GLOSSARY
Aboriginal people
People who identify or are identified as being of Aboriginal origin. May also include people identified as being of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin. See also Indigenous people, Torres Strait Islander people and Indigenous status.
Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED)
The Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED) has been developed to allow greater comparability of data on education and training. It is used for coding responses to questions on year of schooling completed and the level of education and field of study for completed non-school qualifications.
Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL) Second Edition
The Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL) Second Edition was used to code languages for the 2006 Census. In 2005 the classification was reviewed and improvements to language coverage, in particular for Australian Indigenous Languages, were made. The structure at the Australian Indigenous languages broad level was changed substantially, and a further 115 Australian Indigenous languages separately identified and included.
Australian Standard Classification of Religious Groups (ASCRG)
The Census uses the Australian Standard Classification of Religious Groups (ASCRG) Second Edition (2005) developed by the ABS, to code religious affiliation. In the classification, religions are grouped into progressively broader categories on the basis of similarity in terms of religious beliefs, religious practices and the cultural heritage of adherents.
Collection District
The Collection District (CD) is the smallest geographic area defined in the Australian Standard Geographical Classification and Australian Indigenous Geographical Classification. CDs are also the lowest level at which Census statistics are available. In the 2006 Census there were about 38,200 CDs throughout Australia. For more information on the criteria used in the design of CDs, see Statistical Geography Volume 1: Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) 2006 (cat.no.1216.0).
Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP)
The CDEP scheme enables participants (usually members of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander communities) to exchange unemployment benefits for opportunities to undertake work and training in activities which are managed by a local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community organisation. Participants in the program are classified as employed.
Core activity need for assistance
People who sometimes or always need help or assistance with one or more of three core activities - self-care, mobility and communication - because of disability, a long-term health condition (lasting six months or more) or old age.
Dependent child
A natural, step, adopted or foster child under 15 years of age, or a dependent student aged 15-24 who attends a secondary or tertiary educational institution on a full-time basis. To be categorised as a dependent child, a person must be attached to a nominal parent aged 15 years or older, and cannot have a partner or child of his/her own with whom he/she usually resides.
Discrete Indigenous community
A geographic location, bounded by physical or cadastral (legal) boundaries and inhabited or intended to be inhabited predominantly (i.e. greater than 50% of usual residents) by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander residents, with housing or infrastructure that is managed on a community basis.
Dwelling
A building or structure which is intended to have people live in it, and which is habitable on Census Night. Some examples of dwellings are houses, motels, flats, prisons, tents, and houseboats.
Employed
Persons aged 15 years or over who, during the week prior to Census night, worked for payment or profit; who had a job from which they were on leave or otherwise temporarily absent; were on strike or stood down temporarily; or worked as unpaid helpers in a family business. See also Labour force status.
Employed full time
A person aged 15 years or over who worked 35 hours or more, in all jobs, during the week prior to Census night. See also Employed.
Employed part time
A person aged 15 years or over who worked less than 35 hours, in all jobs, during the week prior to Census night. See also Employed.
Employee
An employee is a person who works for a public or private employer and receives remuneration in wages or salary; or is paid a retainer fee by his/her employer, while working on a commission basis; or works for an employer for tips, piece-rates or payment in kind; or, is a person who operates his/her own incorporated enterprise with or without hiring employees.
Employment/population ratio
The number of employed persons expressed as a percentage of the population aged 15 years and over, excluding persons whose labour force status was unknown. See also Employed.
Equivalised gross household income per week
Gross household income adjusted using an equivalence scale to facilitate comparisons between households of different composition. See Explanatory Notes for more information.
Estimated resident Indigenous population
The official ABS experimental estimate of Australia's Indigenous population. The estimates are based on the Census usual residence counts, adjusted for undercount and non-response, and are compiled as at 30 June. Further information is available in Population Distribution, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (cat. no. 4705.0).
Family
Two or more persons, one of whom is at least 15 years of age, who are related by blood, marriage (registered or de facto), adoption, step or fostering, and who are usually resident in the same household.
