For over two decades, Population Data BC (PopData) has been providing academic researchers with access to a comprehensive collection of population health data, including health services, education, workplace and environmental data. These data sets, many from 1985 forward, include longitudinal, person-specific, de-identified data on BC's 5 million residents.
Over the years we have expanded the number and range of data sets available to Researchers and recently formed partnerships with the BC Government to support the development and delivery of the The Data Innovation Program (DI Program) and the Health Data Platform BC (HDPBC).
There are currently three streams available for academic researchers to access data on the population of British Columbia:
- The Data Innovation Program (DI Program)
- Population Data BC
- Health Data Platform BC (HDPBC)
Researchers will be routed to a data access stream based on a range of qualifying criteria which includes the data required to answer the research question and the tools required for analysis.
- What data sets are available in which stream?
Demographic Data set Availability DI Program PopData HDPBC BC Population Projections 2018 to 2041 ✓ view BC Vital Events and Statistics Births ✓ view ✓ view ✓ view BC Vital Events and Statistics Deaths ✓ view ✓ view ✓ view BC Vital Events and Statistics Marriages ✓ view ✓ view BC Vital Events and Statistics Stillbirths ✓ view ✓ view ✓ view Central Demographics File (MSP Registration and Premium Billings, Client Roster and Census Geodata)/Consolidation File ✓ view ✓ view Client Roster (CR) Snapshot ✓ view Population Extrapolation for Organizational Planning with Less Error (PEOPLE) ✓ view Registration and Premium Billings (RBP Lite) ✓ view ✓ 
EducationData set Availability DI Program PopData HDPBC K to 12 Socio Economic Index (SES) ✓ view K to 12 Student Assessments ✓ view ✓ view K to 12 Student Demographics and Achievements ✓ view ✓ view K to 12 Student Learning Surveys ✓ view ✓ view 
Environment and ResourcesData set Availability DI Program PopData HDPBC The Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE) ✓ view 
JusticeData set Availability DI Program PopData HDPBC Corrections - Adult Community and Custody ✓ view 
HealthData set Availability DI Program PopData HDPBC BC Cancer Registry ✓ view ✓ view BC Cardiac Service Registry ✓ view BC Perinatal Data Registry ✓ view ✓ view ✓ view BC Renal ✓ view Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging ✓ view Chronic Disease Registry ✓ view ✓ view ✓ view CIHI Population Grouping Methodology (CPOP) ✓ view COVID-19 Census Hospitalizations and Critical Care Reports ✓ view COVID-19 Test Lab Data ✓ view ✓ view ✓ view Discharge Abstracts Database ✓ view ✓ view ✓ view HealthIdeas Common and Reference Dimensions ✓ view HealthLink 811-COVID ✓ view Health System Matrix ✓ view Home and Community Care ✓ view ✓ view Home and Community Care Minimum Reporting Requirements ✓ view Medical Imaging Wait Times ✓ view Medical Services Plan (MSP) ✓ view ✓ view ✓ view Mental Health Services ✓ view ✓ view National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS) ✓ view ✓ view ✓ view Patient-Centered Measurement (PCM) ✓ view PharmaCare ✓ view ✓ view PharmaNet ✓ view ✓ view ✓ view Post-Covid Recovery Clinic ✓ view Provincial Immunization Registry ✓ view Residential Assessment Instrument ✓ view ✓ view ✓ view Surgical Wait Times (SWT) ✓ view VPP Clinical OMOP Data ✓ view 
SocialData set Availability DI Program PopData HDPBC Affordable Child Care Benefit ✓ view BC Employment and Assistance ✓ view BC Family Maintenance ✓ view Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD) ✓ view Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH ✓ view Child Care Subsidy ✓ view Child Welfare Program ✓ view Community Living Programs ✓ view Early Development Instrument ✓ view ✓ view Middle Years Development Instrument ✓ view Permanent Residents ✓ view Private Market Rent Supplements for Eligible Seniors and Working Families ✓ view Shelter and Homeless Outreach Private Market Rent Supplements ✓ view Supportive Housing ✓ view 
TransportationData set Availability DI Program PopData HDPBC ICBC – Contraventions ✓ view ICBC – Crashes ✓ view ICBC - Driver Licensing ✓ view ICBC - Traffic Accident System (TAS) ✓ view ICBC - Vehicle Population ✓ view 
Work and IncomeData set Availability DI Program PopData HDPBC Income Band ✓ view Income Bands - Custom ✓ view Income Bands by Postal Code ✓ view Labour Market Programs ✓ view WorkSafe Claims, Injury and Firm Level files ✓ view Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants ✓ view Provincial Nominee Program ✓ view - What tools are available in each stream for statistical analysis?
