4102.0 - Australian Social Trends, 2001  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 06/06/2001   
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Contents >> Family >> Definitions and references

Definitions and references

Average family size

    for any group of families, the total number of family members divided by the number of families in the group.
    Reference: Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families, Australia (cat. no. 6224.0).
Birth
    the delivery of a child irrespective of the duration of pregnancy who, after being born, breathes or shows any evidence of life such as a heartbeat.
    Reference: Births, Australia (cat. no. 3301.0).
Births outside marriage
    births where the father was not registered as married to the mother at the time of the birth, whether or not the parents were living together at the time of the birth, and whether or not the child may subsequently have been adopted or become legitimate.
    Reference: Births, Australia (cat. no. 3301.0).
Births outside marriage acknowledged by father
    births outside registered marriage where the father's name is recorded on the birth certificate.
    Reference: Births, Australia (cat. no. 3301.0).
Child under 15
    a related or unrelated person aged under 15 years who forms a parent-child relationship with one person aged 15 years or over resident in the household.
    Reference: Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families, Australia (cat. no. 6224.0).
Couple family
    a family based on two persons who are in a registered or de facto marriage and who are usually resident in the same household. The family may include any number of dependents, non-dependants and other related individuals. It is not necessary for a parent-child relationship to be formed, thus a couple family can consist of a couple without children present in the household.
    Reference: Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families, Australia (cat. no. 6224.0).
Couple-only family
    a couple family with no dependent children or other family members (e.g. non-dependant children) present.
    Reference: Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families, Australia (cat. no. 6224.0).
Crude divorce rate
    the number of divorces granted in the calendar year per 1,000 of the estimated resident population at 30 June of that year.
    Reference: Marriages and Divorces, Australia (cat. no. 3310.0).
Crude marriage rate
    the number of marriages registered in the calendar year per 1,000 of the estimated resident population at 30 June of that year.
    Reference: Marriages and Divorces, Australia (cat. no. 3310.0).
De facto marriage
    the relationship between two people who live together in a consensual union who are not registered as married to each other.
    Reference: 1996 Census of Population and Housing.
Divorces involving children
    divorces of couples with unmarried children of the registered marriage who were aged under 18 years at the time of application for divorce. Under the Family Law Act 1975, adopted and ex-nuptial children and children from a former registered marriage may be included (in certain cases). Children who are registered as married or aged 18 or more are not subject to custody and guardianship orders and are excluded.
    Reference: Marriages and Divorces, Australia (cat. no. 3310.0).
Employed
    persons aged 15 years and over who either worked during the reference week for pay, profit, commission, payment in kind or without pay in a family business, or who had a job but were not at work. Also includes employers, own account workers or contributing family workers who had a job, business or farm, but were not at work.
    Reference: Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6203.0).
Estimated resident population
    quarterly estimates of the Australian population are obtained by adding to the estimated population at the beginning of each period the components of natural increase (on a usual residence basis) and net overseas migration. For the States and Territories, account is also taken of estimated interstate movements involving a change of usual residence.
    Reference: Australian Demographic Statistics (cat. no. 3101.0).
Family
    two or more persons, one of whom is aged 15 years or over, who are related by blood, marriage (registered or de facto), adoption, step or fostering; and who are usually resident in the same household. The basis of a family is formed by identifying the presence of a couple relationship, lone parent-child relationship or other blood relationship. Some households will, therefore, contain more than one family.
    Reference: Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families, Australia (cat. no. 6224.0).
Formal child care
    regulated care, away from the child's home during the previous week. Includes preschool; before and after school care program; long-day care centre; family day care; occasional care and other formal care.
    Reference: Child Care, Australia (cat. no. 4402.0).
Household
    a person living alone or a group of related or unrelated people who usually reside and eat together.
    Reference: Australian Demographic Statistics (cat. no. 3101.0).
Informal child care
    non-regulated care either in the child's home or elsewhere, in the previous week. It includes care by (step) brothers or sisters; care by relatives (including non-custodial parents) and by non-relatives such as friends, neighbours or baby sitters. It may have been paid or unpaid.
    Reference: Child Care, Australia (cat. no. 4402.0).
Lone parent
    a person who has no spouse or partner present in the household but who forms a parent-child relationship with at least one dependent or non-dependant child usually resident in the household.
    Reference: Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families, Australia (cat. no. 6224.0).
Median
    the value at which half the population falls above and half falls below.
Median age of mothers at first birth
    actually the median age of mothers at first confinement. A confinement is a pregnancy which results in at least one live birth: multiple births (e.g. twins) may be involved.
    Reference: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australia's Mothers and Babies (1996).
Median duration of marriage to separation
    the median interval between the date of registered marriage and the date of separation.
    Reference: Marriages and Divorces, Australia (cat. no. 3310.0).
One-parent family
    a family consisting of a lone parent with at least one dependent or non-dependant child (regardless of age) who is also usually resident in the household. The family may also include any number of other dependent children, non-dependant children and other related individuals.
    Reference: Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families, Australia (cat. no. 6224.0).
Registered marriages
    refer to formally registered marriages for which the partners hold a certificate.
    Reference: Marriages and Divorces, Australia (cat. no. 3310.0).
Total fertility rate
    the average number of children a woman would bear during her lifetime if she conformed to the current age-specific fertility rates.
    Reference: Births, Australia (cat. no. 3301.0).
Women giving birth for the first time
    Multiple births (e.g. twins or triplets) may be involved at the time of first birth.
    Reference: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australia's Mothers and Babies (1998).


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