Family Household
A household containing two or more persons, one of whom is at least 15 years of age, who are related by blood, marriage (registered or de facto), adoption, step or fostering. There may be more than one family living in a single household therefore the total number of families may exceed the total number of family households. See also Household.
Gross household income per week
The sum of the personal incomes of each resident aged 15 years or over who was present in the household on Census night. Persons who were temporarily absent on Census night, or had nil or negative income, or did not state their income, do not contribute to household income. See also Equivalised gross household income per week.
Gross individual income per week
The usual gross weekly income of persons aged 15 years or over. Gross weekly income is income before tax, superannuation, health insurance, or other deductions are made, and includes family payments, pensions, unemployment benefits, student allowances, maintenance (child support), superannuation, wages, overtime, dividends, rents received, business or farm income (less operating expenses) and workers' compensation received.
Group Household
A household consisting of two or more unrelated people where all persons are aged 15 years and over. There are no reported couple relationships, parent child relationships or other blood relationships in these households.
Highest year of schooling
This refers to the recorded highest level of primary or secondary school a person has completed. It is classified to the Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED) (cat.no. 1272.0). This classification has changed since the 2001 Census. In 2001 it included a category 'Still at school'. The 'Still at school' category is excluded from the 2006 classification. This allows the level of highest educational attainment to be determined for people still at school.
Household
A household is defined as one or more persons, at least one of whom is at least 15 years of age, usually resident in the same private dwelling. Under this definition, all occupants of a dwelling form a household and complete one form. Therefore, for Census purposes, the total number of households is equal to the total number of occupied private dwellings as a Census form is completed for each household from which dwelling information for the household is obtained. See also Family Household, Group Household, Lone person household, Other Household.
Household composition
Describes the type of household within a dwelling. Household composition indicates whether a family is present or not and whether or not other unrelated household members are present.
Housing co-operative/ community/ church group
Rental housing for low to moderate income or special needs households, managed by not-for-profit community based organisations whose operations are at least partly subsidised by government.
Income
See Gross household income per week, Gross individual income per week, Income quintiles, Equivalised gross household income per week, and Median gross individual income per week.
Income quintiles
Groupings that result from ranking all households or people in the population in ascending order according to their income and then dividing the population into five equal groups, each comprising 20% of the population. See Explanatory Notes for more information.
Indigenous household
Any household that had at least one person of any age as a resident at the time of the Census who identified as having Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origins.
Indigenous people
People who identified themselves, or were identified by another household member, as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin. See also Indigenous status.
Indigenous status
The Census asks, for each person in a household or non-private dwelling, whether they are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin and the response(s) to this question determines their Indigenous status. People may identify, or be identified, as being in one of four categories: Aboriginal; Torres Strait Islander, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander; or not Indigenous (non-Indigenous). Where this question is unanswered, Indigenous status is 'not stated'.
Individual Income (weekly)
See Gross individual income per week.
Industry of employment
The industries in which employed people aged 15 years and over work, coded according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 (cat.no.1292.0).
Inner regional
Geographical areas within the 'Inner Regional Australia' category of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) Remoteness Structure. See also Remoteness Areas.
Internet access
Whether or not the Internet can be accessed from a dwelling and if so, what type of connection. The options are: 'Broadband connection' including ADSL, Cable, Wireless and Satellite connection; 'Dial-up connection' including analog modem and ISDN connections; and 'Other' including Internet access through mobile phones, set-top boxes, games machines or connections other than dial-up or broadband.
Labour force
Comprises employed and unemployed people aged 15 years and over.
Labour force participation rate
The number of persons in the labour force expressed as a percentage of the population aged 15 years and over, excluding persons whose labour force status was unknown.
Labour force status
Classifies people aged 15 years and over as employed working full-time, part-time or away from work, unemployed looking for full-time work, looking for part-time work, or not in the labour force.
Landlord
The person or organisation that provides housing in exchange for rent.
