1996 Census Explanatory notes and glossary

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	Australian Bureau of Statistics

1996 Census of Population and Housing
Australia - Explanatory notes and glossary

EXPLANATORY NOTES

SCOPE AND COVERAGE

1 The 1996 Census of Population and Housing was held on 6 August 1996. The first census was held in 1911 and since 1961 a census has been taken every five years, a frequency which is specified in the Census and Statistics Act 1905. The objective of the census is to measure accurately the number and key characteristics of people in Australia on census night, and the dwellings in which they live.
2 The census aims to count every person who spent census night in Australia. This includes Australian residents in Antarctica and people in the territories of Jervis Bay, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island. The other Australian External Territories, Norfolk Island and minor islands such as Heard and McDonald Islands, are outside the scope of the Australian Census. The only group of people who spend census night in Australia but are excluded from the census are foreign diplomats and their families.
3 The census includes people on vessels in or between Australian ports, on board long distance trains, buses or aircraft and on oil or gas rigs off the Australian coast. People entering Australia before midnight on census night are counted while people leaving an Australian port for an overseas destination before midnight on census night are not. Visitors to Australia are included regardless of how long they have been in the country or how long they plan to stay. However, for people who intend to be in Australia less than six months only basic demographic data are available. The census includes people camping out and the homeless.
4 All private dwellings, except diplomatic dwellings, are included in the census, whether occupied or unoccupied. Caravans in caravan parks, manufactured homes in manufactured home estates and self-care units in accommodation for the retired or aged are counted only if occupied. Occupied non-private dwellings, such as hospitals, prisons, hotels, etc. are also included.
5 Details about the 1996 Census content, collection operations, confidentiality and privacy protection, processing and evaluation activities are contained in 1996 Census of Population and Housing: Nature and Content of the Census (Cat. no. 2008.0).

BASIC COMMUNITY PROFILE TABLES
B01 TO B16

6 Tables numbered B01 to B16 contained in this publication are from the 1996 Census Basic Community Profile (Cat. nos. 2020.0-8). These tables are available in hardcopy or electronic format for all standard census geographic areas. For more information about the Community Profiles please refer to the Appendix.

ABS POPULATION ESTIMATES

7 This publication contains population counts based on where people were counted on census night, which may not have been where they usually lived. The census can provide person counts based on place of usual residence at the geographic level of Statistical Local Area (SLA).
8 Official ABS population estimates (estimated resident population) are also separately available from the ABS. The estimates are based on census counts that have been adjusted to:
include people who were in Australia on census night but were missed in the census;
include Australian residents who were temporarily overseas on census night (these people were not within scope of the census); and
exclude overseas visitors counted in the census who were not usual residents of Australia.
9 The adjusted census count is then updated quarterly using demographic statistics. These are statistics on births, deaths, and overseas and internal migration.
10 ABS population estimates are published in Australian Demographic Statistics (Cat. no. 3101.0), produced quarterly, and in Estimated Resident Population by Sex and Age: States and Territories of Australia (Cat. no. 3201.0) produced annually.
11 The ABS also provides projections (based on different assumptions as to future fertility, mortality and migration) of the resident population of Australia, States and Territories. These projections are published biennially in Projections of the Populations of Australia, States and Territories (Cat. no. 3222.0).

DATA LIMITATIONS

12 Census data are subject to a number of inaccuracies resulting from errors by respondents or mistakes in collection or processing. Whilst many of these are corrected by careful processing procedures, some still remain. The effect of the remaining errors is generally slight, although it may be more important for small groups in the population. The main kinds of error to keep in mind are:
Partial non-response: In some cases where an answer is not provided to a question an answer is imputed (often from other information on the form). In other cases a 'not stated' code is allocated.
Processing error: While such errors can occur in any processing system, quality management is used continuously to improve the quality of processed data, and to identify and correct data of unacceptable quality.
Random adjustment: Table cells containing small values are randomly adjusted or suppressed to avoid releasing information about particular individuals, families, or households. The effects of these adjustments are statistically insignificant.
Respondent error: Because processing procedures cannot detect or repair all errors made by people in completing the forms, some remain in final data.
Undercount: Although the census aims to count each person, there are some people who are missed and others are counted more than once. The data in this publication are not adjusted for the net undercount.
13 Further information on data quality is provided progressively in Census Update and in 1996 Census Data Quality Working Papers

