Statistics Canada
www.statcan.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
2001 Census public use microdata file for individuals
Attribute descriptions
Below is the list and description of the 43 attributes (characteristics or variables) provided for each individual in the 12 microdata files for the 2001 Census.
Numeric attributes
The following nine attributes are numeric, permitting enhanced graphical and numerical analysis, such as scatterplots, regression and correlation:
- Attribute 6) Value of dwelling
- Attribute 8) Owner's major payments (monthly)
- Attribute 9) Monthly gross rent
- Attribute 11) Age
- Attribute 35) Hours worked for pay or in self-employment in reference week
- Attribute 36) Weeks worked in 2000
- Attribute 41) Total income
- Attribute 42) Wages and salaries
- Attribute 43) Self-employment income
Categorical attributes
The remaining 34 variables are categorical, permitting cross-tabulations, frequency charts, ribbon charts and graphical analysis.
Treating categorical attributes numerically
Several of the categorical attributes can be treated and graphed as if they were numeric attributes. However, be aware that there is loss of information as all non-numeric values for the attribute are dropped. This function could be usefully applied to the following attributes:
- Attribute 4) Household size
- Attribute 5) Number of rooms
- Attribute 10) Number of persons in the census family
- Attribute 25) Number of non-official languages
| No. | Attribute name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Province or territory | Name of the province or territory. |
| 2 | Census metropolitan area (CMA) | Name of the CMA or 'Not in CMA.' A CMA is a large urban area together with surrounding areas, which have a high degree of economic and social integration. |
| 3 | Household type | The basic division of private households: family (one-family or multiple-family) or non-family. |
| 4 | Household size | The number of persons in a private household. |
| 5 | Number of rooms | The number of rooms in a dwelling. This is reported for occupied private dwellings. |
| 6 | Value of dwelling | The dollar amount expected by the owner if the dwelling were to be sold. Note: Values less than $20,000 are shown as $19,999 and values more than $200,000 are shown as $200,000. This is reported for owner-occupied private non-farm, non-reserve dwellings. |
| 7 | Tenure | Refers to whether some member of the household owns or rents the dwelling or whether the dwelling is band housing (on an Indian reserve or settlement). |
| 8 | Owner's major payments (monthly) | Refers to the total average monthly payments made by owner households to secure shelter. It includes payments for electricity, fuel, water and other municipal services, monthly mortgage payments, property taxes, and condominium fees. The value 1100 includes persons whose owner’s major payments are $1,100 and over. |
| 9 | Monthly gross rent | Refers to the total average monthly payments paid by tenant households to secure shelter. It includes payments for electricity, fuel, water and other municipal services, and monthly cash rent. The value 1100 includes persons whose monthly gross rent is $1,100 and over. |
| 10 | Number of persons in the census family | A census family includes married couples, couples living common law, and lone parents with at least one never-married child living in the same dwelling. Excludes persons in collective households and households outside Canada. |
| 11 | Age | Age on May 15, 2001, Census Day. The value 85 includes persons 85 years of age and over. |
| 12 | Sex | Gender of the respondent: male or female. |
| 13 | Legal marital status | Legal marital status: never married, legally married and not separated, separated, divorced, or widowed. |
| 14 | Place of birth | Specific province or territory if born in Canada or specific countries/regions if born outside Canada. For purposes of confidentiality, a less detailed breakdown is given for the Atlantic provinces, the territories and Canada. |
| 15 | Generation status | Refers to whether respondents are first-, second-, or third plus-generation Canadians (refers to whether the respondent and the respondent’s parents were born in Canada). This is not reported for persons less than 15 years of age. |
| 16 | Immigrant status indicator | Landed immigrant, non-immigrant, or non-permanent resident. A landed immigrant is a person from another country who has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities. A non-immigrant is a Canadian citizen by birth. A non-permanent resident is a person who is in Canada on a student authorization, employment authorization or Minister’s permit, or who is a refugee claimant. |
| 17 | Year of immigration | Year in which landed immigrant status was first obtained. |
| 18 | Age at immigration | Age at which the respondent first obtained landed immigrant status. |
| 19 | Visible minority indicator | Refers to whether the person is a member of a visible minority in Canada. |
| 20 | Ethnic origin | Refers to the ethnic or cultural group(s) to which the respondent’s ancestors belong. For purposes of confidentiality, a less detailed breakdown is given for the Atlantic provinces, the territories and Canada. |
| 21 | Religion group | Specific religious denomination, groups, or bodies, as well as other religiously defined communities or systems of belief. For purposes of confidentiality, a less detailed breakdown is given for the Atlantic provinces, the territories and Canada. |