Language spoken at home
The main language other than English spoken at home, coded using the Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL) Second Edition (cat. no. 1267.0). People who reported a language other than English were also asked to indicate their proficiency in spoken English. See also Proficiency in spoken English.
Lone person household
Any private dwelling in which there is only one usual resident at least 15 years of age.
Low resource households
People with equivalised gross household income (on a per person basis) in the bottom 20% of incomes, excluding owner managers of unincorporated businesses and people in households that were owned (with or without a mortgage) by a household member. This concept takes into account that for some households in the lowest quintile, income levels may not accurately reflect their economic well-being. This is particularly so for households that have unincorporated businesses or have access to wealth in the form of assets. As the incidence of such households is higher in the non-Indigenous population than the Indigenous population, the 'low resource household' concept enables better comparison between the economic circumstances of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
Major cities
Geographical areas within the 'Major cities of Australia' category of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) Remoteness Structure. See also Remoteness Areas.
Mean income
The total income received, divided by the number of contributory units.
Median gross weekly individual income
Median income is the level of income which divides the units in a group into two equal parts, one half having incomes above the median and the other half having incomes below the median. Medians have been estimated for each income range using data from the Survey of Income and Housing.
Mobility
The movement of people from one defined area to another within a country. The Census asks a series of questions relating to each person's usual address; the usual address on Census night, the usual address one year ago, and the usual address five years ago. Data collected in the Census only reflect movements which coincide with these particular points in time (i.e. one year ago and five years ago) in the intercensal period, even though there may have been multiple movements during this period.
Need for assistance
See Core activity need for assistance.
Non-dependent child
A person aged 15 years or more, who is a natural, adopted, step, or foster child of a couple or lone parent usually resident in the same household, who is not a full-time student aged 15-24 years, and who has no identified partner or child of his/her own usually resident in the household.
Non-private dwelling
Establishments which provide communal or transitory type accommodation. Examples include hotels, motels, guest houses, prisons, religious and charitable institutions, and hospitals.
Non-response
Despite the efforts of question designers and Census collectors, not all of the questions on the Census form are answered for every person. Unanswered questions are generally referred to as non-response.
Non-school qualification
Any post-school qualifications. Responses are coded to the Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED) (cat.no.1272.0).
Not in the labour force
Persons who, during the week prior to Census Night, were neither employed nor unemployed. They include persons who were keeping house (unpaid), retired, voluntarily inactive, permanently unable to work, in gaol, trainee teachers, members of contemplative religious orders, and persons whose only activity during the week prior to Census Night was jury service or unpaid voluntary work for a charitable organisation.
Occupation
The main job held by each employed person (aged 15 years and over) during the week prior to Census night, coded according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) First Edition, 2006 (cat.no.1220.0).
Occupation skill level
Skill level of an occupation is measured operationally by: the level or amount of formal education and training, the amount of previous experience in a related occupation, and the amount of on-the-job training
required to competently perform the set of tasks required for that occupation. For more information see Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) First Edition, 2006 (cat.no.1220.0).
Occupied private dwelling
A privately owned dwelling which is inhabited on Census Night. Some examples are houses, flats and houseboats. All occupied dwellings are counted in the Census.
Other family
A group of related individuals residing in the same household, who cannot be categorised as belonging to a couple or one parent family.
Other household
Households in which there were no residents identified as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin on Census night.
Other Territories
Comprises Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Jervis Bay Territory.
Outer regional
Geographical areas within the 'Outer Regional Australia' category of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) Remoteness Structure. See also Remoteness Areas.
Persons enumerated at home
People who marked the 'At home' box to the question on the 2006 Census forms which asks, 'Where does the person usually live?'. See also Place of enumeration and Place of usual residence.
Place of enumeration
Census counts based on where people were counted, or enumerated, on Census night. Also referred to as the Census 'As Enumerated' population. The data exclude overseas visitors.
Place of usual residence
Census counts based on where people usually lived at the time the Census was conducted. 'Usual residence' refers to the place where the person has lived or intends to live for a total of six months or more. Counts on this basis are used to minimise the effect of seasonal fluctuations in holiday/resort areas and, in remote areas, the effect of visitation and mobility issues and events such as festivals, funerals, hunting or other cultural activities.