OVERSEAS VISITORS

14 For the 1996 Census information for overseas visitors (who intend to be in Australia for less than six months) was restricted to age, sex and marital status. In this publication overseas visitors contribute to only the male, female and total person counts for the 1996 data, and to all of the 1991 data. This should be taken into consideration when making comparisons between the two censuses.

CALCULATIONS OF PROPORTIONS

15 When calculating the proportion of the population with a particular characteristic, overseas visitors and 'Not stated' responses are included in the denominator. For example, in the Summary of Findings, the Proportion of Australian-born was calculated by dividing the number of persons who stated that they were Australian-born by the total population (including overseas visitors and those who did not report their birthplace) and expressing the result as a percentage.

CALCULATION OF MEDIANS

16 A median is a measure of central tendency. It is a mid value which divides a population distribution into two, with half the observations falling below it and half above it. Unlike averages (means) medians are not usually skewed by extreme observations.
17 There are a number of issues to be aware of:
The categories 'Not stated', 'Overseas visitor', and 'Not applicable' are not included in the calculation of medians.
If a median falls into a category that has a text only label then the median is set to 0. For this publication this is only relevant to the calculation of median personal income, as the income classification includes categories 'Nil income' and 'Negative income'.
If the median is calculated on a classification containing ranges and a range is open-ended and the median falls within that category, the median is set to the number in the label. For example, in the calculation of median personal income, if the median falls in the last range $1,500 or more, $1,500 is allocated as the median.

UNADJUSTED DOLLARS

18 The 1991 Census dollar values for Median Personal Income, Median Housing Loan Repayments and Median Rent Paid have not been adjusted into 1996 dollars.

SYMPOLS AND OTHER USAGES

19 The following abbreviations and symbols are used in this publication:

General abbreviations and symbols	Mthly Wkly n.f.d -	Monthly Weekly Not further defined Nil
Spatial units	LGA SD SLA SSD	Local Government Area Statistical Division Statistical Local Area Statistical Subdivision
LGA type	(A) (B) (C) (CGC) (DC) (M) (S) (RC) (T)	Area Borough City Community Government Council District Council Municipality Shire Rural City Town
Miscellaneous	Bal Pt	Balance Part

