That means you get a 9-position housing footprint on the board, but only five circuits carry current. The single-wall shroud guides the mating half and protects the pins during handling, but it's not a full enclosure — the back side of the header is open.
Why the 5 loaded positions matter for your BOM
If your circuit count is exactly 5, this header saves you the cost of a full 9-position loaded part — you're not paying for four unused contacts. But if you need all 9 circuits, this isn't the one; look for a fully loaded 9-position variant in the same series. The mating half must be a 9-position Economy Power receptacle housing — the shell size is fixed, even though only five pins are present. The empty cavities accept the receptacle's corresponding terminal positions, but no electrical connection is made there.
ROHS3 compliant, with a UL94 V-0 glass-filled PBT housing.