Dictionary, Census of Population, 2016
Household type
Definition
'Household type' refers to the differentiation of households on the basis of whether they are census family households or non-census-family households. Census family households are those that contain at least one census family. Non-census-family households are either one person living alone or a group of two or more persons who live together but do not constitute a census family. Census family households may be differentiated based on the presence of additional persons (that is, persons not in a census family).
Statistical unit(s)
Classification(s)
Reported in
2016 and 2011; 2006, 2001 and 1996 (20% sample); 1991, 1986 and 1981. For availability prior to 1981, refer to Appendix 2.0.
Reported for
Private households
Question number(s)
Derived variable: Questions 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
Responses
Not applicable
Remarks
Historically in the census, as well as in the Statistics Canada standard concept for household type, 'census family households' are broken down by whether they have one census family or multiple census families. One-census-family households are then optionally broken down by whether there are any other persons present in the household (without additional persons; with additional persons). Since the 2001 Census, an alternative breakdown is often used in published tables to focus on households that are composed entirely of one census family and contrast them with all other households containing at least one census family. The first type of household corresponds to 'one-census-family households without additional persons' in the Statistics Canada standard, although this category was called 'one-family-only households' in tables from 2001 to 2011. The second type, 'other census family households,' combines both 'one-census-family households with additional persons' and 'multiple-census-family households' of the Statistics Canada standard.
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