| 22 | Mother tongue | Refers to the first language learned in childhood and still understood by the respondent. For purposes of confidentiality, a less detailed breakdown is given for the Atlantic provinces, the territories and Canada. |
| 23 | Home language most often spoken | Refers to the language spoken most often at home by the respondent at the time of the census. For purposes of confidentiality, a less detailed breakdown is given for the Atlantic provinces, the territories and Canada. |
| 24 | First official language spoken | A derived variable taking into account the knowledge of English and French, the mother tongue and the home language. This variable was derived within the framework of the application of the Official Languages Act. |
| 25 | Number of non-official languages | The number of language(s) other than English or French in which the respondent can conduct a conversation. |
| 26 | Language most often used at work | Refers to the language most often used at work by the individual. |
| 27 | School attendance | Refers to full-time or part-time attendance at school, college, or university during the nine-month period between September 2000 and Census Day. Attendance is counted only for courses that could be used toward a certificate, diploma or degree. Reported for population 15 years and over. |
| 28 | Highest level of schooling | Refers to the highest grade of elementary or secondary school attended, or the highest year of university or college education completed. Reported for population 15 years and over. |
| 29 | Major field of study | Refers to the predominant discipline or area of learning or training of a person’s highest postsecondary degree, certificate or diploma. Reported for population 15 years and over with postsecondary education. |
| 30 | Total years of schooling | Refers to the total sum of the years (or grades) of schooling at the elementary, high school, university and college levels. Reported for population 15 years and over. |
| 31 | Commuting distance | Refers to the distance (in kilometres) between the respondent’s residence and his or her usual workplace location. Reported for population 15 years and over. |
| 32 | Mode of transportation | Refers to the mode of transportation to work of residents 15 years of age and over who worked at some time from January 1, 2000 to Census Day. |
| 33 | Labour force activity (in reference week) | Labour market activity of the population 15 years of age and older in the week prior to the census: employed, unemployed or not in the labour force. |
| 34 | Full-time or part-time weeks worked in 2000 | Indicates whether persons 15 years of age and over who worked in 2000 worked mainly full-time or part-time weeks in 2000. |
| 35 | Hours worked for pay or in self-employment (in reference week) | The actual number of hours worked in the week prior to Census Day, including hours worked for wages, salaries, tips or commissions; hours worked in one’s own business, farm or professional practice; or working without pay in a family business or farm, owned or operated by a relative living in the same household. ‘Work’ excludes housework or other maintenance or repairs around the home and voluntary work. This is not reported for persons less than 15 years of age. |
| 36 | Weeks worked in 2000 | The number of weeks in 2000 during which a person 15 years of age and over worked, even if only a few hours. It includes weeks of paid vacation or sick leave or paid absence on training courses. ‘Work’ excludes housework or other maintenance or repairs around the home and voluntary work. This is not reported for persons less than 15 years of age. |
| 37 | Occupation | Primary occupation during the reference period, based on the 2001 National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S 2001). |
| 38 | Industry | General nature of the business carried out in the establishment where the person worked, based on the 1997 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Data were included for persons 15 and over who worked during the reference period. |
| 39 | Unpaid work: hours spent doing unpaid housework | Refers to the number of hours spent doing unpaid housework, yard work or home maintenance for self or others in the week prior to Census Day. Reported for population 15 years and over. |
| 40 | Major source of census family income | Indicates the component that constitutes the largest proportion of total income for census families. Reported for persons in census families in private households. |
| 41 | Total income | Total money income received by individuals 15 years of age and over during the calendar year 2000. Items such as gambling gains and losses, lottery prizes, lump sum inheritances, and capital gains or losses are not included. Persons immigrating to Canada in 2001 are deemed to have an income of $0. |
| 42 | Wages and salaries | Refers to gross wages and salaries before deductions for such items as income tax, pensions and Employment Insurance. |
| 43 | Self-employment income | Refers to the total income received by persons 15 years of age and over during calendar year 2000 as net income from farm self-employment and/or from non-farm self-employment. |
To protect confidentiality, the files for the Atlantic provinces, the territories and Canada have less detail for several attributes, including place of birth, religion, ethnic origin and language.
All attributes exclude institutional residents.
Some attributes, such as those related to work, commuting and schooling, are not reported ('not applicable') for persons less than 15 years of age. A data value of N/A or blank in the microdata files means not applicable.
