Glossary

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Age

Age as of July 1.

Census coverage

Census net undercoverage (CNU): Difference between undercoverage and overcoverage.

Overcoverage: Number of persons or families who were counted more than once in the census.

Undercoverage: Number of persons or families who were intended to have been enumerated in a census but were not enumerated.

Census division (CD)

Census division (CD) is the general term for provincially legislated areas (such as county, municipalité régionale de comté and regional district) or equivalent regions. Census divisions are intermediate geographic areas between the municipalities (census subdivision) and the province or the territory.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, provincial and territorial laws do not provide for these administrative geographic areas. Therefore, Statistics Canada in cooperation with these provinces and territories, has created equivalent areas called census divisions for the purpose of disseminating statistical data. In Yukon, the census division is equivalent to the entire territory.

Census family

Refers to a married couple (with or without children of either or both spouses), a couple living common-law (with or without children of either or both partners) or a lone parent (of any marital status) with at least one child living in the same dwelling. A couple may be of opposite or same sex. The children in a census family include the grandchildren who live in the household of at least one of their grandparents, in the absence of the parents.

Census metropolitan area (CMA)

A census metropolitan area (CMA) is formed by one or more adjacent municipalities centred on a population centre (known as the core). A CMA must have a total population of at least 100,000 of which 50,000 or more must live in the core. To be included in the CMA, other adjacent municipalities must have a high degree of integration with the core, as measured by commuting flows derived from census place of work data.

Once an area becomes a CMA, it is retained as a CMA even if its total population declines below 100,000 or its core falls below 50,000. Small population centres with a population count of less than 10,000 are called fringe. All areas inside the CMA that are not population centres are rural areas.

All CMAs are subdivided into census tracts.

The CMA of Ottawa-Gatineau (Ontario-Quebec) crosses provincial boundaries. When the geographic level selected is all of Canada, the totals include the CMA on both sides of the provincial border. If a province has been selected, only the part of the CMA in the province chosen is included in the totals.

Census subdivision (CSD)

Census subdivision (CSD) is the general term for municipalities (as determined by provincial or territorial legislation) or areas treated as municipal equivalents for statistical purposes (for example, Indian reserves, Indian settlements and unorganized territories).

Cohort

Represents a group of persons who have experienced a specific demographic event during a given year. In the case of births, persons born within a specified year are referred to as a generation.

Cohort component approach

This is the method used to produce estimates by age and sex, whereby the population is aged from year to year, and the components of demographic change are organised according to age and sex cohorts. Data required for this method include demographic events such as deaths, immigration, emigration, etc. that can be directly linked to persons belonging to the same birth and sex cohorts.

Common-law union

Union consisting of two people of opposite sex or of the same sex who live together as a couple, without being legally married.

Component method

A method of generating population estimates which uses the components of demographic change and a base population as the input.

Components of demographic growth

Any of the classes of events generating population movement variations. Births, deaths and migrations are the components responsible for the variations since they alter either the total population or the age and sex distribution of the population.

Economic region (ER)

An economic region (ER) is a grouping of complete census divisions (with one exception in Ontario) created as a standard geographic unit for analysis of regional economic activity.

Within the province of Quebec, economic regions (régions administratives) are designated by law. In all other provinces and territories, economic regions are created by agreement between Statistics Canada and the province or territory concerned. Prince Edward Island and the three territories each consist of one economic region. In Ontario, there is one exception where the economic region boundary does not respect census division boundaries: the census division of Halton is split between the ER of Hamilton--Niagara Peninsula and the ER of Toronto.

Emigrant

Canadian citizen or immigrant who has left Canada to establish a residence in another country, involving a change in usual place of residence. Emigration may be either temporary or permanent. Where the term is used alone in this manual, it references to a person's permanent emigration which involves severing residential ties with Canada and acquiring permanent residency in another country.

Error of closure

Difference between the postcensal estimate for the same date as the census and the results of the census adjusted for census net undercoverage (including adjustment for incompletely enumerated Indian reserves).

Household

Refers to a person or a group of persons who occupy the same dwelling and do not have a usual place of residence elsewhere in Canada. It may consist of a family group (census family) with or without other persons, of two or more families sharing a dwelling, of a group of unrelated persons, or of one person living alone.

