More information on Relationship to household reference person (Person 1)

Censuses:

2006,¹ 2001,¹ 1996,¹ 1991, 1986, 1981,² 1976,³ 1971⁴

Reported for:

Total population

Question number:

Direct variable: Question 6

Responses:

Person 1

Related to Person 1 – opposite-sex spouse, same-sex spouse,⁵ opposite-sex common-law partner, same-sex common‑law partner, son or daughter, father or mother, brother or sister, son-in-law or daughter-in-law, father-in-law or mother-in-law, brother-in-law or sister-in-law, grandfather or grandmother, grandchild, nephew or niece, cousin, uncle or aunt; other relatives of Person 1 (not identified elsewhere) and their spouses, opposite-sex and same-sex common-law partners, sons or daughters, or grandchildren

Unrelated to Person 1 – lodger, room-mate, employee, owner/manager, and their spouses, opposite-sex and same-sex common-law partners, sons or daughters, or grandchildren; Hutterite partner, Hutterite partner's spouse, Hutterite partner's son or daughter, Hutterite partner's grandchild, institutional resident

Remarks:

Not applicable

1. In the 2006 and 2001 Censuses, the write-in responses for Question 6 (Relationship to Person 1) on the Forms 2A and 3A (2A only in 1996) were not captured, but were classified as "other write-ins". The write-in responses on Forms 2B, 2C, 2D and 3B (Forms 2B, 2C, 2D and 3 in 1996) were captured as reported by respondents. Unlike censuses prior to 1996, the published output on families will be produced from the sample database.



2. In the 1981 Census, the term used to identify the household reference person was changed from "head of household" to "Person 1". Person 1 may be any one of the following:

   • either spouse in any married couple living in the dwelling;
   • either partner in a common-law relationship;
   • the parent, where one parent only lives with his or her child(ren) of any age. See the definition of Census family in the Family universe for changes to the concept of children.

   If none of the above applies, any adult member of the household may be identified as Person 1.

   
   
3. In the 1976 Census, the head of household was defined as:
   
   
   • either the husband or the wife;
   • the parent (where there was one parent only), with never-married children;
   • any member of a group sharing a dwelling equally.
   
   
4. In the 1971 Census, the head of household was defined as:
   
   
   • the husband rather than the wife;
   • the parent (where there was one parent only), with unmarried children;
   • any member of a group sharing a dwelling equally.
   
   
5. As of 2006 Census.