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Visual Census – Families, households and marital status, Canada
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Figure 3.1 Distribution (in percentage) of couple families (married and common-law) by presence of children, Canada, 2001 to 2011
This stacked bar graph shows the distribution (in percentage) of couple families, married and common-law, by presence of children, Canada, 2001 to 2011. There are three series: couples without children (of any age), couples with at least one child aged 24 and under and couples with all children aged 25 and over.
The Y axis shows percentage of couple families.
The X axis shows, from left to right, the following years: 2001, 2006 and 2011.
| Couple family type | Years | Couple families (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Without children (any age) | 2001 | 43.3 |
| 2006 | 45.7 | |
| 2011 | 47.7 | |
| With at least one child aged 24 years and under | 2001 | 51.7 |
| 2006 | 49.2 | |
| 2011 | 46.9 | |
| With all children aged 25 years and over | 2001 | 4.9 |
| 2006 | 5.1 | |
| 2011 | 5.4 | |
Figure 3.2 Percentage of private households containing a couple with childrenFootnote 1 or without childrenFootnote 2, Canada, 2001 to 2011
This vertical bar graph has two series showing the percentage of private households containing a couple with children and households containing a couple without children, Canada, 2001 to 2011.
The Y axis shows percentage of private households.
The X axis shows, from left to right, the following years: 2001, 2006 and 2011.
| Household type | Years | Private households (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| % of private households containing a couple with children | 2001 | 30.5 |
| 2006 | 28.5 | |
| 2011 | 26.5 | |
| % of private households containing a couple without children | 2001 | 28.0 |
| 2006 | 29.0 | |
| 2011 | 29.5 |
Figure 3.3 Distribution (in percentage) of private households by household size, Canada, 1961 to 2011
This stacked bar graph shows the distribution (in percentage) of private households by household size, Canada, 1961 to 2011. There are five series showing the following household sizes: 1 person, 2 persons, 3 persons, 4 persons and 5 or more persons.
The Y axis shows percentage of private households.
The X axis shows, from left to right, the following years: 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011.
| Household size | Years | Private households (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 1961 | 9.3 |
| 1966 | 11.4 | |
| 1971 | 13.4 | |
| 1976 | 16.8 | |
| 1981 | 20.3 | |
| 1986 | 21.5 | |
| 1991 | 22.9 | |
| 1996 | 24.3 | |
| 2001 | 25.8 | |
| 2006 | 26.8 | |
| 2011 | 27.6 | |
| 2 persons | 1961 | 22.2 |
| 1966 | 23.1 | |
| 1971 | 25.3 | |
| 1976 | 27.8 | |
| 1981 | 29.0 | |
| 1986 | 30.0 | |
| 1991 | 31.4 | |
| 1996 | 31.6 | |
| 2001 | 32.6 | |
| 2006 | 33.6 | |
| 2011 | 34.1 | |
| 3 persons | 1961 | 17.8 |
| 1966 | 17.0 | |
| 1971 | 17.3 | |
| 1976 | 17.5 | |
| 1981 | 17.5 | |
| 1986 | 17.8 | |
| 1991 | 17.4 | |
| 1996 | 16.9 | |
| 2001 | 16.3 | |
| 2006 | 15.9 | |
| 2011 | 15.6 | |
| 4 persons | 1961 | 18.4 |
| 1966 | 17.6 | |
| 1971 | 17.6 | |
| 1976 | 18.2 | |
| 1981 | 18.6 | |
| 1986 | 18.7 | |
| 1991 | 17.7 | |
| 1996 | 17.0 | |
| 2001 | 15.9 | |
| 2006 | 15.0 | |
| 2011 | 14.3 | |
| 5 or more persons | 1961 | 32.3 |
| 1966 | 30.9 | |
| 1971 | 26.4 | |
| 1976 | 19.6 | |
| 1981 | 14.6 | |
| 1986 | 12.0 | |
| 1991 | 10.6 | |
| 1996 | 10.2 | |
| 2001 | 9.4 | |
| 2006 | 8.7 | |
| 2011 | 8.4 |
Figure 3.4 Distribution (in percentage) of census familiesFootnote 3, Canada, 1961 to 2011
This stacked bar graph shows the distribution (in percentage) of census families by family type, Canada, 1961 to 2011. There are three series showing the following family types: married couples, common-law couples and lone-parent families.
The Y axis shows percentage of census families.
The X axis shows, from left to right, the following years: 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011.
| Census family type | Years | Census families (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Symbol .. not available for a specific reference period |
||
| Married couple | 1961 | 91.6 |
| 1966 | 91.8 | |
| 1971 | 90.6 | |
| 1976 | 90.2 | |
| 1981 | 83.1 | |
| 1986 | 80.2 | |
| 1991 | 77.3 | |
| 1996 | 73.7 | |
| 2001 | 70.5 | |
| 2006 | 68.6 | |
| 2011 | 67.0 | |
| Common-law couple | 1961 | .. |
| 1966 | .. | |
| 1971 | .. | |
| 1976 | .. | |
| 1981 | 5.6 | |
| 1986 | 7.2 | |
| 1991 | 9.8 | |
| 1996 | 11.7 | |
| 2001 | 13.8 | |
| 2006 | 15.5 | |
| 2011 | 16.7 | |
| Lone-parent family | 1961 | 8.4 |
| 1966 | 8.2 | |
| 1971 | 9.4 | |
| 1976 | 9.8 | |
| 1981 | 11.3 | |
| 1986 | 12.7 | |
| 1991 | 13.0 | |
| 1996 | 14.5 | |
| 2001 | 15.7 | |
| 2006 | 15.9 | |
| 2011 | 16.3 | |
Footnotes
- Footnote 1
-
With at least one child aged 24 years and under.
- Footnote 2
-
Without at least one child aged 24 years and under. Includes families with all children aged 25 years and over.
- Footnote 3
-
Historical comparisons for census families, particularly lone-parent families, must be interpreted with caution due to conceptual changes in 2001. Data on common-law couples are not available prior to the 1981 Census.
Sources
Figure 3.1, Figure 3.2
Sources: Statistics Canada, censuses of population, 2001 to 2011.
Figure 3.3, Figure 3.4
Sources: Statistics Canada, censuses of population, 1961 to 2011.
How to cite
Statistics Canada. 2012. Visual Census. 2011 Census. Ottawa. Released October 24, 2012.
http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/vc-rv/index.cfm?Lang=ENG&TOPIC_ID=3&GEOCODE=01 (accessed July 7, 2024).
Additional information
Additional information for this topic is available on the Census release topics and dates page.
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