Type of household

Status

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

Definition

Type refers to a general character, form, or a characteristic that distinguishes a particular group or class of things.

In the context of household, type refers to the types of groupings of persons and living arrangements found in private households.

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)

• Type of household