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
A dwelling is any building or structure, or part thereof, that is used (or intended to be used) for the purpose of human habitation. It can be of a permanent, temporary or even mobile nature and includes structures such as motels, hotels, hospitals, prisons, motor homes, huts, and tents.

At the highest level, dwellings are classified as private or non-private. A private dwelling accommodates a person or a group of people, but is not available to the public. Included are: houses, flats, and apartments; residences attached to a business or institution; baches, cribs and huts; garages; caravans, cabins and tents; vehicles; vessels; or dwellings of the above types that are under construction.

All other dwellings are non-private and are available to the public. They may be available for use either generally, or by virtue of occupation or study, special need, or legal requirement. Such dwellings may have facilities (such as a dining room) which are for shared use. These dwellings include: hotels and motels; guest houses and boarding houses; hostels; public and private hospitals; homes for the elderly; educational, welfare, religious and charitable institutions; prisons and penal institutions; defence establishments; work camps, staff quarters and seasonal quarters; motor camps; and other communal dwellings. If this type of accommodation includes units that are designed for the exclusive use (temporarily) of one or more people, the units are considered to be part of the non-private dwelling and not separate non-private dwellings. Private residences that are attached to non-private dwellings are, however, considered to be separate private dwellings.
Economic family
Ethnicity
Ethnicity is the ethnic group(s) that people identify with or feel they belong to. Thus, ethnicity is self-perceived and people can belong to more than one ethnic group.

An ethnic group is defined as a social group whose members:

· share a sense of common origins,
· claim a common and distinctive history and destiny,
· possess one or more dimensions of collective cultural individuality, and
· feel a sense of unique collective solidarity.
Extended family
Familial relationship
A familial relationship is a relationship in which a person is related to another household member by blood, marriage (registered or de facto) or adoption.
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
A non-private dwelling is one in which a number of generally unrelated people (either individuals or families) live. Such dwellings are available to the public and include institutions and group-living quarters. Examples of non-private dwellings are hotels, motels, hospitals, prisons, school hostels, motor camps, boarding houses, ships and trains. Non-private establishments usually have common cooking and dining facilities. Lounge room and dormitories can also be shared by the occupants. Refer definition of Dwelling.
Number of children
Number of inmates or guest occupants
Number of occupants
Occupation
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
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
Persons who were not working in a paid job, business, farm or profession at census date, but had looked for either full-time or part-time work in the preceding four weeks were referred to as "unemployed and seeking work", regardless of their availability and the job search methods used.

The definition of "Looking for Work" was contained in the guide notes and required at least one of the job search methods listed, during the four weeks preceding the census. If "Looking at job advertisements in newspapers" was one of the methods cited, at least two methods are required.

"Unemployed and seeking work" refers to those persons who are not working in a paid job, business, farm or profession at census date, but have actively looked for either full-time or part-time work in the preceding four weeks and would have started work in the week preceding the census had a job been available. As with the 1991 Census, "Looking at job advertisements in newspapers" alone is not considered actively looking for work.

Full-time work is defined as 30 hours or more of work per week while part-time work is defined as less than 30 hours of work per week.
Urban areas
Visitor
A visitor to a dwelling is a person who is present in a dwelling on census night but who does not usually reside in that dwelling.
Widowed