. It is located immediately north of Laval on the north shore of the Rivière des Mille-Îles, and comprises the municipalities of Terrebonne and Ma ...

: ''Territoire équivalent'' of Laval, Quebec
: ''Territoire équivalent'' of

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Quebec
: Roussillon Regional County Municipality, Quebec
: Les Jardins-de-Napierville Regional County Municipality, Quebec
: Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario
: '' acant slot'
:

Lanark County, Ontario Lanark County is a county and census division located in the Canadian province of Ontario. Its county seat is Perth, which was first settled in 1816Brown, Howard Morton, 1984. Lanark Legacy, Nineteenth Century Glimpses of on Ontario County. Corp ...

: Frontenac Census Division, Ontario
: Division No. 4, Saskatchewan
: Division No. 5, Alberta
:

Regional District of East Kootenay The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) is a regional district in the Canadian province of British Columbia, Canada. In the 2016 census, the population was 60,439. Its area is . The regional district offices are in Cranbrook, the large ...

, British Columbia
: '' acant slot'
:

Regional District of Central Kootenay The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) is a regional district in the province of British Columbia, Canada. As of the 2016 census, the population was 59,517. The area is 22,130.72 square kilometres. The administrative centre is locat ...

, British Columbia
: '' acant slot'
:

Regional District of Kootenay Boundary The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) is one of 28 regional districts in the province of British Columbia, Canada. As of the 2016 Canadian census, the population was 31,447. The area is 8,095.62 km2 (3,125.74 sq mi). The RDKB ...

, British Columbia

Census subdivisions

The SGC code format for census subdivisions is , where ''XX'' is the province/territory code, ''YY'' is the census division code, and ''ZZZ'' is the census subdivision's code, unique within its own census division. Census subdivisions are again generally numbered from east to west, and the practice has been to leave even-numbered slots vacant for future expansion. Examples:
: Tyendinaga, Ontario
: Deseronto, Ontario
: '' acant slot'
: Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, Ontario
:

Belleville, Ontario Belleville is a city in Ontario, Canada, situated on the eastern end of Lake Ontario, located at the mouth of the Moira River and on the Bay of Quinte. Its population as of the 2021 Canadian census was 55,071 (Census Metropolitan Area population 1 ...

: '' acant slot'
: Sanikiluaq, Nunavut
: '' acant slot'
: Iqaluit, Nunavut
: '' acant slot'
: Kimmirut, Nunavut
{{mono, 62 04 006: '' acant slot'

External links

Statistics Canada 2006 Census Dictionary - Geographic code

Statistics Canada Geocodes