2901.0 - Census Dictionary, 2001  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/04/2001   
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Contents

SACC
Same-sex couple
Sample files
School
School leavers
Scooters
Scope and coverage
SD
S Dist
Second family
Second release data
Section of State (SOS)
Self-employed person
Self-enumeration
Semi-detached house
Separate house
Sex (SEXP)
Shift workers
Shipping Collection District
Ships in or between Australian ports
Single parent
SLA
SLA maps
SLA of Usual Residence Census Night (SLAUCP)
SLA of Usual Residence Five Years Ago (SLAU5P)
SLA of Usual Residence One Year Age (SLAU1P)
Sleepers-out
Small area data
Snapshots
Social Atlas series
Social Marital Status (MDCP)
Social security benefits
Sole parent
SOS
South Sea Islander
Spatial data
Special Data Services
Spouse
SR
SSC
SSD
Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC)
State (STE)
State comparisons
State Electoral Division (SED)
State Suburb (SSC)
State of Usual Residence Census Night (STEUCP)
State of Usual Residence Five Years Ago (STEU5P)
State of Usual Residence One Year Ago (STEU1P)
Statistical District (S Dist)
Statistical Division (SD)
Statistical geography
Statistical Local Area (SLA)
Statistical Region (SR)
Statistical Subdivision (SSD)
Status in employment
Step child
Student
Subdivision
Suburb



SACC

See Standard Australian Classification of Countries.

Same-sex couple

Two persons of the same sex who report a de facto partnership in the relationship question, and who are usually resident in the same household, are a same-sex couple.

See also Marital status, Relationship in Household (RLHP).

Sample files

See Household Sample File.

School

See Full/Part-Time Student Status (STUP), Highest Level of Schooling Completed (HSCP), Educational qualification, Type of Educational Institution Attending (TYPP).

School leavers

See Highest Level of Schooling Completed (HSCP), Educational qualification.

Scooters

See Number of Motorbikes and Scooters (MCYCD).

Scope and coverage

The 2001 Census of Population and Housing aims to count every person who spent Census Night, 7 August 2001, 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 groups of people who spend Census Night in Australia but are excluded from the Census are foreign diplomats and their families, and foreign crew members on ships.

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 will be in Australia less than one year, only basic demographic data are available (for 1996 the period was for less than six months).

Detainees under the jurisdiction of the Department of Immigration, in Australian Detention Centres, police lock-ups or hospitals, are in the scope of the Census. For the 2001 Census details are sourced from administrative data, so only basic demographic statistics such as age, sex and marital status are available.

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.

See also Place of enumeration, Place of usual residence, Other Territories, Overseas visitor.

SD

See Statistical Division.

S Dist

See Statistical District.

Second family

If more than one family are living in a dwelling, each family is categorised as being either Primary, Second or Third families.

See also Family, Relationship Between Families (FRLF).

Second release data

Second release data are the second part of a two-phase processing, output and dissemination strategy for the Census. For a list of second release variables, see the 2001 Census Release Strategy in the front of this dictionary.

Section of State (SOS)

This geographical classification uses population counts to define Collection Districts (CDs) as urban or rural and to provide, in aggregate, statistics for urban concentrations and for bounded localities and balance areas.

SOS represents an aggregation of non-contiguous geographical areas of a particular urban/rural type. The Sections of State defined include Major Urban (population clusters of 100,000 or more), Other Urban (population clusters of 1,000 to 99,999), Bounded Locality (200 to 999), Rural Balance (remainder of State/Territory) and Migratory, and in aggregate cover the whole of Australia.

For more information, refer to Statistical Geography Volume 1: Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) 2001 (Cat. no. 1216.0).

Maps can be obtained from ABS Information Consultancy.

See also Australian Standard Geographical Classification, Census Geographic Areas, Urban Centre/Locality, Customised mapping service, Information Consultancy, Migratory Collection District.

Self-employed person

See Employer, Labour force, Labour Force Status/Status in Employment (LFSP), Own account worker.

Self-enumeration

Self-enumeration is the term used to describe the way census data are collected. The census forms are generally completed by householders (or individuals in non-private dwellings) rather than by interviewers, although interviewers are available in some areas if required.

The ABS also implements a range of strategies which have been developed to overcome language and cultural barriers. The following Census related services assist the community:

  • Census Inquiry Service;
  • Telephone Interpreter Service;
  • community liaison activities with ethnic groups;
  • media promotion targeted towards specific groups; and
  • interviews, with Indigenous interviewers and specially designed forms, in the discrete communities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Self-enumeration gives rise to some deficiencies in the reliability of the information collected. Where information is obtained through self-enumeration, interviewers cannot readily clarify issues, and so there is a higher probability that questions will be misunderstood. However, self-enumeration does avoid interviewer bias and is considered to be the most cost-efficient method (in terms of available resources) of collecting information from the very large number of respondents involved in the Census.

