Size of household

Status

Size of household was approved as a departmental standard on July 15, 1998.

Definition

Size refers to the number of persons or things in the statistical unit or to its physical dimensions.

In the context of household, size refers to the number of persons residing in private households. Collective households and households outside Canada are not included.

Household applies to a person or group of person who occupy the same dwelling and do not have a usual place of residence elsewhere in Canada or abroad. The dwelling may be either a collective dwelling or a private dwelling. The household may consist of a family group such as a census family, of two or more families sharing a dwelling, of a group of unrelated persons or of a person living alone. Household members who are temporarily absent reference day (e.g., temporary residents elsewhere) are considered part of their usual household.

The household universe is divided into two sub-universes on the basis of whether or not the household is occupying a collective dwelling or a private dwelling. The former is identified as a collective household while the latter is a private household.

Classification(s)