Geography Working Paper Series
Dissemination Geography Unique Identifier: Definition and Structure, 2026 Update
Introduction
This document describes the structure of the Dissemination Geography Unique Identifier (DGUID) code. This code is used within Statistics Canada’s Common Output Database Repository (CODR).
The DGUID is a skeleton key for linking geospatial data and statistical data. It facilitates linking every geographic area maintained by Statistics Canada with data tables that use geographic names within CODR.
Principles and assumptions
In developing the structure of the DGUID, the following principles are implemented:
- Language neutral
- Minimal change (re-uses existing geographic structure or codes as much as possible)
- Exhaustive (complete) and accommodating (adaptable)
- Easily understood, intuitive and decodable by internal and external users
- Minimal amount of storage space
Structure
The DGUID varies from 10 to 22 characters in length (Figure 1 and Table 1).
The first 9 characters are fixed in composition and length. These characters indicate the vintage, type and schema of geographic boundaries.
The geographic unique identifier that follows varies from 1 to 13 characters in length, which corresponds to the geographic area within a geographic boundary.
The four elements composing the DGUID are as follows:
Description for Figure 1
This figure presents the structure of the DGUID. The formula reads “DGUID = Vintage || Type || Schema || Geographic Unique Identifier,” illustrated as “VVVV T SSSS GGGGGGGGGGGGG”. The first four digits (VVVV) represent the vintage year, the fifth digit (T) represents the type of geographic area, digits six to nine (SSSS) represent the schema of the geographic area, and from digit ten onward up to a maximum length of thirteen digits (GGGGGGGGGGGGG) represent the geography unique identifier.
| Vintage | Type | Schema | Geographic Unique Identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 to 2026 (most recent release) |
A – Administrative | 0000 to 0499 | Corresponds to the unique identifier (GEOUID) of each geographic area. |
| S – Statistical | 0500 to 0999 | ||
| E – Environment | 2000 to 2999 |
Vintage
Vintage is a four-digit code (VVVV) indicating the reference year of the geospatial data. Vintage values range from 2001 to the most recent reference year of geospatial data. The reference year varies depending on the maintenance cycle of a given geographic area. The various reference year that could be found are defined in Table 2 below.
| Name | Abbreviation | Cycle | Possible values |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|||
| Census of population | CENSUS | Quinquennial | 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021, 2026 |
| Federal electoral districts redistribution | FED | Decennial | 2003, 2013, 2023 |
| Health region boundary release | HRBR | Annual Table 2 Note 1 | 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
| Environment | ENV | Occasional | 2010, 2020 |
Type
Type is a one-character code (T) indicating the type of geographic areas composing the geographic coverage of the statistical data disseminated. Possible values are as follows (Table 3):
| Type | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A | Administrative | Defined, with a few exceptions, by Canadian federal, provincial and territorial statutes or agencies, and adopted by Statistics Canada for the purpose of data dissemination activities. Examples include: - Province or territory - Federal electoral district - Census subdivision - Health region - Forward sortation area |
| S | Statistical | Defined by Statistics Canada to support census and survey dissemination activities. They are created according to a set of rules based on geographic attributes and one or more characteristics of the resident population. Examples include: - Economic region - Census agricultural region - Census metropolitan area - Population centre - Dissemination area |
| E | Environment | Defined by several federal working groups, and adopted by Statistics Canada to enable the production of integrated statistics for ecosystems and hydrographic areas. Examples include: - Ecozone - Drainage region - Canadian ocean - Contiguously settled area |
Schema
Schema is a four-digit sequential number (SSSS) assigned to each unique category of geographic areas. See Table 4 below for the list of schema codes and their associated geographic areas.
