Quality Statement
Usual residence address is the address of the dwelling where a person considers that they usually live.
The 2023 Census provided the following guidelines for identifying usual residence:
- if you are a primary or secondary school student at boarding school, give your home address
- if you are a tertiary student, give the address where you live during term
- if you live in more than one dwelling, give the address of the one you most consider to be your home. If you spend equal amounts of time at different addresses, give only one of those addresses
- children in shared care should give the address where they spend most nights. If children spend equal amounts of time at different addresses, they should give only one of those addresses.
Usual residence indicator describes the relationship between a person’s usual residence and their census night address.
The four categories of the usual residence indicator are:
- same as census night address
- elsewhere in New Zealand
- overseas
- no fixed abode.
Usual residence address: High quality
Usual residence indicator: High quality
Data quality processes section below has more detail on the rating.
Priority level 1
A priority level is assigned to all census concepts: priority 1, 2, or 3 (with 1 being highest and 3 being the lowest priority).
Usual residence address is a priority 1 concept. Priority 1 concepts are core census concepts that have the highest priority in terms of quality, time, and resources across all phases of a census.
The census priority level for usual residence address remains the same as 2018.
The 2023 Census: Final content report has more information on the priority rating.
Census usually resident population count
This question applies to all people in New Zealand on census night. However, data on usual residence address is usually output for the census usually resident subject population.
‘Subject population’ means the people, families, households, or dwellings that the variable applies to.
The usual residence classification consists of meshblock and country classifications that are ordinarily stored independently of each other. The country classification sits alongside the New Zealand meshblock classification, in the same level as the usual residence classification.
Usual residence address is a flat classification. The standard codes are:
Usual Residence Classification V11.0.0 - level 1 of 1
- Meshblock codes (7 digits)
- Country codes (4 digits) prefixed by 999
- Residual code 9999997 Country not stated, for respondents who indicated they live overseas, but did not specify a country.
Follow the link above to examine the classification in more detail.
Address information (street number, name, and flat number; suburb or rural locality; and city, town, or district) is used to place a person who usually resides in New Zealand into the classification. For people who usually reside overseas, the criterion is the country stated by the respondent. The address information is used to place people in the classification and then the data is output at higher geographic levels, starting at statistical area level 1.
The 2023 classification used for usual residence address is similar to 2018 in structure, however area codes have been updated to reflect the 2023 geographic pattern, including the removal of urban rural areas and the addition of statistical area 3 categories.
Usual residence indicator
The usual residence indicator describes the relationship between a respondent’s usual residence and their census night address.
Usual residence indicator is a flat classification with four categories:
Usual Residence Indicator – Standard Classification V2.0.0 – level 1 of 1
Code | Category |
---|---|
1 | Same as census night address |
2 | Elsewhere in New Zealand |
3 | Overseas |
4 | No fixed abode |
Follow the link above the table to examine the classification in more detail.
The 2023 Census classification for usual residence indicator is consistent with that used in 2018 Census.
Standards and classifications has information on what classifications are, how they are reviewed, where they are stored, and how to provide feedback on them.
A person’s usual residence is collected on the online household set-up form and paper individual form (question 5).
There were differences in the way a person could respond between the modes of collection (online and paper forms).
On the online form:
- the address of the dwelling was pre-populated by the access code
- usual residence information had to then be reconfirmed or entered before an online individual form could be submitted
- an as-you-type list populated the response if the respondent wanted to enter a different address
- free text responses only occurred where the respondent did not select an address from the list.
On the paper form:
- non-response was possible
- responses outside the valid range were possible; for example, multiple responses or responses that were not in scope of the question.
Data from the online forms may therefore be of higher overall quality than data from paper forms. However, processing checks and edits were in place to improve the quality of the paper form data.
Stats NZ Store House has samples for both the individual and dwelling paper forms.
Data-use outside Stats NZ:
- as the foundation for data about neighbourhoods, communities, and regions
- to understand populations for infrastructure and service provision (such as roading or public transport)
- to help businesses determine target markets
- to formulate, monitor, and evaluate central and local government policy
- set electoral boundaries as required under the Electoral Act 1993.
Data-use by Stats NZ:
- in combination with usual residence five years ago and usual residence one year ago to produce data on population mobility and internal migration
- as the basis for population estimates and projections
- to calculate electoral populations and determine the number of electorates as required under the Electoral Act 1993.
Usual residence address
Alternative data sources were used for missing and residual census responses and responses that could not be classified or did not provide the type of information asked for. The table below shows the distribution of data sources for usual residence address data.
Data sources for usual residence address data, as a percentage of census usually resident population count, 2023 Census | ||
---|---|---|
Source of usual residence address data | Percent | |
2023 Census response | 89.7 | |
2023 Census form | 86.1 | |
2023 Census individual variable sourced from dwelling/household set-up form | 3.6 | |
Historical census | 0.0 | |
Admin data | 10.0 | |
Deterministic derivation | 0.0 | |
Statistical imputation | 0.3 | |
CANCEIS(1) donor’s response sourced from 2023 Census form | 0.3 | |
CANCEIS donor's response sourced from 2023 Census dwelling/household set-up form | <0.1 | |
CANCEIS donor’s response sourced from admin data | <0.1 | |
No information | 0.0 | |
Total | 100.0 | |
1. CANCEIS = imputation based on CANadian Census Edit and Imputation System
Note: Due to rounding, individual figures may not always sum to the stated total(s) or score contributions. |
For admin enumerations, usual residence address was largely sourced from the following admin data sources:
- New Zealand Transport Agency
- Ministry of Social Development
- Ministry of Health
- Ministry of Education
- Inland Revenue
- Accident Compensation Corporation
- Kāinga Ora
- Department of Internal Affairs
- Department of Corrections.
