Census Dashboard - Data Glossary



Global Non-Response Rate (GNR)

The global non-response rate (GNR) is an important measure of census data quality. It combines total non-response (households) and partial non-response (questions). This measure is used for the 2016 Census, as it was for the 2011 and 2006 censuses. The GNR is calculated for dissemination of the short-form questionnaire counts and long-form questionnaire estimates. For the long-form census questionnaire, the GNR is weighted to take sampling into account. A lower GNR indicates a lower risk of non-response bias and, as a result, a lower risk of inaccuracy.

The GNR is the main dissemination criterion associated with the quality of the 2016 Census short-form questionnaire counts and long-form questionnaire estimates. The counts and estimates for geographic areas with a GNR equal to or greater than 50% are not published in the standard products. The counts and estimates for these areas have a high risk of non-response bias, and in most cases, should not be released. The 50% threshold was set based on analyses produced following the 2011 Census and National Household Survey of the GNR in relation to non-response bias indicators. Those analyses showed that with a GNR of 50% or higher, the level of bias was sufficiently high to make the estimates below an acceptable quality. For more information on the GNR, please see further data quality notes at http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/ref/98-304/chap11-eng.cfm

Jurisdiction of COS

Refers to the municipality of the County of Simcoe, excluding the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia.

North Simcoe

Refers to Midland, Penetanguishene, Tay and Tiny.

Population Age

Refers to the age at last birthday before the reference date (as of the census reference date, May 10, 2016 for 2016 census, May 10, 2011 for 2011 census, and May 16, 2006 for 2006 census).

Population Education - Highest Certificate, diploma or degree

Highest certificate, diploma or degree is the classification used in the census to measure the broader concept of 'Educational attainment.'

This variable refers to the highest level of education that a person has successfully completed and is derived from the educational qualifications questions, which asked for all certificates, diplomas and degrees to be reported.

The general hierarchy used in deriving this variable (high school, trades, college, university) is loosely tied to the 'in-class' duration of the various types of education. At the detailed level, someone who has completed one type of certificate, diploma or degree will not necessarily have completed the credentials listed below it in the hierarchy. For example, a person with an apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma may not have completed a high school certificate or diploma, nor does an individual with a 'master's degree' necessarily have a 'certificate or diploma above bachelor level.' Although the hierarchy may not fit all programs perfectly, it gives a general measure of educational attainment.

This variable is reported for persons aged 15 years and over in private households.

Immigration: Citizenship

Citizenship refers to the country of citizenship of a person. A person may have more than one citizenship. A person may be stateless, that is, they may have no citizenship. Citizenship can be by birth or naturalization.

Immigration: Immigrant Status

Refers to people who are, or have been, landed immigrants in Canada. A landed immigrant is a person who has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities. 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 were born in Canada.

For the 2016 Census, the immigrant population includes people having immigrated no later than May 10, 2016.

Immigration: Period of Immigration

'Period of immigration' refers to the period in which the immigrant first obtained landed immigrant or permanent resident status. A landed immigrant is a person who has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities.

Immigration: Recent Immigrants

Recent immigrant refers to a person who obtained a landed immigrant or permanent resident status up to five years prior to a given census year.

In the 2016 Census, this period is January 1, 2011, to May 10, 2016. For the 2011 census year, recent immigrants are landed immigrants who arrived in Canada between January 1, 2006 and May 10, 2011. For the 2006 Census, recent immigrants are landed immigrants who arrived in Canada between January 1, 2001 and Census Day, May 16, 2006.

Income: Average Income of Households

Average household income refers to the weighted mean total income of households. Average income is calculated from unrounded data by dividing the aggregate income of a specified group of households (e.g. two person households) by the number of households in that respective group, whether or not they reported income.

Income: Average Income of Population aged 15 years and over

Average income of individuals refers to the weighted mean total income of individuals 15 years of age and over who reported income for the year prior to the census. Average income is calculated from unrounded data by dividing the aggregate income of a specified group.

Note: For confidentiality reasons, averages are estimated only from the sampled population and will be available on October 25, 2017, with the next major Census of Population release.