Tool Availability DI Program PopData HDPBC ArcGIS ✓ ✓ DataBricks ✓ Epi Info ✓ ✓ GeoDa ✓ ✓ Gephi ✓ ✓ graphViz ✓ ✓ JoinPoint ✓ ✓ MPlus ✓ ✓ MSOffice ✓ ✓ ✓ MS Project ✓ ✓ MS Visio ✓ ✓ Python ✓ ✓ ✓ R ✓ ✓ ✓ Rstudio ✓ ✓ ✓ Rtools ✓ ✓ ✓ SAS ✓ ✓ ✓ SaTScan ✓ ✓ SPSS ✓ ✓ SQL ✓ Stat Transfer ✓ ✓ Stata ✓ ✓ WinBUGS ✓ ✓ - Can data sets be linked to external data sets (including Researcher-collected data?)
DI Program
PopData
HDPBC
Yes. For academic and government projects, data sets are linkable to each other, and to other externally-managed data sets (including Researcher-collected data), where approved by the data provider.
Yes. Data sets are linkable to each other, and to other externally-managed data sets (including Researcher-collected data), where approved by the data provider.
Yes. Data sets are linkable to each other, and to other externally-managed data sets (including Researcher-collected data), where approved by the data provider.
- Are students allowed to access data?
DI Program
PopData
HDPBC
Students are not permitted to access data for their own research project. They are however, allowed to access data as a team member on an academic project.
Yes
Go to: Data access for studentsYes
Go to: Data access for students- Can I request a single data set or data sets from just one Government Ministry?
DI Program
PopData
HDPBC
No. Applications must involve linkage of data sets from more than one Ministry, e.g. a data set(s) from the BC Ministry of Health with a data set(s) from the BC Ministry of Education. Data sets from one Ministry are not available for request.
Yes
Yes
- Can I choose/customise the variables in a data set?
DI Program
PopData
HDPBC
Variables for the entire data set are provided (sensitive variables are masked)
Core* (standard variables)
Non-Core* (sensitive variables) available by requestCore* (standard variables)
Non-Core* (sensitive variables) available by request
*Core vs. Non-Core DataCore Data: Some BC Ministry of Health data sets available through PopData and HDPBC are called ‘Core Data’. A Core Data set is a standardized ‘bundle’ of commonly requested variables. A Core Data set may not include ALL the variables available in the data set. For example, some Core Data variables, such as geography or organisational codes, are suppressed to meet privacy legislation requirements. Non-Core Data: Non-Core Data are variables that are NOT included in the standardized Core Data set. Non-Core Data is available for request as an addition to the Core Data set.
For the majority of DARs, requesting access to Core Data ONLY may make the data access approval process quicker and may expedite data provision. Data requests that include Non-Core Data will be subject to regular rather than expedited processes, both for application review and data provisioning.
- Are sensitive variables available?
DI Program
If excluded variables are required for the project, a special request can be submitted to the DI Program for consideration.
PopData
Sensitive variables available by request.
HDPBC
Sensitive variables available by request.
- Where is the data stored for analysis?
DI Program
PopData
HDPBC
DI Program Secure Analytics Environment (SAE)
Note: The PopData Secure Research Environment (SRE) and the DI Program Secure Analytics Environment (SAE) refer to the same virtual computing workspace.
The PopData Secure Research Environment (SRE)
HDPBC Secure Environment (SE)
- How is the data provisioned for analysis?
DI Program
PopData
HDPBC
For DI Program projects the researcher receives CSV files on the DI Program Secure Analytics Environment with standard extracts.
Note: The PopData Secure Research Environment (SRE) and the DI Program Secure Analytics Environment (SAE) refer to the same virtual computing workspace
For PopData projects the researcher receives flat ASCII files (a format that can be imported into a wide variety of software) on the PopData Secure Research Environment, with either a custom extract based on their data access request, or a standard Core extract.
For HDPBC projects the researcher accesses a relational database in its Secure Environment to create their own cohort and perform analyses.
- Where do I go to apply for data?
DI Program
PopData
HDPBC
- What legislation covers the use of the data?
DI Program
PopData/HDPBC
BC Statistics Act
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA)
How to get started
Use the information above to identify the data that you need to answer your research question and the statistical tools that you require for analysis. This will determine whether your project will go through the DI Program, PopData or HDPBC stream.
Check that your research project, as well as you, and the members of your team, are eligible to access the data that you require.
Study the information available on the Data Access Process Request (DAR) web pages to familiarise yourself with the process and help you to plan your data access request.
Connect with a member of PopData's Data Access Unit to confirm which stream your application will go through and next steps. For more information on the PopData and HDPBC streams, go to: PopData or HDPBC stream?
