1286.0 - Family, Household and Income Unit Variables, 2005  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 01/06/2005   
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STANDARD OUTPUT CATEGORIES

36. In order that the full range of household structures are represented in statistical output, it is anticipated that most users and producers of household statistics will present data using the full classification structure. If output is to be presented in a nested or hierarchical manner, then the standard output categories are:


One family household
One family household with only family members present
One family household with non-family members present
Multiple family household
Two family household
Two family household with only family members present
Two family household with non-family members present
Three or more family household
Three or more family household with only family members present
Three or more family household with non-family members present
Non-family household
Lone person household
Group household
Not classifiable
Visitor only dwelling
Other not classifiable
Not stated/Inadequately described


37. If output is to be presented at one level only the standard output labels at level 1 for this option are:

Family households
Non-family households
Not classifiable
Not stated/Inadequately described

or

Family households
Lone person households
Group households
Not classifiable
Not stated/Inadequately described

or

One family households
Multiple family households
Non-family households
Not classifiable
Not stated/Inadequately described

or

One family households
Multiple family households
Lone person households
Group households
Not classifiable
Not stated/Inadequately described

or

One family households
Two family households
Three or more family households
Non-family households
Not classifiable
Not stated/Inadequately described

or

One family households
Two family households
Three or more family households
Lone person households
Group households
Not classifiable
Not stated/Inadequately described


CROSS-CLASSIFIED OUTPUT STRUCTURE

38. In many circumstances the most useful application of 'Family composition' will be in combined output with 'Household composition'. Though a cross-classified output based purely on the outputs available for 'Family composition' and 'Household composition' is feasible, many users are more interested in an output structure which reflects a focus on aspects of the data collected, such as the presence or absence of dependent children within the family and whether people other than just parents and their dependent children are also present in the household or not. Such other people are non-dependent children, other related individuals in the family, or non-family members in the household.

39. Published output using either of the two structures below should be labelled 'Family composition of household'. The same title is applied to either structure because the short structure is an aggregation of some categories of the detailed structure and thus fully compatible.

Detailed output structure

40. The first recommended standard cross-classified output structure is below. The table has mandatory explanatory requirements in the form of footnotes or glossary entries which are detailed beneath the output structure.

One family households
Couple family with dependent children
Couple family with dependent children only
Couple family with dependent children and other persons
One parent family with dependent children
One parent family with dependent children only
One parent family with dependent children and other persons
Couple only
Other one family households
Multiple family households
Multiple family households with dependent children
Multiple family households with no dependent children
Non-family households
Lone person
Group household


41. If required, the output can feature two extra subtotals as follows:
  • Total households with dependent children
  • Total households with no dependent children

42. The categories of the detailed output structure provided above may be aggregated in a variety of ways in order to best fulfil user requirements. For example separate information on Lone persons and Group households may not be required, in which case output could be published at the Non-family household level. However, in the interests of comparability across collections a shorter aggregated version of the structure is explained below and is recommended for use where possible.

43. The detailed information required to construct this output tabulation is too lengthy for inclusion as footnotes to the table. This information is specified below under the heading 'Detailed description of table categories'. The summary information outlines the information contained in the detailed description to aid interpretation of the table; it should be included as footnotes, in a glossary or as explanatory material to any published output.

Summary information

44. The information required is:

a. The expression 'other persons' refers to non-dependent children, other related individuals, and non-family members in the household.

b. The categories 'Couple family with dependent children only', 'One parent family with dependent children only' and 'Couple only' do not contain any non-dependent children, any related individuals, or any non-family members in the household.

c. The category 'Other one family households' comprises the 'Family composition' category Other family, and the 'Family composition' category One parent family with no children under 15, no dependent students and with non-dependent children.


Detailed description of table categories

45. The following information defines the exact content of each category in the detailed output structure above:

a. Dependent children are children aged under 15 years, and dependent students. Dependent students are full-time students aged 15-24 years.

b. The expression 'other persons' refers to non-dependent children, other related individuals, and non-family members in the household.

c. 'Other related individuals' are persons who report a 'Relationship in household' to the Family reference person of the following relationships:

61Brother/sister
62Father/mother
63Non-dependent grandchild
64Grandfather/grandmother
65Cousin
66Uncle/Aunt
67Nephew/niece
69Other related individual not elsewhere classified
They are identified by cross-classification of the family with 'Relationship in household' data.

d. The categories 'Couple family with dependent children only', 'One parent family with dependent children only' and 'Couple only' do not contain any non-dependent children, any related individuals, or any non-family members in the household.

