Economic Family - Refers to a group of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling and are related to each other by blood, marriage, common-law or adoption.

The economic family concept requires only that family members be related by blood, marriage, common-law or adoption. By contrast, the census family concept requires that family members be either a male or female spouse, a male or female common-law partner, a male or female lone parent, or a child with a parent present. The concept of economic family may therefore refer to a larger group of persons than does the census family concept. For example, a widowed mother living with her married son and daughter-in-law would be treated as a non-family person under the definition of a census family. That same person would, however, be counted as a member of an economic family along with her son and daughter-in-law. Two or more related census families living together also constitute one economic family as, for example, a man and his wife living with their married son and daughter-in-law. Two or more brothers or sisters living together, apart from their parents, will form an economic family, but not a census family, since they do not meet the requirements for the latter. All census family persons are economic family persons. For 2006, foster children are considered economic family members.

The economic family and its associated classifications and variables are derived according to the responses to the questions on sex, date of birth, marital status, common law status, and relationship to Person 1. In addition, consideration is given to the order in which household members are listed on the questionnaire.

As of 1971, published family statistics included families living in private households (including those enumerated outside Canada) and all collective households.

Prior to 2001, economic families were defined in Hutterite collective households as well.

For 2006, married spouses may be of opposite or same sex.

Note that as of 2001, same-sex partners are considered to be common-law partners. Thus they are considered related and members of the same economic family.

Economic family structure - Refers to the classification of economic families into those of couple families, lone-parent families and other economic families.

Couple families are those in which a member of either a married or common-law couple is the economic family reference person.

Lone-parent families are those in which either a male or female lone parent is the economic family reference person.

All other economic families are those in which the economic family reference person is a person not in a census family.

Earner or employment income recipient - Refers to a person 15 years of age and over who received wages and salaries, net income from a non-farm unincorporated business and/or professional practice, and/or net farm self-employment income during calendar year 2005.

Canadian censuses were conducted in 2001 and 2006. Income data from these censuses relate to the calendar year prior to the census year, i.e., 2000 and 2005 respectively. For additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, Catalogue no. 92-566-XWE.

Canadian censuses were conducted in 2001 and 2006. Income data from these censuses relate to the calendar year prior to the census year, i.e., 2000 and 2005 respectively. For additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, Catalogue no. 92-566-XWE.

Economic family total income - The total income of an economic family is the sum of the total incomes of all members of that family.

'Total income' refers to the total money income received from the following sources during calendar year 2005 by persons 15 years of age and over:

- wages and salaries (total)
- net farm income
- net non-farm income from unincorporated business and/or professional practice
- child benefits
- Old Age Security pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement
- benefits from Canada or Quebec Pension Plan
- benefits from Employment Insurance
- other income from government sources
- dividends, interest on bonds, deposits and savings certificates, and other investment income
- retirement pensions, superannuation and annuities, including those from RRSPs and RRIFs
- other money income.

After-tax income of economic families - The after-tax income of an economic family is the sum of the after-tax incomes of all members of that family. After-tax income of family members or persons not in families refers to total income from all sources minus federal, provincial and territorial income taxes paid for 2005.

Receipts not counted as income - The income concept excludes gambling gains and losses, lottery prizes, money inherited during the year in a lump sum, capital gains or losses, receipts from the sale of property, income tax refunds, loan payments received, lump sum settlements of insurance policies, rebates received on property taxes, refunds of pension contributions as well as all income 'in kind,' such as free meals and living accommodations, or agricultural products produced and consumed on the farm.

Average income of families (census/economic), persons 15 years of age and over not in families, and households - Average income of families (census/economic) or persons 15 years of age and over not in families or households refers to the weighted mean total income of families (census/economic), persons 15 years of age and over not in families, or households in 2005. Average income is calculated from unrounded data by dividing the aggregate income of a specified group of families (for example, husband-wife families with working wives) or persons 15 years of age and over not in families or households (for example, two-person households) by the number of families, persons not in families, or households in that respective group, whether or not they reported income.

Median income of families (census/economic), persons 15 years of age and over not in families, and households - The median income of a specified group of families (census/economic), persons 15 years of age and over not in families, or households is that amount which divides their income size distribution, ranked by size of income, into two halves. That is, the incomes of the first half of the families, persons 15 years of age and over not in families, or households are below the median, while those of the second half are above the median. Median incomes of families (census/economic), persons 15 years of age and over not in families, or households are normally calculated for all units in the specified group, whether or not they reported income.

Standard error of average income - Refers to the estimated standard error of average income for an income size distribution. If interpreted as shown below, it serves as a rough indicator of the precision of the corresponding estimate of average income. For about 68% of the samples which could be selected from the sample frame, the difference between the sample estimate of average income and the corresponding figure based on complete enumeration would be less than one standard error. For about 95% of the possible samples, the difference would be less than two standard errors and, in about 99% of the samples, the difference would be less than approximately two and a half standard errors.

The above concept and procedures also apply in the calculation of these statistics on the after-tax income of families (census/economic), persons 15 years of age and over not in families and households.