Postal Code Population Weight File [Canada], May 1996 Postal Codes, Census of Canada 1996

The Postal Code Population Weight File has been created as a supplementary product to the Postal Code Conversion File (PCCF). It provides users with a population ‘weight’ for postal codes with multiple links on the PCCF. The weight associated with each record on the Postal Code Population Weight File represents the proportion of the population reporting the postal code within a specific enumeration area. Only a small percentage of postal codes are linked to more than one enumeration area on the PCCF (4%). However, these postal codes tend to serve relatively large areas and large populations. The weights will allow users to allocate their data proportionally to the population distribution reported in the 1996 Census. This file can also be used in combination with the PCCF to identify those postal code-to-enumeration area links confirmed by census reported postal code data.