The Ontario Marginalization Index (ON-Marg) can be used to understand inequalities in health and other social problems related to health among either population groups or geographic areas across Ontario.
ON-Marg is a data tool that combines a wide range of demographic indicators into four distinct dimensions of marginalization. As a multifaceted index, ON-Marg measures multiple axes of deprivation in Ontario, including:
• residential instability: indicators such as "% renters" and "% living alone"
• material deprivation: indicators such as "% low income" and "% lone parent families"
• dependency: indicators such as "% seniors" and "% employment"
• ethnic concentration: indicators such as "% recent immigrants" and "% visible minority"
| History of ON-Marg data creation |
ON-Marg | ON-Marg Neighbourhoods |
Maps |
|---|---|---|---|
| The 2016 and 2011 Ontario Marginalization Indices were created jointly by researchers at Public Health Ontario and the Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital. |
2016, 2011 |
||
| The 2016 Ontario Marginalization Index for Central LHIN (LHIN 8) Neighbourhoods was created by researchers at the Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital. |
2016 * | Maps | |
| The 2016 and 2011 Ontario Marginalization Indices for Toronto Neighbourhoods were created by researchers at the Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital. |
2016 *, 2011 * | Maps | |
| The 2006 Marginalization Index was created by researchers at the Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital. |
2006 | 2006 * | Maps |
| The 2001 Marginalization Index was created by researchers at the Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital. |
2001 | ||
| * Asterisk indicates there are maps available for this content | |||
Ontario Marginalization Index (ON-Marg) — 2016 and 2011 update is now available!INTRODUCTION
The Ontario Marginalization Index
How can researchers, community agencies and policy-makers find out more about the relationship between our neighbourhoods and our health?
The Ontario Marginalization Index allows you to explore how factors like residential instability and material deprivation are concentrated at local level and how this is affecting health outcomes.
The 2016 and 2011 Ontario Marginalization Indices were created jointly by researchers at Public Health Ontario and the Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital.
The 2016 update to ON-Marg exclusively uses data from Statistics Canada's 2016 Census of Population to determine the dimensions of marginalization and to calculate the factor scores and quintiles.
The 2011 update to ON-Marg combines data from several sources including: Statistics Canada Taxfiler data, Municipal Property Assessment Corporation data, the Registered Persons Database, and the Immigration Refugees, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Permanent Resident Database.
Data is available at the local and neighbourhood-level as well as larger geographies such as public health units and Local Health Integration Networks.
USER GUIDE and DATA
ON-Marg User Guide 2016 ON-Marg User Guide 2011Outlines everything you need to know about using ON-Marg to complete your own analyses.
Download the ON-Marg data 2016:
Download 2016 ON-Marg-
Citation:
Matheson FI, van Ingen T. 2016 Ontario marginalization index. Toronto, ON: St. Michael’s Hospital; 2018. Joint publication with Public Health Ontario.
Matheson et al. "Development of the Canadian Marginalization Index: a new tool for the study of inequality." Canadian Journal of Public Health, 2012;103(Suppl. 2):S12-S16. English, Français
Download the ON-Marg data 2011:
Download 2011 ON-Marg-
Citation:
Matheson, FI; Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario). 2011 Ontario marginalization index. Toronto, ON: St. Michael’s Hospital; 2017. Joint publication with Public Health Ontario.
Matheson et al. "Development of the Canadian Marginalization Index: a new tool for the study of inequality." Canadian Journal of Public Health, 2012;103(Suppl. 2):S12-S16. English, Français
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
Technical DocumentBackground information on ON-Marg methodology, data sources and how the different dimensions were calculated.
ON-Marg FAQsReferences the most common questions asked to help you use ON-Marg.
Ontario Marginalization Index (ON-Marg) — 2006, 2001INTRODUCTION
The Ontario Marginalization Index
How can researchers, community agencies and policy-makers find out more about the relationship between our neighbourhoods and our health?
The Ontario Marginalization Index allows you to explore how factors like residential instability and material deprivation are concentrated at local level and how this is affecting health outcomes.
ON-Marg (2006 and 2001) was created by researchers at the Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s (C-UHS).
Citation:
Matheson et al. "Development of the Canadian Marginalization Index: a new tool for the study of inequality." Canadian Journal of Public Health, 2012;103(Suppl. 2):S12-S16. English, Français
USER GUIDE and DATA
ON-Marg User Guide 2006Download the ON-Marg data and Geographic Crosswalk 2006, 2001:
DA & CT ON-Marg Data, 2006
DA & CT ON-Marg Data, 2001 Geographic Crosswalk, 2006
Geographic Crosswalk, 2001
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
ON-Marg FAQs
About and Using the ON-Marg: FAQs
Additional Resources
Overview of the Ontario Marginalization Index (ON-Marg), 2012
Centre for Research on Inner City Health (CRICH). RESEARCH FLASH, 2012
Who’s using ON-Marg?
For more about the impact the Ontario Marginalization Index (On-Marg) is having on program design and policy development in Ontario, read case studies from:
Hospital for Sick Children
Peel Public Health
Public Health Ontario
City of Toronto Neighbourhoods Ontario Marginalization Index (ON-Marg) 2016, 2011, 2006Ontario Central LHIN (LHIN 8) Neighbourhoods Ontario Marginalization Index (ON-Marg) 2016
INTRODUCTION
The Ontario Marginalization Index
How can researchers, community agencies and policy-makers find out more about the relationship between our neighbourhoods and our health?
The Ontario Marginalization Index allows you to explore how factors like residential instability and material deprivation are concentrated at local level and how this is affecting health outcomes.
The Ontario Marginalization Index (2016, 2011, 2006) for Toronto Neighbouhoods was created by researchers at the Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s (C-UHS).
The Ontario Marginalization Index (2016) for Central LHIN Neighbouhoods was created by researchers at the Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s (C-UHS).
Citation:
Matheson FI, van Ingen T. 2016 Ontario marginalization index. Toronto, ON: St. Michael’s Hospital; 2018. Joint publication with Public Health Ontario.
Matheson et al. "Development of the Canadian Marginalization Index: a new tool for the study of inequality." Canadian Journal of Public Health, 2012;103(Suppl. 2):S12-S16. English, Français
USER GUIDE, DATA and MAPS
ON-Marg User Guide 2016 ON-Marg User Guide 2011 ON-Marg User Guide 2006Outlines everything you need to know about using ON-Marg to complete your own analyses.
Download the ON-Marg Toronto data: 2016, 2011, 2006
Toronto Neighbourhoods, ON-Marg Data, 2016 Toronto Neighbourhoods, ON-Marg Data, 2011 Toronto Neighbourhoods, ON-Marg Data, 2006City of Toronto ON-Marg maps:
ON-Marg Toronto Neighbourhoods Maps 2016, 2011, 2006Download the ON-Marg Central LHIN data: 2016
Central LHIN Neighbourhoods, ON-Marg Data, 2016Central LHIN ON-Marg maps:
ON-Marg Central LHIN Neighbourhoods Maps 2016
CONTACT US
How to cite this website:
Ontario Community Health Profiles Partnership; www.ontariohealthprofiles.ca; Accessed on: December 11, 2025