Dictionary, Census of Population, 2016
Non-discretionary spending for the MBMDictionary, Census of Population, 2016
Non-discretionary spending for the MBM

Definition

Non-discretionary spending for the Market Basket Measure (MBM) consists of the following:

• personal portion of payroll taxes, such as employment insurance premiums and Canada Pension Plan or Québec Pension Plan contributions;
• other mandatory payroll deductions, such as contributions to employer-sponsored pension plans, supplementary health plans, and union dues;
• child support and alimony payments made to another family;
• out-of-pocket spending on child care, and
• non-insured, but medically prescribed health-related expenses such as dental and vision care, prescription drugs, and aids for persons with disabilities.

The conceptual contents of this variable were defined by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) for the purposes of computing the disposable income for the MBM.

Non-discretionary spending for the MBM at the economic family level is the sum of non-discretionary spending for the MBM of all economic family members.

For the 2016 Census, the reference period is the calendar year 2015 for this variable.

Statistical unit(s)

Person
Economic family

Classification(s)

Not applicable

Reported in

2016 (25% sample), 2011^{Note 1} (30% sample)

Reported for

Economic families and persons not in economic families aged 15 years and over in private households

Question number(s)

Derived variable

Responses

Positive dollar value or nil

Remarks

Two components were derived from responses to spending questions on the long-form census questionnaire. See child care expenses paid and child or spousal support payments.

The other items were either based on tax file deductions for respondents who filed a tax return for 2015 or were imputed for remaining respondents.

For additional information about data collection method, coverage, reference period, concepts, data quality and intercensal comparability of the income data, refer to the Income Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2016.

Note