Geographic Unique Identifier
Geographic Unique Identifier is a variable length alpha-numeric code (GGGGGGGGGGGGG) assigned to each individual geographic area. For more detail see the illustrated glossary on Geographic Code. Geographic Unique Identifiers range from 1 to 13 characters in length.
| English Geography Name | Vintage reference year abbreviation (Table 2) | Type | Schema | Geographic Unique Identifier (GEOUID) |
Example | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attribute name | Length | ||||||
|
|||||||
| Country | CENSUS | A | 0000 | “11124” Table 4 Note 1 | ... not applicable | Canada, 2011 | 2011A000011124 |
| Geographical region of Canada | CENSUS | A | 0001 | PRUID Table 4 Note 2 Table 4 Note 3 | 1 | Prairies, 2016 | 2016A00014 |
| Province or territory | CENSUS | A | 0002 | PRUID | 2 | Quebec, 2026 | 2026A000224 |
| Census division | CENSUS | A | 0003 | CDUID | 4 | Toronto, 2021 | 2021A00033520 |
| Federal electoral district | FED | A | 0004 | FEDUID | 5 | Orléans, 2013 | 2013A000435076 |
| Census subdivision | CENSUS | A | 0005 | CSDUID | 7 | Toronto, City, 2011 | 2011A00053520005 |
| Designated place | CENSUS | A | 0006 | DPLUID | 6 | Lanark, Dissolved municipality, 2016 | 2016A0006350045 |
| Health region | HRBR | A | 0007 | HR_UID | 4 | Edmonton Zone, 2013 | 2013A00074834 |
| Local health integration network | HRBR Table 4 Note 5 | A | 0008 | LHN_UID | 4 | South West, 2015 | 2015A00083502 |
| Home and Community Care Support Services | HRBR Table 4 Note 5 | A | 0008 | HCCSSUID | 4 | Champlain, 2022 | 2022A00083511 |
| Ontario health region | HRBR Table 4 Note 5 | A | 0008 | OHRUID | 4 | East, 2023 | 2023A00083504 |
| Provincial health administrative area, Ontario | HRBR Table 4 Note 5 | A | 0085 | OHR_UID | 4 | Central, 2024 | 2024A00853502 |
| Provincial health administrative area, Brisitsh Columbia | HRBR Table 4 Note 5 | A | 0089 | BCHSDA_UID | 4 | Thompson/Cariboo Health Service Deliveray Area, 2025 | 2025A00895914 |
| Peer group | HRBR Table 4 Note 6 | A | 0009 | .. Table 4 Note 2 | 1 | Peer Group H, 2024 | 2024A0009H |
| Forward sortation area | CENSUS | A | 0011 | CFSAUID | 3 | K1J, 2011 | 2011A0011K1J |
| Economic region | CENSUS | S | 0500 | ERUID | 4 | Toronto, 2011 | 2011S05003530 |
| Census agricultural region | CENSUS | S | 0501 | CARUID | 4 | Cariboo, 2011 | 2011S05015905 |
| Census consolidated subdivision | CENSUS | S | 0502 | CCSUID | 7 | Rossburn, 2016 | 2016S05024616005 |
| Census metropolitan area | CENSUS | S | 0503 | CMAUID | 3 | Toronto, 2011 | 2011S0503535 |
| Census agglomeration | CENSUS | S | 0504 | CMAUID | 3 | Cobourg, 2016 | 2016S0504527 |
| Census metropolitan area part | CENSUS | S | 0505 | CMAUID | 5 | Ottawa - Gatineau (Ontario part / partie de l'Ontario), 2016 | 2016S050535505 |
| Census agglomeration part | CENSUS | S | 0506 | CMAPUID | 5 | Campbellton (partie du Québec / Quebec part), 2016 | 2016S050624330 |
| Census tract | CENSUS | S | 0507 | CTUID | 10 | 0002.00 (Moncton), 2011 | 2011S05073050002.00 |
| Census metropolitan influenced zone | CENSUS | S | 0509 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 5 | Zone d'influence métropolitaine faible (Alberta), 2021 | 2021S050948998 |
| Population centre | CENSUS | S | 0510 | PCUID | 4 | Toronto, 2011 | 2011S05100944 |
| Population centre part | CENSUS | S | 0511 | PCPUID | 6 | Lloydminster, 2016 | 2016S0511470478 |
| Dissemination area | CENSUS | S | 0512 | DAUID | 8 | 13070226, 2016 | 2016S051213070226 |
| Dissemination block | CENSUS | S | 0513 | DBUID | 11 | 13070226019, 2016 | 2016S051313070226019 |
| Glacier | 2011 | S | 0514 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 1 | Glacier Peyto, 2011 | 2011S05142 |