Income: Median Income of Households

Dollar amount that marks the midpoint of a distribution of households ranked by the size of household. The median income of a specified group of households is that amount which divides their income size distribution into two halves. That is, the incomes of the first half of households are below the median, while those of the second half are above the median.

Note: Median is the measure of central tendency that is available for 100% of the population.

Income: Median Income of Population aged 15 years and over

The median income of a specified group of income recipients is that amount which divides their income into two halves, i.e. the incomes of the first half of individuals are below the median, while those of the second half are above the median. Median income =is calculated from the unrounded number of individuals (e.g. males 45 to 54 years of age) with income in that group. Median incomes of households are normally calculated for all units in the specified group, whether or not they reported income.

Note: Median is the measure of central tendency that is available for 100% of the population.

Labour Force: Industry

'Industry' refers to a generally homogeneous group of economic producing units, primarily engaged in a specific set of activities. An activity is a particular method of combining goods and services inputs, labour and capital to produce one or more goods and/or services (products). In most cases, the activities that define an industry are homogeneous with respect to the production processes used.

The 2016 Census Industry data are based on the North American Industry Classification System [NAICS] 2012. The 2011 National Household Survey industry data are produced according to the NAICS 2007, and the 2006 Census data on industry is based on the 2002 NAICS.

Labour Force: Occupation

'Occupation' refers to the kind of work performed in a job, a job being all the tasks carried out by a particular worker to complete his or her duties. An occupation is a set of jobs that are sufficiently similar in work performed.

Kind of work is described in terms of tasks, duties and responsibilities, often including factors such as materials processed or used, the industrial processes used, the equipment used, and the products or services provided. Occupations are generally homogeneous with respect to skill type and skill level.

Occupation applies to the contribution of labour to that part of economic activity that is within the production boundary defined for the System of National Accounts.

The 2016 Census Occupation data based on the National Occupational Classification [NOC] 2016. The 2011 National Household Survey occupation data are produced according to the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2011, and the 2006 Census data on occupation are classified according to the National Occupational Classification for Statistics 2006 (NOC–S 2006).

Labour Force: Qualification

Qualification ('Field of study') refers to the discipline or area of learning or training associated with a particular course or program of study.

This variable refers to the predominant discipline or area of learning or training of a person's highest completed postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree, classified according to the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Canada 2016.

This 'Major field of study' variable can be used either independently or in conjunction with the 'Highest certificate, diploma or degree' variable. When the latter is used with 'Major field of study,' it should be noted that different fields of study will be more common for different types of postsecondary qualifications. At the detailed program level, some programs are only offered by certain types of institutions.

There was an explicit instruction in the questionnaire which instructed respondents to be as specific as possible in indicating a subfield or subcategory of specialization within a broad discipline or area of training.

This variable is reported for persons aged 15 years and over in private households.

For more information on the CIP classification, see Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Canada 2016 available from: http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3VD.pl?Function=getVD&TVD=299355

Language: Mother Tongue

'Mother tongue' refers to the first language learned at home in childhood and still understood by the person at the time the data was collected. If the person no longer understands the first language learned, the mother tongue is the second language learned. For a person who learned two languages at the same time in early childhood, the mother tongue is the language this person spoke most often at home before starting school. The person has two mother tongues only if the two languages were used equally often and are still understood by the person. For a child who has not yet learned to speak, the mother tongue is the language spoken most often to this child at home. The child has two mother tongues only if both languages are spoken equally often so that the child learns both languages at the same time.

Language: Knowledge of Official Languages

'Knowledge of official languages' refers to whether the person can conduct a conversation in English only, French only, in both or in neither language. For a child who has not yet learned to speak, this includes languages that the child is learning to speak at home.

Language: Home Language

Refers to the language spoken most often or on a regular basis at home by the individual at the time of the census. The 2016 Census of Population includes a two-part question on language(s) spoken at home. Part A relates to the language spoken most often at home (main language spoken most often at home). Part B relates to other language(s) spoken on a regular basis at home (secondary languages used) in addition to the main language, where appropriate. Multiple responses are accepted for each part. In the released documents, statistics on a language spoken at home (or language used at home) include all people who reported that language in Part A or Part B, whether one language or more was reported.