The Yukon government says the census population numbers released this week have the territory's population pegged lower than it should be.

Statistics Canada's census figures, released across the country Tuesday, show the Yukon's population has grown by 5.9 per cent since the 2001 census. But territorial government statisticians say the population should actually be much higher.

The Yukon government's statistics are partly based on the number of health-care subscribers, and officials say census counters missed counting nearly 1,300 Yukon residents registered in the territory's health-care system in May 2006.

Gary Brown, a senior information officer with the Yukon Bureau of Statistics, said Wednesday the census figures also show the population of Carcross has mysteriously doubled from 152 in 2001 to 331 in 2006.

"StatsCan is checking on those numbers for us," he said.

Brown said the census population numbers are important because they have an impact on how much in federal transfer payments the territory receives.

"Every single person that's counted has a massive impact on the financing formula that we get from the feds, in the $16,000 range per person in the Yukon," he said.

Some places missed

"[There's] much more impact in the North here than the general population down south, so we'll see where the number ends up after they do their undercoverage adjustments."

Jerry Page, Statistics Canada's northern director, said surveyors do the best they can to provide an accurate count, even though they cannot count every cabin or basement apartment.

"We'll miss some of those dwellings, but the accuracy of census results depends on the goodwill of Canadians responding to the questions truthfully and accurately," Page said.

Brown said this is not the first time Statistics Canada's numbers differ from Yukon government statistics. The two bureaus will try to sort out the discrepancies by reviewing each other's numbers, but Brown said that process will take time.

"There is some suspicion on both sides, I'll say, but I would be surprised if we'd have a number out over the next year, even from them," he said.

Statistics Canada's numbers put the population of Whitehorse at 20,461, with the total Yukon population at 30,372. The territory pegs Yukon's population at closer to 31,630.