Semi-detached house

See Dwelling Structure (STRD).

Separate house

See Dwelling Structure (STRD).

Sex (SEXP)

This variable records the sex of each person enumerated in the Census as being either male or female.

Shift workers

Shift workers who worked the night shift on Census Night and went home when their shift was finished, are counted at their usual residence.

See also Temporarily absent.

Shipping Collection District

See Migratory Collection District, Dwelling Type (DWTD).

Ships in or between Australian ports

See Migratory Collection District, Dwelling Type (DWTD).

Single parent

See Lone parent.

SLA

See Statistical Local Area.

SLA maps

See Reference maps.

SLA of Usual Residence Census Night (SLAUCP)

See Usual residence.

SLA of Usual Residence Five Years Ago (SLAU5P)

See Usual residence.

SLA of Usual Residence One Year Ago (SLAU1P)

See Usual residence.

Sleepers-out

See Dwelling Structure (STRD).

Small area data

See Collection District (CD), Census Geographic Areas.

Snapshots

See Census Snapshots.

Social Atlas series

These publications are available separately for each Capital City and Major Urban Area. They provide informative and interesting social profiles of characteristics of the population of the city or area as measured at the Census. They present a broad selection of mapped data supported by some analytical text. The atlases present only a subset of the available census information. See also Digital base map data.

Social Marital Status (MDCP)

This variable is a person variable derived from Relationship in Household (RLHP). Social Marital Status (MDCP) shows a person's 'social' marital status and is applicable to all persons aged 15 years and over.

Social marital status is the relationship status of an individual with reference to another person who is usually resident in the household. A marriage exists when two people live together as husband and wife, or partners, regardless of whether the marriage is formalised through registration. Individuals are, therefore, regarded as married if they are in a de facto marriage, or if they are living with the person to whom they are registered as married.

Where information about same-sex couples is volunteered in the relationship question (Question 5), it is included in the family coding and classified as a partner in a de facto marriage. (See Relationship in Household (RLHP)).

The term 'not married', as used in this classification, means neither a registered nor a de facto marriage. This includes persons who live alone, with other family members, and those in shared accommodation.

See also Registered Marital Status (MSTP), Marital status.

Social security benefits

See Individual Income (INCP).

Sole parent

See Lone parent.

SOS

See Section of State.

South Sea Islander

Australian South Sea Islanders are the descendants of South Sea Islanders brought to Australia as indentured labour around the turn of the twentieth century and have been identified by legislation as a disadvantaged minority group.

This group excludes later voluntary migrants from the South Pacific region.

For the 2001 Census, Australians of South Sea Islander descent, may be identified by cross classifying the Ancestry variable (ANCP) with Birthplace of Individual (BPLP). See also Ancestry (ANCP).

Spatial data

See Digital spatial data.

Special Data Services

See Information Consultancy.

Spouse

See Partner.

SR

See Statistical Region.

SSC

See State Suburb.

SSD

See Statistical Subdivision.

Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC)

The Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC) is used to classify responses to the 2001 Census question 'In which country was the person born'. The SACC replaces the Australian Standard Classification of Countries for Social Statistics (ASCCSS), but uses the same underlying principles that were the basis for ASCCSS.

The SACC is based on the concept of geographic proximity. It groups neighbouring countries into progressively broader geographic areas based on similar social, cultural, economic and political characteristics.

The classification contains three levels. The third level consists of the base units (countries). At this level there are 245 units including five 'not elsewhere classified' (n.e.c.) categories. In addition the census uses 34 'not further defined' (n.f.d.) codes. These codes are used where a response contains insufficient information to be coded to the lowest level of the classification.

The second level comprises 27 minor groups, which are groups of neighbouring countries similar in terms of social, cultural, economic and political characteristics.

The first level comprises nine major groups which are formed by aggregating geographically proximate minor groups.

The following example illustrates the hierarchical structure of the classification:

Major Group :  8  Americas
Minor Group :  82  South America
Country Unit :  8202  Bolivia

The term countries is used to describe the base-level units. Not all of the units classified are fully independent countries. The base-level units of the classification include:

  • fully independent countries (sovereign nation states);
  • administrative subdivisions of the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland;
  • external territories and dependencies of independent countries. In general, they are physically isolated from the country to which they are dependent, for example, Falkland Islands, Martinique;
  • units which are recognised geographic areas, the ownership or control of which is in dispute, for example, Gaza Strip and West Bank; and
  • residual categories (n.e.c.) comprised of geographic areas which are not separately identified in the classification and which are not part of one of the separately identified base-level units.

For further information see the ABS publication: Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC) (Cat. no. 1269.0), which is also available from our web site www.abs.gov.au under Statistics / Statistical Concepts Library / 1269.0 Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC) 1998.

See also Birthplace.

State (STE)

ASGC State/Territory Code. See Statistical Geography Volume 1: Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) 2001 (Cat. no. 1216.0).

