Figure 1.4 Overview of the census family and economic family variables

Figure 1.4 provides an overview of the census family and economic family variables and the characteristics associated with each variable.

The census family variables and their characteristics are broken down as follows:

1. Census family composition: number of children at home; age groups of children at home.
2. Households living arrangements: persons in family households, either census family persons or persons not in census families; persons in non-family households.
3. Census family status: census family persons (opposite-sex or same-sex married spouses; opposite-sex or same-sex common-law partners; female or male lone parent; never-married or ever-married son or daughter; grandchild); persons not in census families.
4. Census family structure: couple families (married or common law; opposite-sex or same-sex). The two types of couple families are further categorized as those without children and those with children. Those with children can be intact families or stepfamilies which could be either simple stepfamilies or complex stepfamilies. Census family structure also includes female or male lone-parent families.

The economic family variables and their characteristics are broken down as follows:

1. Economic family status: economic family persons (economic family reference person; economic family members – which could include foster children); or persons not in economic families.
2. Economic family structure: couple families; lone-parent families; other economic families (economic family in which the economic family reference person lives with other relatives but does not have a married spouse, common-law partner or child).

Source: Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey.