Status of Women Canada
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Status of Women Canada

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Women in Canada at a Glance Statistical Highlights

Families, Living Arrangements and Unpaid Work

  • In 2006, most women in couples were married (82%) while a smaller number were in common-law unions (18%). However, the percentage of women in common-law unions has steadily increased over the last few decades, likely reflecting greater social acceptance of this living arrangement.
  • Women are having fewer children overall and they are bearing them at older ages. In 2008, the average age of women at childbirth was 29.8 years. First-time mothers were on average 28.1 years old, in contrast to 23.5 years in the mid 1960s.
  • Since the late 1990s, the rate of divorce has remained steady. Custody of dependents awarded to wives only fell from 76% in 1988 to 45% in 2004, while custody awarded to husbands only peaked at 15% in 1986 and was 8.1% in 2004. Custody was jointly granted to both parents in almost half of all proceedings (47%) in 2004, continuing the upward trend of the last two decades.
  • There were about four times as many female lone parents (1.1 million) as male lone parents (281,800) in 2006, a fairly consistent ratio over the past several decades. However, from 2001 to 2006, male lone parents increased at twice the rate (15%) of female lone parents (6.3%).
  • In 2006, 25% of women aged 65 to 69 lived alone, in contrast to 14% of men. The percentage of people who lived alone was highest at 80 years and over for both women (54%) and men (24%). This 30% gap in later life is due largely to the greater number of widows and the shorter life expectancy of men.
  • Whereas slightly more visible minority women were married than non-visible minority women (51% and 46%, respectively), considerably fewer were in common-law relationships (3.6% and 12%, respectively).
  • Women spend more time than men caring for their children. In 2010, women spent an average of 50.1 hours per week on unpaid child care, more than double that (24.4 hours) spent by men.
  • Women spend more time than men on domestic work. In 2010, while women spent 13.8 hours per week doing housework, men spent 8.3 hours.
  • Women were almost twice as likely as men (49% compared to 25%) to spend more than 10 hours per week caring for a senior.

For additional information, consult the "Families, Living Arrangements and Unpaid Work" chapter in Women in Canada: A Gender-based Statistical Report, 6th edition, or go to http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89-503-x/2010001/article/11546-eng.htm

Women and men aged 15 years and over, by living arrangements, Canada, 2006
Living arrangement Women Men
thousands % percentage growth
2001
to 2006 		thousands % percentage growth
2001
to 2006
1. These households may also contain non-relatives. See 2006 Census Dictionary for more information on census family concepts.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2006.
All living arrangements 13,116.7 100.0 7.2 12,395.1 100.0 7.1
In a couple 7,478.7 57.0 6.0 7,486.9 60.4 6.0
With married spouse 6,105.4 46.5 3.5 6,106.5 49.3 3.5
With common-law partner 1,373.3 10.5 18.9 1,380.4 11.1 18.8
Lone parents 1,132.3 8.6 6.3 281.8 2.3 14.6
As children 1,871.5 14.3 9.5 2,347.8 18.9 7.0
With relatives 1 360.6 2.7 11.6 245.3 2.0 12.5
With non-relatives only 428.5 3.3 5.4 551.6 4.4 2.3
Alone 1,845.3 14.1 10.5 1,481.8 12.0 13.4
Time spent on unpaid care of a child in the household, by working arrangement and age of youngest child, Canada, 2010
Working arrangement and age of youngest child Women Men
average number of hours per week
E use with caution
* statistically significant difference between women and men at p < 0.05
Source: Statistics Canada, General Social Survey, 2010.
All women and men 50.1 24.4*
Working arrangement
Respondent was working
Dual earner couples; respondent working full-time 49.8 27.2*
Dual earner couples; respondent working part-time 59.4 40.5*
Single earner couples; respondent working 50.8 25.5*
Lone parents; respondent working 26.9 12.0*
Respondent was not working
Single earner couples; respondent not working 81.3 36.9*
Couples; neither partner working 59.5 36.3E*
Lone parents; respondent not working 30.0 8.1E*
Age of youngest child in the household
0 to 4 67.5 30.2*
5 to 14 37.7 19.7*

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Date Modified:
2013-01-11