Families and Households (Census 96) 1996

A full list of the definitions and terms used in the 1996 Census of Population and Dwellings is contained in the report An Introduction to the Census of Population and Dwellings. Refer to Statistics New Zealand for a complete list of concepts, definitions and classifications.

Absentee
Access to a telephone
Adult child
Age
Child
Couple
De facto marriage
Dependent child
Dwelling
Economic family
Ethnicity
Extended family
Familial relationship
Family nucleus
Family type
Household
Household characteristics
Household composition
Income (total income)
Labour force
Labour force status
Living arrangements
Marital status
Motor vehicles
New Zealand
Never married
Non-private dwelling
Number of children
Number of inmates or guest occupants
Number of occupants
Occupation
An occupation is a set of jobs which involve the performance of a common set of tasks. It refers to the job, trade, profession or type of work in which a person is employed for financial reward or as an unpaid worker in a family business.

Occupations are grouped together by a similar skill requirement rather than by the similarity of the type of work performed. The skill requirement of an occupation is measured by the skill level and the skill specialisation of the tasks and duties performed.

The occupation classification used - the New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (NZSCO-95) - is based on the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88), modified to suit New Zealand conditions.

Information for this topic is derived from the question which asks people to state their present occupation and the tasks or duties they spend the most time on. Statistics are available for occupation major groups, sub-major groups, minor groups, unit groups and groups. It is possible to cross-classify data from NZSCO-95 with data from NZSCO-90 and NZSCO-68 and thus obtain comparable data between the 1996 and previous censuses.
Parent role
A parent role is the role of a person who usually resides with his or her natural, step, adopted, or foster child (or children). A parent role can also be the role of people who provide care for household members under the age of 18 who are not employed full-time and do not have a partner or child (or children) of their own in the household. A guardian is regarded as a person who is in a parent role.
Partner
Permanent private dwelling
Population resident in New Zealand
Private dwelling
Registered marriage
A registered marriage is one for which a marriage certificate has been signed legalising the marriage of two people of the opposite sex. People who are "legally married" have signed a marriage certificate that is valid at the time of the survey.

Religious affiliation
Remarried
Resident population
Resident population refers to all people counted during a census who usually live in New Zealand excluding people who usually live overseas and New Zealand residents overseas.
Rural areas
Rural centres
Same-sex partners
Two people of the same sex who are living together as partners.
Sector of landlord
Separated
Sex
Temporarily absent (household and family statistics)
Temporary private dwelling
Tenure of dwelling
Total household income
Total population
Unemployed and seeking work
Urban areas
Visitor
Widowed
A widowed person is a person who has not remarried following the death of his or her legal husband or wife.