Dictionary, Census of Population, 2021
Usual place of residence

Definition

Usual place of residence in Canada refers to the main dwelling in which the person lives most of the time. It is used to identify the person as a member of a particular household and, potentially, family (depending on the composition of the household).

Statistical unit(s)

• Person

Classification(s)

• Not applicable

Reported in

2021, 2016, 2011, 2006, 2001, 1996, 1991, 1986, 1981, 1976, 1971, 1966 and 1961.

Reported for

Not applicable

Question number(s)

Not applicable

Responses

Not applicable

Remarks

The concept of usual place of residence is necessary to ensure that residents of Canada are counted once and only once. The use of this concept means that the Canadian census is a de jure census, as opposed to a de facto census. Thus, persons were counted at their usual place of residence, regardless of where they were on the reference day, May 11, 2021. The de jure method has been used since 1871.

In this context, 'person' refers to a Canadian citizen (by birth or by naturalization), a landed immigrant (permanent resident), a person who has claimed refugee status (asylum claimant) and a person from another country with a work or study permit. Family members living with work or study permit holders are also included. Foreign residents are excluded.

A person is considered to be a member of the household at their usual place of residence, only.

For persons with only one residence, that residence is their usual place of residence.

For persons with no residence, their usual place of residence is where they stayed on May 11, 2021.

For persons with more than one residence in Canada, their usual place of residence is the place where the person lives most of the time, with the following exceptions:

• The usual residence of spouses or common‑law partners who stay elsewhere while working or studying is the residence where their family lives, if they return periodically.
• The usual residence of students is that of their parents, if they return to live with their parents during the year even if they live elsewhere while attending school or working at a summer job.
• The usual residence of persons who have lived in an institutional collective dwelling for six months or more is the institutional collective dwelling in which they currently reside. Institutional collective dwellings include correctional institutions, hospitals, nursing homes, chronic and long term care hospitals and related institutions. The usual residence of persons who have lived in an institutional collective dwelling for less than six months is the private dwelling to which they can return. If they do not have a private dwelling to which they can return, then the institutional collective dwelling is their usual place of residence.
• For persons who spend equal time at each residence (as in some cases of joint custody), their usual place of residence is determined by where they stayed on May 11, 2021.

For persons with a residence in Canada and a residence outside of Canada, their Canadian residence is their usual place of residence.

Canadian government employees, including Canadian Armed Forces personnel, residing outside Canada for all of the reference period are out of scope for most surveys. The census, which does include them, determines a geographic location for their usual place of residence using the address they used for election purposes, or their last permanent address if they are not already included in the residence of their families.