Who/what is surveyed: families and individuals living in private households in the 10 provinces, plus Whitehorse and Yellowknife, for the national survey, and in selected metropolitan areas for the urban survey; excludes persons living on Indian reserves, families of official representatives of foreign countries living in Canada, members of religious and other communal colonies, persons living full time in institutions (for example, inmates of penal institutions or chronic care patients living in hospitals and nursing homes).

How the data is collected: annual sample divided into 12 monthly subsamples; personal interviews and 2 one-week diaries in which household members enter their detailed food expenditures

Geographic detail: Canada (10 provinces), provinces, selected metropolitan areas, and size of area of residence (rural/urban) for the national survey, and selected metropolitan areas only for the urban survey

Demographic detail: age, sex, marital status, family relationship to reference person, immigration status, mother tongue and place of birth

Frequency:
National coverage: 1969, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1992, 1996;
Urban coverage: 1955, 1957, 1962, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1984, 1990

Sample size: 14,000 households for the national survey: 7,000 for urban survey surveys

Data availability: related data available since 1938; conceptually similar since 1964; easily accessible by computer since 1969

Reference period: Present calendar year

Release dates: 11 months after the end of the data collection period

Response rates: 77.3% in 1996

What makes the data valuable: the only source of detailed household food expenditures (also quantities and where purchased) by household characteristics

Related surveys or data:
1. Family Expenditure Survey
2. Survey of Household Spending

Products and services:
1) Family Food Expenditure in Canada (Catalogue no. 62-554-XPB)
2) Standard and custom tabulations
3) Public-use Microdata File

Responsible division: Income Statistics