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Community Information Summaries: Explanatory notes

Scope of the 2006 Census

The data collected in the 2006 Census of Population and Housing by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) counted all persons who spent Census night, 8 August 2006, in Australia. This included Australian residents in Antarctica and people in the territories of Jervis Bay, Cocos keeling Islands and Christmas Island. The other Australian external territories, Norfolk Island and minor islands such as Heard and McDonald Islands, were excluded from the Census. The only people who spent Census night in Australia but were excluded from the Census were foreign diplomatic staff and their families.

Overseas visitors

Overseas visitors are people who are usually resident in another country. For the 2006 Census, overseas visitors were those who indicate they would be resident in Australia for less than one year. The data in this publication excludes overseas visitors.

Census counts

Compilation of data from the 2006 Census is based on two types of Census count:

  • Place of Enumeration
    The Census count by place of enumeration is a count of all persons who spent Census night in Australia based on where the individual was counted, which may not be where the person usually resides.
  • Place of Usual Residence
    This is a count of all people within the scope of the Census on the basis of where they usually reside, rather than where they were on Census night. The data in these summaries are based on place of usual residence.

Statistics in these summaries

  • The data in these summaries is based on place of usual residence and excludes overseas visitors; and
  • The ABS has made minor random adjustments (i.e. introduced random errors) to the Census data for purposes of confidentiality. As a result of these random adjustments, there may be minor discrepancies between figures in this publication and those published elsewhere either by ABS or DIAC. These differences will, however, be only slight and can be ignored.

Rounding of figures

  • Figures in these summaries have been rounded to the nearest ten; therefore numbers might not necessarily add to totals due to rounding errors; and
  • The percentages in these summaries are calculated prior to rounding of the figures and therefore some discrepancies might occur between these percentages and those that could be calculated from the rounded figures.

Symbols used

nfd - not further defined
nec - not elsewhere classified

2006 Census variables

Ancestry

The question asked for the ancestry question at the 2006 Census was:
What is the person's ancestry? Respondents were asked to consider the origins of their parents and grandparents when answering this question providing up to two ancestries. The Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and Ethnic Groups (ASCCEG) Second Edition released in 2005 was used to classify the responses to the ancestry question.

Australian citizenship rate (estimated)

This is an estimation of the take up of Australian citizenship based on the citizenship question on whether a respondent was an Australian citizen or not. In calculating the take up rate adjustments were made for people not meeting the residential requirements for Australian citizenship, temporary entrants to Australia (sourcing DIAC data) and underenumeration at the Census.

Country of birth of individual

The Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC) was used to classify the responses to the Census questions on country of birth of individual. The classification is based on the concept of geographic proximity. It groups neighbouring countries into progressively broader geographic areas on the basis of similarity in terms of social, cultural, economic and political characteristics.

Individual weekly income

This is the gross income that a person usually receives each week including pensions and allowances. This is only applicable to persons aged 15 years and over.

Labour force status

This variable records a person's labour force status (employed, unemployed or not in the labour force) for the week prior to Census Night.

Language Spoken at Home

The question asked in the Census was: Does the person speak a language other than English at home? The Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL) Second Edition released in 2005 was used to classify the responses to the Census questions on language spoken at home by individuals.

Non-school qualification

This describes the level of a person's highest completed non-school qualification. Non-school qualification is coded using the Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED). This is only applicable to persons aged 15 years and over.

Occupation

Occupation is coded using the new Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO). The occupation code assigned is based on the response given for the question on the main job held during the week prior to Census Night. Based on the unit level occupations the skill level is defined. The occupation variable is only applicable to persons aged 15 years and over.

Proficiency in Spoken English

Persons who indicated that they spoke a language at home other than English were asked to rate their level of proficiency in English. Responses by individuals to the question on proficiency in English are subjective and as such, the variable is an indicator of a person's ability to speak English and not a definitive measure of his/her ability.

Religious Affiliation

The question on religious affiliation in the 2006 Census, as in all previous Censuses, was optional. The Australian Standard Classification of Religious Groups (ASCRG), Second Edition released in 2005 was used to classify the response to the Census question on religious affiliation of individuals.

Student status (full-time or part-time)

This variable describes the full or part-time status of a student.

Year of Arrival in Australia

This variable records the year of first arrival in Australia for Australian residents born overseas who intend staying in Australia for at least one year. The year 2006 is the period 1 January 2006 to 8 August 2006 while all the other years are full calendar years. This variable is recorded as 'Not applicable' for those born in Australia.