| Aggregate dissemination area | CENSUS Table 4 Note 4 | S | 0516 | ADAUID | 8 | 24230047, 2016 | 2016S051624230047 |
| Rural area | CENSUS Table 4 Note 7 | S | 0518 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 4 | Yukon: Rural Area - outside CMA or CA, 2026 | 2026S05189860 |
| Rural area part | CENSUS Table 4 Note 7 | S | 0519 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 6 | Hawkesbury (Ontario part / partie de l'Ontario): Rural Area, 2026 | 2026S0519358502 |
| Ecozone | 2016 | E | 2000 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 2 | Hudson Plains, 2016 | 2016E200015 |
| Ecoprovince | 2016 | E | 2001 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 4 (2.1) | Hay–Slave Lowlands, 2016 | 2016E200104.3 |
| Ecoregion | 2016 | E | 2002 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 8 (2.1.3) | Lake of the Woods, 2016 | 2016E200206.5.091 |
| Ecodistrict | 2016 | E | 2003 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 13 (2.1.3.4) | Lancaster, 2016 | 2016E200308.1.132.0548 |
| Drainage region | 2011 | E | 2101 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 2 | Okanagan - Similkameen, 2011 | 2011E210103 |
| Major drainage area | 2011 | E | 2102 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 2 | Northern Quebec and Labrador, 2011 | 2011E210203 |
| Sub-drainage area | 2011 | E | 2103 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 3 | Nechako, 2011 | 2011E210308J |
| Canadian combined ocean | 2021 | E | 2200 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 1 | Canada, ocean and coastal areas, 2021 | 2021E22001 |
| Canadian ocean | 2021 | E | 2201 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 1 | Arctic Ocean, 2021 | 2021E22012 |
| Marine bioregion | 2021 | E | 2202 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 2 | Scotian Shelf, 2021 | 2021E220211 |
| Contiguously settled area | 2020 | E | 2300 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 4 | Dauphin, Manitoba, 2020 | 2020E23000113 |
| Contiguously settled area (Canada) | ENV | E | 2301 | “11124” Table 4 Note 1 | 5+2 | Canada, all contiguously settled areas, 2020 | 2020E23011112402 |
| Contiguously settled area (by province) | ENV | E | 2302 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 4 | New Brunswick, all contiguously settled areas, 2020 | 2020E23021302 |
| Ecoprovince for annual water yield | 2016 | E | 2400 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 4 (2.1) | Central Boreal Plains, 2016 | 2016E240009.2 |
| Drainage region for water yield | 2011 | E | 2401 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 2 | Peace-Athabasca, 2011 | 2011E240106 |
| Population centre aggregate (Canada) | 2021 | E | 2500 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 2 | Canada, all population centres, 2021 | 2021E250005 |
| Population centre aggregate (by province) | 2021 | E | 2502 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 4 | Prince Edward Island, all population centres, 2021 | 2021E25021105 |
| Population centre aggregate by size (Canada) | 2021 | E | 2510 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 2 | Canada, large urban population centres, 2021 | 2021E251004 |
| Population centre aggregate by size (by province) | 2021 | E | 2511 | .. not available for a specific reference period Table 4 Note 2 | 4 | Quebec, medium population centres, 2021 | 2021E25112403 |
Correspondence files
Correspondence files containing the DGUID values for all disseminated geographic boundaries are available upon request. If you require a copy of one or more DGUID correspondence files, please contact us.
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