GLOSSARY
	General descriptions of terms and concepts used in this publication are provided below. Tables are also footnoted where applicable for additional clarity. Detailed definitions of classifications and concepts are available in the 1996 Census Dictionary (Cat. no. 2901.0).
Dwelling	A dwelling is a building or structure in which people live. This can be a building, such as a house; part of a building, such as a flat; or it can be a caravan or tent, humpy or park bench. Houses under construction, derelict houses, vacant tents, or converted garages, are not counted in the census. There are private and non-private dwellings. A private dwelling is normally a house, flat, part of a house, or even a room; but can also be a house attached to, or rooms above, shops or offices; an occupied caravan or unit in a caravan park or craft in a marina; occupied dwelling in a Manufactured Home Estate; occupied self-care unit in Accommodation for the Retired or Aged; a houseboat; or tent if it is standing on its own block of land. An occupied caravan situated on a residential allotment is also classed as a private dwelling. Private dwellings can be either occupied or unoccupied. Non-private dwellings are those dwellings not included above, which provide a communal or transitory type of accommodation. These dwellings include hotels, motels, guest houses, prisons, religious and charitable institutions, defence establishments, hospitals and other communal dwellings. Only occupied non-private dwellings are included in the census.
Geographic areas	The tables in this publication are at the levels of Statistical Local Area, Statistical Subdivision and Statistical Division, as defined by the 1996 Census edition of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC). Statistical Local Area (SLA): These areas consist of one or more whole Census Collection Districts (CDs) and cover, in aggregate, the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps. SLAs correspond in many cases to Local Government Areas (LGAs). The main exceptions are: where the boundaries of one or more Statistical Subdivisions (SSDs) cut across an LGA, the LGA is split into two or more parts, each of which forms a separate SLA; where a particular LGA is substantially different from other LGAs in terms of size and economic significance, or in terms of user needs for statistics, the LGA may be split into two or more SLAs. For example, the City of Brisbane covers a large area and is split into 163 SLAs while most LGAs in Victoria are split into two or more SLAs following the recent restructuring of local government in that State; where an area is unincorporated (i.e. not part of an LGA) an SLA is created. Local Government Area (LGA): LGAs are spatial units which represent the whole undivided geographic area of responsibility of either: an incorporated local government council; or an incorporated community government council (CGC) where the CGC is of sufficient size and statistical significance. LGAs cover only part of Australia. The major areas not covered by LGAs are the large northern parts of South Australia, most of the Northern Territory, and all of the Australian Capital Territory and Other Territories. For the 1996 Census, LGA boundaries are as defined on 5 August 1995 and included in the 1996 Edition of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) (effective 1 July 1996). Statistical Subdivision (SSD): These areas consist of one or more SLAs and cover, in aggregate, the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps. Statistical Division (SD): These areas consist of one or more SSDs and cover, in aggregate, the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps. They do not cross State or Territory boundaries. However, the Other Territories, Jervis Bay Territory and the Territories of Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands together form one SD. Capital city SDs are predominantly urban in character and the boundaries are delineated to contain the anticipated urban development of the capital cities (and associated urban centres) for a period of at least 20 years. SDs outside the capital city are designed to be relatively homogeneous regions characterised by identifiable social and economic links between the inhabitants and the economic units in the region, under the unifying influence of one or more major towns or cities. State/Territory (STE): States and Territories consist of one or more SDs and are the largest type of spatial unit in the ASGC. The six Australian States and five Territories which are part of geographic Australia and included in the 1996 ASGC are New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory and the external Territories of Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands. In the ASGC, Jervis Bay Territory, the Territory of Christmas Island and the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands are combined to form Other Territories (OT). Codes for State/Territory are as follows: 1 - New South Wales 2 - Victoria 3 - Queensland 4 - South Australia 5 - Western Australia 6 - Tasmania 7 - Northern Territory 8 - Australian Capital Territory 9 - Other Territories More information about definitions, and lists of codes and names of the geographic areas can be found in Volume 1: Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) (Cat. no. 1216.0) effective date 1 July 1996.
Income	People aged 15 years or more are asked to state their usual gross weekly income, which is the income before tax, superannuation, health insurance, or other deductions are made. Gross income includes family allowance, family allowance supplement, pensions, unemployment benefits, student allowances, maintenance (child support), superannuation, wages, salary, overtime, dividends, rents received, interest received, business or farm income (less operation expenses) and worker's compensation received.
Indigenous	A person is defined to be of Indigenous origin if he or she identifies himself or herself as of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin.
Overseas-born	Overseas-born people are those who state that they were born in a country other than Australia, those born at sea, and those whose responses are classed as 'Inadequately described' or 'Not elsewhere classified'.

Census Geography

For Australia see also:	For other States see also:
	Australia
Selected characteristics	New South Wales
Birthplace by country	Victoria
Birthplace by region	Queensland
Language spoken at home	South Australia
Explanatory notes and glossary	Western Australia
	Tasmania
	Northern Territory
	Australian Capital Territory

This page last updated 5 March 2007

Australian Bureau of Statistics