GLOSSARY

Census

The complete enumeration of a population or groups at a point in time with respect to well-defined characteristics (eg Population, Manufacturing, etc.). When the word is capitalised, "Census" usually refers to the national Census of Population and Housing.

Collection District (CD)

The smallest geographic area defined in the Statistical Geography: Volume 1 - Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) (cat. no.1216.0).

Dwelling

A dwelling is a structure which is intended to have people live in it, and which is habitable on Census Night. Some examples of dwellings are houses, motels, flats, caravans, prisons, tents, humpies and houseboats.

There are private and non-private dwellings:

• A private dwelling is normally a house, flat, part of a house, or even a room; but can also be a house attached to, or rooms above, shops or offices; an occupied caravan or unit in a caravan park or craft in a marina; occupied dwelling in a Manufactured Home Estate; occupied self-care unit in Accommodation for the Retired or Aged; a houseboat; or tent if it is standing on its own block of land. An occupied caravan situated on a residential allotment is also classed as a private dwelling. Private dwellings can be either occupied or unoccupied.
• Non-private dwellings are those dwellings not included above, which provide a communal or transitory type of accommodation. They are classified according to their function. These dwellings include hotels, motels, guest houses, prisons, religious and charitable institutions, defence establishments, hospitals and other communal dwellings. Only occupied non-private dwellings are included in the census.

Estimated resident population (ERP)

The official measure of the population of Australia is based on the concept of usual residence. It refers to all people, regardless of nationality or citizenship, who usually live in Australia, with the exception of foreign diplomatic personnel and their families. It includes usual residents who are overseas for less than 12 months. It excludes overseas visitors who are in Australia for less than 12 months.

Estimates of the Australian resident population are generated on a quarterly basis by adding natural increase (the excess of births over deaths) and net overseas migration (NOM) occurring during the period to the population at the beginning of each period. This is known as the cohort component method, and can be represented by the following equation:

P_t+1 = P_t + B - D + NOM, where:

P_t = the estimated resident population at time point t

P_t+1 = the estimated resident population at time point t+1

B = the number of births occurring between t and t+1

D = the number of deaths occurring between t and t+1

NOM = net overseas migration occurring between t and t+1.

NIM = net interstate migration occurring between t and t+1.

For state and territory population estimates, an additional term is added to the equation representing net interstate migration occurring between t and t+1, represented by the following equation:

P_t+1 = P_t + B - D + NOM + NIM.

Household

A household is a group of two or more related or unrelated people who usually reside in the same dwelling who regard themselves as a household and who make common provision for food or other essentials for living; or a person living in a dwelling who makes provision for his or her own food and other essentials for living, without combining with any other person. Households include group households of unrelated persons, same-sex couple households, single-parent households as well as one-person households.

A household usually resides in a private dwelling (including caravans etc. in caravan parks). Persons usually resident in non-private dwellings, such as hotels, motels, boarding houses, gaols and hospitals, are not included in household estimates.

This definition of a household is consistent with the definition used in the census.

Indigenous

Refers to people who identified themselves, or were identified by another household member, as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

Local Government Area (LGA)

LGA is a spatial unit which represents the whole geographical area of responsibility of an incorporated Local Government Council, an Aboriginal or Island Council in Queensland, or a Community Government Council (CGC) in the Northern Territory. An LGA consists of one or more SLAs. LGAs aggregate directly to form the incorporated areas of states/territories. The creation and delimitation of LGAs is the responsibility of the state and territory Governments. The number of LGAs, their names and their boundaries vary over time. Further information concerning LGAs is contained in Statistical Geography: Volume 1 - Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) (cat. no.1216.0).

Median age

For any distribution the median value is that which divides the relevant population into two equal parts, half falling below the value, and half exceeding it. Thus, the median age is the age at which half the population is older and half is younger.

Net undercount

The difference between the actual Census count (including imputations) and an estimate of the number of people who should have been counted in the Census. This estimate is based on the PES conducted after each Census. For a category of person (e.g. based on age, sex and state of usual residence), net undercount is the resultant of Census undercount, overcount, misclassification and imputation error.

Post Enumeration Survey

The Census Post Enumeration Survey (PES) is a household survey conducted three to four weeks after the Census. The PES allows the ABS to estimate the number of people missed in the Census and the number counted more than once. Usually more people are missed than counted more than once in Australia, leading to a net undercount. Results from the PES contribute to a more accurate calculation of the estimated resident population (ERP) for Australia and the states and territories which is then backdated to 30 June of the Census year.

Relative Standard Error (RSE)

The relative standard error is the standard error expressed as a percentage of the estimate to which it refers, and is useful when comparing the variability of estimates of different sizes.

Standard Error (SE)

A measure of the variation among the estimates from all possible samples, and thus a measure of the precision with which an estimate from a particular sample approximates the average result of all possible samples. The units of the standard error are the same as the variable of interest.

State or territory and Statistical Local Area of usual residence

State or territory and Statistical Local Area (SLA) of usual residence refers to the state or territory and SLA of usual residence of:

• the population (estimated resident population);
• the mother (birth collection); and
• the deceased (death collection).

In the case of overseas movements, state or territory of usual residence refers to the state or territory regarded by the traveller as the one in which he/she lives or has lived. State or territory of intended residence is derived from the intended address given by settlers, and by Australian residents returning after a journey abroad. Particularly in the case of the former, this information does not necessarily relate to the state or territory in which the traveller will eventually establish a permanent residence.

Statistical District (S Dist)

Statistical Districts (S Dist) consist of selected, significant, predominantly urban areas in Australia which are not located within a Capital City Statistical Division (SD). S Dists enable comparable statistics to be produced about these selected urban areas. Further information concerning S Dists is contained in Statistical Geography: Volume 1 - Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) (cat. no.1216.0).

Statistical Division (SD)

Statistical Divisions (SD) consist of one or more Statistical Subdivisions (SSD). These are designed to be relatively homogeneous regions characterised by identifiable social and economic units within the region, under the unifying influence of one or more major towns or cities. Information concerning SDs is contained in Statistical Geography: Volume 1 - Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) (cat. no.1216.0).

Statistical Local Area (SLA)

Statistical Local Areas (SLA) are, in most cases, identical with, or have been formed from a division of, whole Local Government Areas (LGA). In other cases, they represent unincorporated areas. In aggregate, SLAs cover the whole of a state or territory without gaps or overlaps. In some cases legal LGAs overlap statistical subdivision boundaries and therefore comprise two or three SLAs (Part A, Part B and, if necessary, Part C). Further information concerning SLAs is contained in Statistical Geography: Volume 1 - Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) (cat. no.1216.0).

Statistical Subdivision (SSD)

Statistical Subdivisions (SSD) are of intermediate size, between Statistical Local Areas (SLA) and Statistical Divisions (SD). In aggregate, they cover the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps. They are defined as socially and economically homogeneous regions characterised by identifiable links between the inhabitants. In the non-urban areas an SSD is characterised by identifiable links between the economic units within the region, under the unifying influence of one or more major towns or cities. Further information concerning SSDs is contained in Statistical Geography: Volume 1 - Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) (cat. no.1216.0).

Under enumeration

See net undercount.

Usual residence

See State or territory and Statistical Local Area of usual residence.