Household Estimates

NAME OF ORGANISATION
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

OVERVIEW
Household estimates were first published in April 1996 and contained estimates of the number of households and the household population at 30 June 1986, 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994. Annual estimates from 30 June 1995 to 2000 have since been published in Australian Demographic Statistics (Catalogue no. 3101.0).

PURPOSE
Estimates of households and the distribution of the household population into households by size are important for organisations concerned with issues such as health, housing, families and social security. Public issues such as unemployment, poverty, income distribution and housing needs are often linked with the household. For example, the impact of unemployment and income distribution is clearer and easier to understand when analysed in terms of the household and its demographic characteristics than when expressed as the number of people unemployed or the number of people in specified income brackets. As another example, housing needs are similarly better appreciated in terms of household members rather than of people.
The household is not only a social unit but also an economic and consumption unit and a market for household consumption goods such as housing, electricity, water, gas, telephones, refrigerators, washing machines, microwave ovens, home computers, television sets, video recorders and stereo systems. Because many of the products listed above are consumed on a household rather than on a person basis, knowledge of the size and geographic distribution of households and the demographic characteristics of household members is very important in understanding and forecasting consumption behaviour. Information on average household size and the growth of households, for instance, is important to the housing industry.

Estimates of households are also an important aid in understanding changes taking place in Australian society. In particular, household estimates assist in understanding changes in the number, size, growth and location of households and the socio-demographic characteristics of household members. Data on trends in the number of single-person households, single-adult households with children, group households and households without children, for instance, will allow a better understanding of the effects on household patterns of changes in the ages when children leave home, when Australians marry or take a partner and start a family, the number of children they have and the household patterns of older Australians.

SCOPE
Households in private dwellings (including caravans etc. in caravan parks).

As defined for operational purposes in the Directory of Concepts and Standards for Social, Labour and Demographic Statistics (ABS 1995) 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 non-family or 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, jails and hospitals are not included in household estimates. In June 1994, about 98% of the usual resident population of Australia were resident in private dwellings and are thus covered in the estimates of households.

Because household members need not be related to each other by birth, marriage or adoption any group of individuals who live together and share common housekeeping arrangements constitute a household. Most private dwellings contain only one household. However, about 0.7% of dwellings contain more than one household. Conceptually, one could also have a multi-dwelling household, that is, a household that resides in more than one dwelling, but this type of household is not measured in official ABS collections.

DATA DETAIL

Conceptual framework
As defined for operational purposes in the Directory of Concepts and Standards for Social, Labour and Demographic Statistics (ABS 1995) 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 non-family or 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, jails and hospitals are not included in household estimates. In June 1994, about 98% of the usual resident population of Australia were resident in private dwellings and are thus covered in the estimates of households.

Because household members need not be related to each other by birth, marriage or adoption any group of individuals who live together and share common housekeeping arrangements constitute a household. Most private dwellings contain only one household. However, about 0.7% of dwellings contain more than one household. Conceptually, one could also have a multi-dwelling household, that is, a household that resides in more than one dwelling, but this type of household is not measured in official ABS collections.

In 2000, all household estimates were revised to incorporate a statistical smoothing technique which reduces volatility but retains the trend of the time series.

For more information see 3228.0 - Demographic Estimates and Projections: Concepts, Sources and Methods and
Demography Working Paper 2001/3 - Improving Household Estimates

Main outputs
Number of households by capital city / balance of state.
Household population by household size, States and Territories.

Classifications
Households.
Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) latest version.

Other concepts (summary)
n.a.

GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL
Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania
Northern Territory
ACT
Part of State Metropolitan
Part of State Extra-Metropolitan

Comments and/or Other Regions
There is no capital city/balance of State breakdown for Northern Territory and the ACT.

COLLECTION FREQUENCY
Annually

Frequency comments
Available for June 1986, 1991 and quarterly intervals thereafter.

COLLECTION HISTORY
Household Estimates, Australia 1986, 1991-94 published April 1996 (Catalogue no. 3229.0 - new issue)
Household estimates at 30 June 1995 published in Australian Demographic Statistics, (Catalogue no. 3101.0), September quarter 1995.
Household estimates at 30 June 1996 published in Australian Demographic Statistics, (Catalogue no. 3101.0), September quarter 1996.
Household estimates at 30 June 1997 published in Australian Demographic Statistics, (Catalogue no. 3101.0), September quarter 1997.
Household estimates at 30 June 1998 published in Australian Demographic Statistics, (Catalogue no. 3101.0), September quarter 1998.
Household estimates at 30 June 1999 published in Australian Demographic Statistics, (Catalogue no. 3101.0), September quarter 1999.
Household estimates at 30 June 2000 published in Australian Demographic Statistics, (Catalogue no. 3101.0), September quarter 2000.

DATA AVAILABILITY
Yes