According to the 2006 census, the population of Canada was 31 612 897 on May 16, 2006. This map shows the population distribution, based on the population density and the population counts of census dissemination blocks. A dissemination block is generally an area the size of a city block bounded by intersecting streets. There are 478 831 blocks across Canada. In order to define the three population-distribution classes, the blocks for all of Canada were ordered by their population density, from highest to lowest. The population counts for each block were then used to determine where 75 per cent of the population lived, where 24 per cent of the population lived, and where less than 1 percent of the population lived.