e. The category 'Couple family with dependent children only' comprises the following 'Family composition' categories, where the 'Household composition' category is 11 One family household with only family members present, and there are no 'other related individuals' present:
  • 2112 Couple family with children under 15, dependent students and no non-dependent children
  • 2122 Couple family with children under 15, no dependent students and no non-dependent children
  • 2212 Couple family with no children under 15, with dependent students and no non-dependent children

f. The category 'Couple family with dependent children and other persons' includes the following 'Family composition' categories:
  • 2111 Couple family with children under 15, dependent students and non-dependent children
  • 2121 Couple family with children under 15, no dependent students and with non-dependent children
  • 2211 Couple family with no children under 15, with dependent students and non-dependent children
It also includes the following 'Family composition' categories where the 'Household composition' category is 12 One family household with non-family members present, or when 'other related individuals' are present:
  • 2112 Couple family with children under 15, dependent students and no non-dependent children
  • 2122 Couple family with children under 15, no dependent students and no non-dependent children
  • 2212 Couple family with no children under 15, with dependent students and no non-dependent children

g. The category 'One parent family with dependent children only' comprises the following 'Family composition' categories, where the 'Household composition' category is 11 One family household with only family members present, and there are no 'other related individuals' present:
  • 3112 One parent family with children under 15, dependent students and no non-dependent children
  • 3122 One parent family with children under 15, no dependent students and no non-dependent children
  • 3212 One parent family with no children under 15, with dependent students and no non-dependent children

h. The category 'One parent family with dependent children and other persons' includes the following 'Family composition' categories:
  • 3111 One parent family with children under 15, dependent students and non-dependent children
  • 3121 One parent family with children under 15, no dependent students and with non-dependent children
  • 3211 One parent family with no children under 15, with dependent students and non-dependent children
It also includes the following 'Family composition' categories where the 'Household composition' category is 12 One family household with non-family members present, or when 'other related individuals' are present:
  • 3112 One parent family with children under 15, dependent students and no non-dependent children
  • 3122 One parent family with children under 15, no dependent students and no non-dependent children
  • 3212 One parent family with no children under 15, with dependent students and no non-dependent children

i. The category 'Couple only' comprises the 'Family composition' category 1222 Couple family with no children under 15, no dependent students and no non-dependent children, where the 'Household composition' category is 11 One family household with only family members present, and there are no 'other related individuals' present.

j. The category 'Other one family households' comprises the 'Family composition' category 1222 Couple family with no children under 15, no dependent students and no non-dependent children, where the 'Household composition' category is 12 One family household with non-family members present; the 'Family composition' category 2221 Couple family with no children under 15, no dependent students and with non-dependent children; the 'Family composition' category 3221 One parent family with no children under 15, no dependent students and with non-dependent children; and the 'Family composition' category 9222 Other family.

Short structure

46. The second recommended standard cross-classified output structure is below. It represents an aggregated version of the Detailed structure above and is fully compatible with it. The table has mandatory explanatory requirements in the form of footnotes or glossary entries which are detailed beneath the output structure.

One family households
Couple family with dependent children
One parent family with dependent children
Couple only
Other one family households
Multiple family households
Non-family households
Lone person
Group household


47. The footnotes or information required are:

a. The categories 'Couple family with dependent children' and 'One parent family with dependent children' may contain non-dependent children.

b. The category 'Other one family households' comprises the 'Family composition' category Other family, the 'Family composition' category One parent family with no children under 15, no dependent students and with non-dependent children, and Couple families with no dependent children but with other persons.

Supporting variables

48. The variable 'Household composition' is primarily used as a stand-alone variable but can be used in conjunction with many other variables to increase the explanatory power of the classification. 'Relationship in household' and 'Family composition' are required in order to determine 'Household composition'.


MEASUREMENT ISSUES AND RELATED CLASSIFICATIONS

MEASUREMENT ISSUES

49. Over time the types of dwellings considered as private dwellings have expanded to include caravan parks and some retirement villages. Therefore while the actual scope of the 'Household composition' variable remains the same, the population of persons considered to be within that scope has expanded to enable such households to be enumerated. No other specific measurement issues apply to the variable 'Household composition' beyond the normal constraints affecting statistical collections, such as problems with confidentiality or standard errors which may not permit the output of data for some of the categories at the more detailed levels of the classification.


RELATED CLASSIFICATIONS

50. The 'Household composition' classification is closely linked to the following classifications:

'Family composition'
'Relationship In household'
'Income unit composition'
'Social marital status'

51. Changes to any of these classifications cannot be considered in isolation and all possible ramifications concerning the other classifications must be investigated before adopting the change.



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