Household type of private household

Status: This standard was approved as a departmental standard on July 31, 2026.

Definition

Household type refers to the differentiation of households based on whether they are census-family households or non-census-family households. Census-family households are those that contain at least one census family. Non-census-family households are either one person living alone or a group of two or more persons who live together but do not constitute a census family. Census-family households may be differentiated based on the presence of additional persons.

Private household refers to a person or group of persons who occupy the same dwelling and do not have a usual place of residence elsewhere in Canada or abroad. The household universe is divided into two sub-universes on the basis of whether the household is occupying a collective dwelling or a private dwelling. The latter is a private household.

Conformity to relevant internationally recognized standards

This standard is compatible with the recommendations for censuses contained in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Conference of European Statisticians (UNECE-CES) "Recommendations for the 2030 Round of Population and Housing Censuses", 2025. The UNECE-CES recommendations include a classification (section 16.2.2.3) of "Private household type" which distinguishes one-family-nucleus households (couple without children, couple with children, one-parent family) without additional persons, other family households (three-or-more-generation households, multiple-family households, one-family households with additional persons not in a family nucleus) and non-family households (one-person households, two-or-more-person non-family households).

Classifications

• Classification of household type July 31, 2026 to current

Additional information

See:

• Census family
• Household living arrangements of person not in census family
• Household type of person

Relation to previous version

• Household type of private household July 31, 2026 to current

  Minor wording revisions have been made to the definitions of the concept "household type". The categories in the Classification of household type have been modified to incorporate multigenerational households. The Classification of household type, multigenerational variant has been removed.

• Household type of private household May 26, 2021 to July 30, 2026

  The name of the concept has changed in French from 'genre' to 'type'. The definitions in the classification have been modified and a new classification variant has been created.

• Household type of private household March 24, 2016 to May 25, 2021

  This is an update of 'Type of household'. 'Household type' has replaced 'type' to allow for a more specific definition. 'Private household' has replaced 'household' as the statistical unit. The classification of household type has been modified.

• Type of private household September 11, 2013 to March 23, 2016

  This standard was replaced by the 'Household type of private household' as of March 24, 2016.

• Type of household April 16, 2012 to March 23, 2016

  This definition was updated on April 16, 2012.

• Type of household July 15, 1998 to April 15, 2012

  This was the departmental standard from July 15, 1998 to April 15, 2012.