Household five year mobility indicator (MV5D)

Latest release
Census of Population and Housing: Census dictionary
Cite
Reference period
2021

Definition

This derived variable indicates if all, some, or none of the usual residents of a household on 10 August 2021 have a different usual address compared to five years earlier (i.e. 10 August 2016). Persons temporarily absent, visitors, and households containing only visitors, are excluded.

Scope

Family, group, lone person households

Categories

CodeCategory
1All residents in the household aged five years and over had a different address five years ago
2Some residents aged five years and over had a different address five years ago
3No residents aged five years and over had a different address five years ago
&At least one resident did not state an address five years ago
@Not applicable

Number of categories: 5

Not applicable (@) category comprises:

  • Visitor only households
  • Other non-classifiable households
  • Unoccupied private dwellings
  • Non-private dwellings
  • Migratory, off-shore and shipping SA1

Question(s) from the Census form

Where does the person usually live?

Where does the person usually live?
Where does Person 1 usually live? For people who usually live in another country and who are visiting Australia for less than one year, select 'Other country'. For other people, 'usually live' means the address at which the person has lived, or intends to live, for a total of six months or more in 2021. For people who have no fixed or return address (for example, due to family conflict or eviction), select 'Elsewhere in Australia' and write 'None' in the 'Suburb/Locality' box. For boarders at boarding school, provide the address of the boarding school or college. More information 1 Smith Street Belconnen ACT 2617 Elsewhere in Australia (please specify address) Other country

More Information

Additional information relating to the question on: Where does the person usually live?
Where does Person 1 usually live? For people who usually live in another country and who are visiting Australia for less than one year, select 'Other country'. For other people, 'usually live' means the address at which the person has lived, or intends to live, for a total of six months or more in 2021. For people who have no fixed or return address (for example, due to family conflict or eviction), select 'Elsewhere in Australia' and write 'None' in the 'Suburb/Locality' box. For boarders at boarding school, provide the address of the boarding school or college. More information If the person is providing an address for 'Elsewhere in Australia' and they usually live in Norfolk Island or other external territories, such as Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Jervis Bay, please select 'Other external territory' in the State/Territory box.

Where did the person usually live one year ago (at 10 August 2020)?

Where did the person usually live on year ago (at 10 August 2020)?
Where did Person 1 usually live one year ago (at 10 August 2020)? For people who had no usual address on 10 August 2020, select 'Elsewhere in Australia' and provide the address at which they were then living. More information 1 Smith Street Belconnen ACT 2617 Elsewhere in Australia (please specify address) Other country

Example

Household five year mobility indicator example - elsewhere in Australia response selected
Where did Person 1 usually live one year ago (at 10 August 2020)? For people who had no usual address on 10 August 2020, select 'Elsewhere in Australia' and provide the address at which they were then living. More information 1 Smith Street Belconnen ACT 2617 Elsewhere in Australia (please specify address) (selected response) Fill in the address details Apartment/Flat/Unit number (if any) Street number Street name Suburb/Locality State/Territory Postcode Other country

More Information

Additional information relating to the question on: Where did the person usually live on year ago (at 10 August 2020)?
Where did Person 1 usually live one year ago (at 10 August 2020)? For people who had no usual address on 10 August 2020, select 'Elsewhere in Australia' and provide the address at which they were then living. More information If the complete address is not known, please provide as much of the address as possible. If the person is providing an address for 'Elsewhere in Australia' and they usually live in Norfolk Island or other external territories, such as Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Jervis Bay, please select 'Other external territory' in the State/Territory box.

Where did the person usually live five years ago (at 10 August 2016)?

Where did the person usually live five years ago (at 10 August 2016)?
Where did Person 1 usually live five years ago (at 10 August 2016)? For people who had no usual address on 10 August 2016, select 'Elsewhere in Australia' and provide the address at which they were then living. More information 1 Smith Street Belconnen ACT 2617 Elsewhere in Australia (please specify address) Other country

Example

Household five year mobility indicator example - elsewhere in Australia response selected
Where did Person 1 usually live five years ago (at 10 August 2016)? For people who had no usual address on 10 August 2016, select 'Elsewhere in Australia' and provide the address at which they were then living. More information 1 Smith Street Belconnen ACT 2617 Elsewhere in Australia (please specify address) (selected response) Fill in the address details Apartment/Flat/Unit number (if any) Street number Street name Suburb/Locality State/Territory Postcode Other country

More information

Additional information relating to the question on: Where did the person usually live five years ago (at 10 August 2016)?
Where did Person 1 usually live five years ago (at 10 August 2016)? For people who had no usual address on 10 August 2016, select 'Elsewhere in Australia' and provide the address at which they were then living. More information If the complete address is not known, please provide as much of the address as possible. If the person is providing an address for 'Elsewhere in Australia' and they usually live in Norfolk Island or other external territories, such as Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Jervis Bay, please select 'Other external territory' in the State/Territory box.

How this variable is created

This variable is derived from questions asking for a person's place of usual residence on Census Night, one year ago and five years ago. The dwelling can then be coded as having all, some, or no residents in the household having a different address five years ago.

Dwellings where at least one resident aged five years and over did not state their address five years ago are coded to ‘& At least one resident did not state an address five years ago’.

History and changes

A variable on household mobility was first used for the 1991 Census. A question relating to place of usual residence five years ago was first asked in the 1971 Census and has been asked at every Census since then.

For 2021, output category labels have been updated to make the categories easier to understand.

Data use considerations

From this data it is possible to identify the change of address of people and show the movement of households for five years prior to the Census date.

The non-response rate for Household five year mobility indicator (MV5D) was 2.5% in 2021. This is a decrease from 2.9% in 2016. For this variable, the 'non-response' includes households in which one or more residents did not state their usual residence five years ago.

Related variables and glossary terms

Useful links