Economic family

Part A - Short definition:

Refers to a group of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling and are related to each other by blood, marriage, common-law, adoption or a foster relationship.

Part B - Detailed definition:

Refers to a group of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling and are related to each other by blood, marriage, common-law, adoption or a foster relationship. A couple may be of opposite or same sex.

Census years:

2011, 2006, 2001, 1996, 1991, 1986, 1981, 1976, 1971^{Footnote 1}

Reported for:

Population in private households^{Footnote 2}

Question number(s):

Derived variable: Questions 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6

Responses:

Not applicable

Remarks:

The economic family concept requires only that family members be related by blood, marriage,^{Footnote 3} common-law,^{Footnote 3} adoption or a foster relationship.^{Footnote 4} By contrast, the census family concept requires that family members be a male or female married spouse, a male or female common-law partner, a male or female lone parent, or a child with a parent present. The concept of economic family may refer to a larger group of persons than does the census family concept. For example, a widowed mother living with her married son and daughter-in-law would be considered as a person not in a census family. That same person would, however, be counted as a member of an economic family along with her son and daughter-in-law. Two or more related census families living together also constitute one economic family as, for example, a husband and his wife living with their married son and daughter-in-law. Two or more adult brothers or sisters living together, apart from their parents, form an economic family, but not a census family. All census family persons are economic family persons.

The economic family and its associated classifications and variables are derived according to the responses to the questions on sex, date of birth, marital status, common law status, and relationship to Person 1. In addition, consideration is given to the order in which household members are listed on the questionnaire.

Figure 19 provides an overview of the economic family variables.