See Methodology for using admin data to count people in the 2023 Census for using admin data to count people in the 2023 Census for more information.
Statistical imputation was used for any records that remained coded to ‘not stated’ or other residual categories.
Usual residence indicator
Usual residence address and usual residence one year ago address were used to derive the usual residence indicator. The data sources from each of the input variables can be found above and in the Census night address - 2023 Census Information by concept.
Editing, data sources, and imputation in the 2023 Census describes how data quality is improved by editing, and how missing and residual responses are filled with alternative data sources (admin data and historical census responses) or statistical imputation. The paper also describes the use of CANCEIS (the CANadian Census Editing and Imputation System) which is used to perform imputation. This webpage also contains a spreadsheet that provides additional detail on the admin data sources.
Missing and residual responses represent data gaps where respondents either did not provide answers (missing responses) or provided answers that were not valid (residual responses).
Where possible, alternative data sources have been used to fill missing and residual responses in the 2023 and 2018 Censuses.
In the 2013 Census, imputation was used to provide a usual residence for those who had completed a census form but did not answer the ‘usual residence’ question. When a census form wasn’t received, a substitute form was created and usual residence address was imputed.
Overall quality rating for usual residence address: High
Overall quality rating for usual residence indicator: High
Data has been evaluated to assess whether it meets quality standards and is suitable for use.
Three quality metrics contributed to the overall quality rating:
- data sources and coverage
- consistency and coherence
- accuracy of responses.
The lowest rated metric determines the overall quality rating.
Data sources and coverage:
Usual residence address: Very high quality
Usual residence indicator: Very high quality
The quality of all the data sources that contribute to the output for the variable have been assessed. To calculate the data sources and coverage quality score for a variable, each data source was rated and multiplied by the proportion it contributes to the total output.
The rating for a valid census response is defined as 1.00. Ratings for other sources are the best estimates available of their quality relative to a census response. Each source that contributes to the output for that variable is then multiplied by the proportion it contributes to the total output. The total score then determines the metric rating according to the following range:
- 0.98–1.00 = very high
- 0.95–<0.98 = high
- 0.90–<0.95 = moderate
- 0.75–<0.90 = poor
- <0.75 = very poor.
Usual residence address
The high proportion of data received from 2023 Census forms, alongside the high quality of alternative data sources, resulted in a score of 0.99, leading to the quality rating of very high.
Data sources and coverage rating calculation for usual residence address, census usually resident population count, 2023 Census | |||
---|---|---|---|
Source of usual residence address | Rating | Percent | Score contribution |
2023 Census response | 1.00 | 89.69 | 0.90 |
Admin data | 0.90 | 9.98 | 0.09 |
CANCEIS(1) nearest neighbour imputation | 0.60 | 0.34 | <0.01 |
No information | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Total | 100.00 | 0.99 | |
1. CANCEIS = imputation based on CANadian Census Edit and Imputation System Note: Due to rounding, individual figures may not always sum to stated total(s) or score contributions. |
Usual residence indicator
The high proportion of data received from 2023 Census forms, alongside the high quality of admin sources for usual residence and census night data, resulted in a score of 0.98, leading to the quality rating of very high.
Data sources and coverage rating calculation for usual residence indicator, census usually resident population count, 2023 Census | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Source for census night | Source for usual residence | Rating | Percent | Score contribution |
2023 Census response | 2023 Census response | 1.00 | 88.68 | 0.89 |
2023 Census response | CANCEIS(1) nearest neighbour imputation | 0.80 | 0.32 | <0.01 |
Admin data | Admin data | 0.85 | 4.22 | 0.04 |
CANCEIS nearest neighbour imputation | 2023 Census response | 0.80 | 1.01 | 0.01 |
CANCEIS nearest neighbour imputation | Admin data | 0.75 | 5.76 | 0.04 |
CANCEIS nearest neighbour imputation | CANCEIS nearest neighbour imputation | 0.60 | 0.02 | <0.01 |
Total | 100.00 | 0.98 | ||
1. CANCEIS = imputation based on CANadian Census Edit and Imputation System Note: Due to rounding, individual figures may not always sum to stated total(s) or score contributions. |
Consistency and coherence:
Usual residence address: Very high quality
Usual residence indicator: Very high quality
Usual residence address and indicator data is highly consistent with expectations across all consistency checks.
Accuracy of responses:
Usual residence address: High quality
Usual residence indicator: High quality
Usual residence address and indicator data has only minor data quality issues. The quality of coding and responses within classification categories is high. Any issues with the variable appear in a low number of cases (typically in the low hundreds).
Usual residence address data can be used in a comparable manner to the 2018 and 2013 Censuses.
Users should note population change was evident in areas impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, particularly statistical area 2 in Napier, Hastings, and Gisborne, as well as the Far North and in some parts of Auckland.
To assess how this concept aligns with the variables from the previous census, use the links below:
- Usual residence address – 2018 Information by variable
- Usual residence – 2013 Information by variable
Contact our Information centre for further information about using this concept.