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io.github.arose26/statcan-mcp

Official registry Data and databases

Statistics Canada's 8,200+ data tables: CPI, GDP, labour force, housing. No API key.

Source code Documentation

Install

Add this to your client's MCP configuration (Claude Desktop: claude_desktop_config.json; Cursor: .cursor/mcp.json; VS Code and others use the same "mcpServers" shape).

NPM package statcan-mcp
Claude Code 
claude mcp add statcan-mcp -- npx -y statcan-mcp@0.1.1
JSON configuration (Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code) 
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "statcan-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "statcan-mcp@0.1.1"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Documentation

From the project's README on GitHub, refreshed weekly. Links open on GitHub.

Contents
  1. statcan-mcp
  2. Why this exists
  3. Quick start
  4. Tools
  5. Example prompts
  6. Development
  7. Notes
  8. Roadmap
  9. License

statcan-mcp

An MCP server that gives Claude and other LLMs live access to Statistics Canada — all 8,200+ data tables from the Web Data Service: CPI, GDP, labour force, housing starts, population, trade, and more.

No API key required.

Sibling project: bank-of-canada-mcp for Bank of Canada rates and FX.

Why this exists

StatCan's API is powerful but hostile: POST-only lookups, opaque numeric vector IDs, 10-position "coordinate" addressing, and numeric code enums everywhere (scalarFactorCode: 3). This server translates it into something an LLM can actually drive:

  • Discovery flow built into the tools — search tables → inspect dimensions → fetch data, with each tool description pointing to the next step.
  • Context-friendly by default — a CPI dimension has 359 members and a series can span a century; members are capped and keyword-filterable, data defaults to the last 12 periods.
  • Codes decoded at runtime via StatCan's own code-set endpoint — responses say "scale": "thousands" and "note": "use with caution", not scalarFactorCode: 3, statusCode: 5. Nothing hardcoded to go stale.
  • Forgiving inputs — vector IDs accepted as v41690973 or 41690973; coordinates padded automatically.

Quick start

Claude Code

claude mcp add statcan -- npx -y statcan-mcp

Claude Desktop — add to claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "statcan": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "statcan-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

The same npx invocation works in Cursor, Windsurf, and any other MCP client.

Tools

ToolWhat it does
search_tablesKeyword search across all ~8,200 data tables
get_table_metadataA table's dimensions and members (capped, filterable) — the map you need to pull data
get_data_by_vectorsTime series by vector ID(s), date range or latest-N
get_data_by_coordinateTime series by table + one member choice per dimension
get_series_infoDecode a mystery vector ID into its title and source table

Example prompts

  • "What's Canada's current unemployment rate, and how has it trended over 12 months?"
  • "Compare gasoline price inflation in Ontario vs Quebec since 2024."
  • "How many housing starts were there in Canada last quarter?"
  • "What is vector v41690973?"

Development

npm install
npm test           # offline unit tests (vitest)
npm run build      # tsc → dist/
node scripts/smoke.mjs   # live smoke test against the real API

Architecture: src/wds.ts is a plain WDS client with pure, unit-tested logic (catalogue search, coordinate padding, code decoding); src/index.ts is the MCP wiring. API failures (unknown vector, bad coordinate) come back as MCP tool errors carrying StatCan's own message so the model can self-correct.

Notes

  • Data is © Statistics Canada, used under the Statistics Canada Open Licence. This project is not affiliated with or endorsed by Statistics Canada.
  • English output only for now (the API also carries French — see roadmap).

Roadmap

  • French-language output (*Fr fields are already in the API responses)
  • Full-table CSV download for bulk analysis
  • Streamable HTTP transport for remote deployment

License

MIT

Frequently asked questions

What is io.github.arose26/statcan-mcp?

Statistics Canada's 8,200+ data tables: CPI, GDP, labour force, housing. No API key.

How do I install io.github.arose26/statcan-mcp?

It runs on your machine. In Claude Code: claude mcp add statcan-mcp -- npx -y statcan-mcp@0.1.1. For other clients, paste the JSON configuration from this page into their MCP settings.

Does io.github.arose26/statcan-mcp need an API key?

Its registry entry lists no required key or secret. Some features may still need an account with the service it connects to.

Is io.github.arose26/statcan-mcp open source?

Yes. Its code is on GitHub under the MIT license.

Who maintains io.github.arose26/statcan-mcp?

It is published by arose26. AI.tn lists it but does not maintain or endorse it.

From the official MCP Registry. Listing is not an endorsement: review a server's code and permissions before giving it access to your data.