Post Enumeration Survey
A survey following shortly after each Census which aims to estimate the extent of undercount or overcount in the Census. In 2006, remote areas, including discrete Indigenous communities, were included in the scope of the survey for the first time.
Private dwellings
See Occupied private dwelling.
Proficiency in spoken English
Classifies self-assessed proficiency in spoken English for each person who speaks a language other than English at home . People who reported a language other than English have been categorised as speaking English very well; well; not well; or not at all.
Religious affiliation
A person's nominated religion or religious denomination, obtained from an optional question on the Census. Responses to the religion question are coded to the Australian Standard Classification of Religious Groups (ASCRG) Second Edition 2005 (cat.no.1266.0).
Remote
Geographical areas within the 'Remote Australia' category of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) Remoteness Structure. See also Remoteness Areas.
Remoteness Areas
Within a state or territory, each Remoteness Area represents an aggregation of non-contiguous geographical areas which share common characteristics of remoteness, determined in the context of Australia as a whole. The delimitation criteria for Remoteness Areas are based on the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA). ARIA measures the remoteness of a point based on the physical road distances to the nearest Urban Centre in each of the five size classes. Therefore, not all Remoteness Areas are represented in each state or territory.
There are six Remoteness Areas in this structure:
- Major Cities of Australia (Collection Districts (CDs) with an average ARIA index value of 0 to 0.2);
- Inner Regional Australia (CDs with an average ARIA index value greater than 0.2 and less than or equal to 2.4);
- Outer Regional Australia (CDs with an average ARIA index value greater than 2.4 and less than or equal to 5.92);
- Remote Australia (CDs with an average ARIA index value greater than 5.92 and less than or equal to 10.53);
- Very Remote Australia (CDs with an average ARIA index value greater than 10.53);
- Migratory (composed of offshore, shipping and migratory CDs).
For more information, see
Statistical Geography Volume 1, Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC), 2006 (cat.no.1216.0).
State or territory housing authority
The authority that at state government level, provides rental housing for disadvantaged people and people with low income.
Status in employment
See Labour force status.
Tenure type
Tenure type describes whether a household is purchasing, rents or owns, the dwelling in which it was enumerated on Census Night, or whether the household occupies it under another arrangement.
Torres Strait Indigenous Region
The grouping of Census Collection Districts (CDs), comprising islands in the seas between Cape York and the coast of Papua New Guinea, which make up the 'Torres Strait Indigenous Region' according to the Australian Indigenous Geographical Classification (AIGC).
Torres Strait Islander people
People identified as being of Torres Strait Islander origin. May also include people identified as being of both Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal origin. See also Indigenous people.
Undercount
Despite the efforts of Census collectors, some people are missed each Census (undercount) and some are counted more than once (overcount). The net effect of overcount and undercount is called net undercount.
Unemployed
Persons aged 15 years and over who, during the week prior to Census night, did not have a job but were actively looking for work (either full-time or part-time) and were available to start work. See also Labour force status.
Unemployment rate
The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed people expressed as a percentage of the labour force. See also Labour force.
Unpaid assistance to a person with a disability
The unpaid help a person gives to another person to assist them with their daily activities.
Unpaid child care
The time a person spends caring for a child or children without being paid. This can include people caring for their own children, whether they usually live with them or not. It can also include people looking after their own grandchildren or the children of other relatives or the children of friends or neighbours.
Unpaid domestic work
All domestic work a person does without pay in their own home and in other places, for themselves, their family and other people in their household. Unpaid domestic work can include meal preparation, service and clean-up; washing, ironing and managing clothes; other housework; gardening, mowing and yard work; home maintenance; car and bike maintenance; household shopping and managing household financial affairs.
Very Remote
Geographical areas within the 'Very Remote Australia' category of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) Remoteness Structure. See also Remoteness Areas.
Voluntary work for an organisation
Help willingly given in the form of time, service or skills, to a club, organisation or association.
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