Immigrant

Within the framework of this publication, the terms immigrant, landed immigrant and permanent resident are equivalent. An immigrant refers to a person who is or has ever been a landed immigrant (permanent resident) and who has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities. Immigrants are either Canadian citizens by naturalization (the citizenship process) or permanent residents under Canadian legislation. Some immigrants have resided in Canada for a number of years, while others have arrived recently. Most immigrants are born outside Canada, but a small number are born in Canada. Also, children born in other countries to parents who are Canadian citizens that reside temporarily in another country are not included in the category as they become Canadian citizens at birth.

Internal migration

Internal migration represents all movements of persons within Canada's geographical boundaries, involving a change in usual place of residence. Internal migration denotes movement from one province or territory to another (i.e., interprovincial migration) and movements from some other smaller defined geographical unit to another (i.e., intraprovincial migration).

International migration

International migration represents movement of population between Canada and a foreign country which involves a change of the usual place of residence. A distinction is made with regard to immigrants, emigrants, returning emigrants, net temporary emigration, and net non-permanent residents.

Interprovincial migration

Interprovincial migration represents all movements from one province or territory to another involving a change in usual place of residence. A person who takes up residence in another province or territory is an out-migrant with reference to the province or territory of origin and an in-migrant with reference to the province or territory of destination.

Intraprovincial migration or subprovincial migration

Intraprovincial migration or subprovincial migration represents all movements from one region to another within the same province or territory involving a change in usual place of residence. A person who takes up residence in another region is an out-migrant with reference to the region of origin and an in-migrant with reference to the region of destination.

Legal marital status

Indicates the legal conjugal arrangement of a person. Estimates are presented in the following categories: single (never legally married), married (and not separated), separated, divorced, widowed. Common law unions do not constitute a distinct category of the legal marital status. Persons living in common law unions are distributed among all the legal categories, except for the category: married and not separated.

Single (never legally married): Includes those who have never married (as well as those aged 15 and under). Persons who live in a common law union are included in this category.

Married (and not separated): From 1971 to 1990, the "Married (and not separated)" includes those whose partner of the opposite sexe or the same sex is alive, unless the couple has separated or obtained a divorce. Are also included the persons in a civil union, and the persons who are living in a common law union.

As of 1991, only the persons married by law are included in this category. Persons living in common law unions are found in the different categories of the legal marital status, except for the "married (and not separated)" category.

Separated:A married person who no longer lives with his or her partner (for other reasons than illness, work or studies) and who has not obtained a divorce.

Divorced:Person who was obtained a legal divorce and who has not remarried.

Widowed: Persons who have lost their spouse through death and who have not remarried.

Marital status

Indicates the conjugal arrangement of a person. Estimates are presented in the following categories: single, married (and not separated), separated, living common law, widowed or divorced.

Single: Includes persons who have never been married (and persons aged less than 15 years old). Persons who live in a common law relationship are not included in this category.

Married (and not separated): For Demography division's estimates, from 1971 to 1990, this category includes those whose partner of the opposite or the same sex is alive, unless the couple has separated or obtained a divorce. Persons with a civil union are also included. Persons who are living with a common law partner are not included in this category.

Separated: Includes those who are married but no longer live with their partner (for reasons other than illness, work or studies) and who have not obtained a divorce. Persons who are living in a common law union are not included in this category.

Common law: Includes persons who are part of a couple with a person of the opposite sex or the same sex but who are not legally married to this person. It also includes sistuations where the members of the couple are temporarily separated because of illness, work or studies.

Widowed: Persons who have lost their spouse through death and who have not remarried. Persons living in a common law union are not included in this category.

Divorced: Persons who have obtained a legal divorce and who have not remarried. Persons living in a common law union are not included in this category.

Natural increase

Variation of the population size over a given period as a result of the difference between the numbers of births and deaths.

Net internal migration

Sum of net intraprovincial and net interprovincial migration.

Net international migration

Net international migration is obtained according to the following formula: Immigrants + returning emigrants + net non-permanent residents – (emigrants + net temporary emigration).

