Economic family

Status: This was the departmental standard from July 15, 1998 to February 19, 2006.

Definition

Economic family is defined as a group of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling and are related to each other by blood, marriage, common-law or adoption. By definition, all persons who are members of a census family are also members of an economic family. Examples of the broader concept of economic family include the following: two co-resident census families who are related to one another are considered one economic family and two co-resident siblings who are not members of a census family are consider an economic family.

Additional information

Relationship between household members applies to persons within a household and kin, economic or social relationships between them. Persons are classified as related or unrelated. In this context, related is taken to mean a kin relationship such as husband, wife, common-law partner, grandfather, cousin, aunt or legally adopted child. In short a kin relationship is defined as being one of blood, marriage, common-law partnership or adoption. Unrelated is taken to mean any other relationship of an economic or social nature such as employee or lodger, room-mate or other unrelated person.

While at one time relationship was commonly tabulated as a variable for the purpose of analyzing household living arrangements, it is now used primarily for assigning persons within the household a census family or economic family status. For example, a household comprised of a husband and a wife, the husband's brother, his wife and their child; and a lodger would be assigned as follows: The husband and wife would be assigned the census family status of husband and wife and they would constitute a census family. The husband's brother and his wife and child would be assigned the census family status of husband, wife and child and they would constitute a second census family within the household. The two brothers and their families would constitute one economic family because of the kin relationship between them. The lodger would be assigned the census family status of unrelated person and the economic family status of unattached individual.

The distinction between related and unrelated persons may still be used in some household typologies where it is desired to reflect various types of living arrangements and dependencies.

Historically, one person in the household was identified as the head and other persons in the household were identified according to their relationship to the head. That is, other persons might be identified as the wife of the head or a son or daughter of the head. A male was always to be reported as the head unless there was no qualifying male present. Socio-economic studies often analyzed characteristics of the head such as educational attainment, labour force activity and income and in turn attributed such characteristics to the whole household.

In the 1980's a move to de-genderize statistical outputs saw the concept of head dropped including analysis of the characteristics of that person. The concept of Person one (or Reference person) was introduced and other persons in the household were identified according to their relationship to that person. There were still some age-based constraints on who might be reported as Person one but the gender constraints were eliminated. Other persons in the household were then identified according to their relationship to Person one. Some statistical activities continue to use the concept of head but it is not recommended.

Relation to previous version

• Economic family May 26, 2021 to current

  The definition of the statistical unit has been modified.

• Economic family November 16, 2015 to May 25, 2021

  In the previous standard, the inclusion of foster children was listed separately from the list of ways in which persons in an economic family can be related. This standard adds persons who are related to each other by a foster relationship to the list of possible relationships for this statistical unit.

• Economic family February 20, 2006 to November 15, 2015

  The previous standard made no reference to same-sex couples. The addition of the words "a couple may be of opposite or same sex" reflects the established practice of including same-sex common-law couples and recognizes that same-sex couples can also be married.
  
  In the previous standard, foster children were not included.

• Economic family July 15, 1998 to February 19, 2006

  This was the departmental standard from July 15, 1998 to February 19, 2006.