Note that Jervis Bay Territory and the external territories of Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands are grouped for statistical purposes into a ninth State/Territory category, 'Other Territories'.

State comparisons

See Classification counts.

State Electoral Division (SED)

See Electoral Division.

State Suburb (SSC)

This is a census-specific area where Collection Districts are aggregated to approximate suburbs. It is applicable only to the larger urban centres e.g. Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Melbourne, Geelong, Adelaide, Perth and major towns in Tasmania. For a list of State Suburbs, see Statistical Geography Volume 2: Census Geographic Areas, Australia (Cat. no. 2905.0).

Note that the ASGC Statistical Local Areas in Brisbane and other major urban areas in Queensland, Darwin and Canberra are aligned closely with suburbs. For a list of these, see Statistical Geography Volume 1: Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) 2001 (Cat. no. 1216.0).

State of Usual Residence Census Night (STEUCP)

See Usual residence.

State of Usual Residence Five Years Ago (STEU5P)

See Usual residence.

State of Usual Residence One Year Ago (STEU1P)

See Usual residence.

Statistical District (S Dist)

A Statistical District (S Dist) is an Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) defined area which bounds a large predominantly urban area outside the Capital City Statistical Divisions (SDs). A S Dist consists of one or more urban centres in close proximity to each other, with a total population of 25,000 or more. The boundaries of S Dists are defined to contain the anticipated urban spread of the area for a period of at least twenty years.

S Dists consist of one or more Statistical Subdivisions (SSDs) and may cross Local Government Area (LGA) boundaries. Statistical Districts can, and in three cases do, straddle Statistical Division and State/Territory boundaries. The Gold Coast-Tweed S Dist encompasses an urban area which lies partly in Queensland and partly in New South Wales. The Albury-Wodonga S Dist straddles the New South Wales/Victorian border. The Canberra-Queanbeyan S Dist is partly in the Australian Capital Territory and partly in New South Wales.

For a list of Statistical Districts, and their component Statistical Subdivisions and Statistical Local Areas, refer to Statistical Geography  Volume 1: Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) 2001 (Cat. no. 1216.0). For maps of these areas contact ABS Information Consultancy.

Statistical Division (SD)

A Statistical Division (SD) is an Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) defined area which represents a large, general purpose, regional type geographic area. SDs represent relatively homogeneous regions characterised by identifiable social and economic links between the inhabitants and between the economic units within the region, under the unifying influence of one or more major towns or cities. They consist of one or more Statistical Subdivisions (SSDs) and cover, in aggregate, the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps.  They do not cross State or Territory boundaries and are the largest statistical building blocks of States and Territories.

In New South Wales, proclaimed New South Wales Government Regions coincide with SDs except for North Coast, which consists of the SDs of Richmond-Tweed and Mid-North Coast.

In the remaining States and Territories, SDs are designed in line with the ASGC general purpose regional spatial unit definition.

For more information and a list of the Statistical Divisions in each State/Territory, refer to Statistical Geography Volume 1: Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) 2001 (Cat. no. 1216.0). Maps are available from ABS Information Consultancy.

Statistical geography

See Australian Standard Geographical Classification, Census Geographic Areas.

Statistical Local Area (SLA)

The Statistical Local Area (SLA) is an Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) defined area which consists of one or more Collection Districts (CDs). SLAs are Local Government Areas (LGAs), or parts thereof. Where there is no incorporated body of local government, SLAs are defined to cover the unincorporated areas. SLAs cover, in aggregate, the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps.

For more information and a list of the Statistical Local Areas in each State/Territory, refer to Statistical Geography Volume 1: Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) 2001 (Cat. no. 1216.0). Maps are available from ABS Information Consultancy.

Statistical Region (SR)

The Statistical Region (SR) is an Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) defined area which has sufficient population to be suitable for the presentation of both population census and labour force statistics within the frameworks for standard statistical outputs from these collections. SRs cover, in aggregate, the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps.

For more information and a list of the Statistical Regions in each State/Territory, refer to Statistical Geography Volume 1: Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) 2001 (Cat. no. 1216.0). Maps are available from ABS Information Consultancy.

Statistical Subdivision (SSD)

The Statistical Subdivision (SSD) is an Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) defined area which represents an intermediate level, general purpose, regional type geographic unit. SSDs consist of one or more Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) and cover, in aggregate, the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps.

For more information and a list of the Statistical Subdivisions in each State/Territory, refer to Statistical Geography Volume 1: Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) 2001 (Cat. no. 1216.0). Maps are available from ABS Information Consultancy.

Status in employment

See Labour Force Status/Status in Employment (LFSP).

Step child

A natural/adopted child of only one partner in a marriage or de facto relationship, within the primary family, is classified as a stepchild of that family.

See also Child, Child Type (CTPP), Relationship in Household (RLHP).

Student

See Child, Full/Part-Time Student Status (STUP).

Subdivision

See Statistical Subdivision (SSD).

Suburb

See State Suburb.



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