Net interprovincial migration

Net interprovincial migration represents the difference between in-migrants and out-migrants for a given province or territory.

Net intraprovincial migration

Net intraprovincial migration represents the difference between in-migrants and out-migrants in a given intraprovincial region. A region can be defined as a census division (CD), an economic region (ER) or a census metropolitan area (CMA).

Net non-permanent residents

Net non-permanent residents represents the variation in the number of non-permanent residents between two dates.

Net temporary emigration

Net temporary emigration represents the variation in the number of temporary emigrants between two dates. Temporary emigration includes Canadian citizens and immigrants living temporarily abroad who have not maintained a usual place of residence in Canada.

Non-permanent resident

A non-permanent resident is a person who is lawfully in Canada on a temporary basis under the authority of a valid document (work permit, study permit, Minister's permit or refugee) issued for that person along with members of his family living with them. This group also includes individuals who seek refugee status upon or after their arrival in Canada and remain in the country pending the outcome of processes relative to their claim. Note that Citizenship and Immigration Canada uses the term temporary resident rather than non-permanent resident.

Permanent resident

See Immigrant.

Population

Estimated population and population according to the census are both defined as being the number of Canadians whose usual place of residence is in that area, regardless of where they happened to be on Census Day. Also included are any Canadians staying in a dwelling in that area on Census Day and having no usual place of residence elsewhere in Canada, as well as those considered non-permanent residents.

Population estimate

Censal: Enumerated population adjusted for the net census undercount and partially enumerated Indian reserves. The censal estimate by age and sex can also include a demographic adjustment.

Postcensal: Population estimate produced by using data from the most recent available census adjusted for census net undercoverage (including adjustment for incompletely enumerated Indian reserves) and estimate of the components of demographic growth since that last census. This estimate can be preliminary, updated or final.

Intercensal: Population estimate derived by using postcensal estimates and data adjusted for census net undercoverage (including adjustment for incompletely enumerated Indian reserves) of censuses preceding and following the year in question.

Population growth or total growth

Variation of population size between two dates. It can also be obtained by summing the natural increase, total net migration and if possible, subtract residual deviation. It can be positive or negative.

Rate

Refers to the ratio of the number of events estimated in a period (from time period t to t+1, usually a year is the period) to the average populations at the beginning and the end of the period. In this regard, we calculate births, deaths and immigration rates.

Demographic growth rate or population growth: Ratio of population growth between the year t and t+1, to the average population of both these years. The rate is generally expressed in per 1,000.

Census net undercoverage rate (CNU): Difference between undercoverage rate and overcoverage rate.

Census overcoverage rate: The ratio of the numbers of persons or families who were counted more than once to the total number of persons that should have been enumerated in the census. Generally, the rate is expressed in percentage.

Census undercoverage rate: The ratio of the estimated number of persons or families not enumerated in the census (who were intended to have been enumerated) to the total number of persons that should have been enumerated in the census. Generally, the rate is expressed in percentage.

Residual deviation

Difference between demographic population growths calculated using intercensal estimates of population between two dates and that obtained by the sum of the components for the same period. This deviation results from the distribution of the error of closure (by using the number of days) over the five-year period concerned.

Returning emigrant

Canadian citizen or immigrant having previously emigrated from Canada and subsequently returned to the country to establish a permanent residence.

Reverse Record Check (RRC)

The Reverse Record Check is one of three studies which provide estimates of census coverage error, including independent estimates of census undercoverage and overcoverage. The RRC begins by working with a sample of all persons who were enumerated (or missed) in the previous census, along with all persons who were either born or entered into Canada over the intercensal period. With the exception of a very small sub-population of returning emigrants, the RRC sampling frame includes all persons who could potentially be part of the census target universe.

Temporary resident

See Non-permanent resident.

Total net migration

Sum of net international and net internal migration.

Vital statistics

Vital Statistics includes all the demographic events (that is to say births, deaths, marriages and divorces) for which there are a legal requirement to inform the Provincial or Territorial Registrar's Office.

Year

Unless otherwise specified, the term "year" refers to the period beginning July 1 of a given year and ending June 30 of the following year.