Marital Status, 1996

The data presented in this series of maps were derived from the 1996 Census. The data specifically refers to the "legal conjugal status of a person". The classifications used to compile these maps are based on the definitions provided by Statistics Canada:

• Legally married (and not separated): represents couples where both the husband and wife are living together.
• Separated, but still legally married: individuals who are currently married but are no longer living together and have not obtained a divorce.
• Divorced: persons who have obtained a legal divorce and who have not remarried.
• Widowed: persons who have lost their spouse through death and have not remarried.
• Single (never married): single, never-married persons of all age groups, and also those persons who had their marriage annulled.

[D]
Click for larger version, 45 KB
Figure 1. Total Population Showing Proportions of Marital Status

A significant proportion of the population is classified as either single (46% of the population), or legally married (41% of the population). The classification, "single", includes individuals who are living in common law relationships and have never been married. This category also includes young children that could only be classified as single owing to their age. The remaining 13% of the population is either separated, divorced or widowed.

Trends in the Canadian population show that more single people remain single for longer periods of time, delaying couple relationships, and in many cases, remaining at home or living alone. Many young Canadians are also choosing common-law unions as an alternative to marriage, which may explain why the proportion of "single" marital status is so high.

Legally Married

In 1996, 41% of Canadians were legally married. The patterns evident on this map indicate a distinctly smaller proportion of married persons in Quebec and the Territories in comparison to the rest of Canada. This is attributed to the relatively high proportion of common-law unions in those areas. In the 1960's, nine out of ten newlyweds were in their first marriage. By 1990, a third of the couples had at least one spouse that had been previously married. Couples choosing to marry for the first time are doing so at an older age. In 1990, women married at an average age of 26 years and men at 27.9 years, as compared to 22.7 years and 25.1 years respectively, in 1970.

As of 1995, the overall marriage rate for Canada was 541 marriages per 100 000 persons. All provinces maintained rates slightly higher than the national average with the exception of Quebec and the Northwest Territories.

[D]
Click for larger version, 29 KB
Figure 2. Marriage Rates, Provinces and Territories (1995)

The acceptance of remarriage has contributed to the growing phenomenon of "blended families" which are composed of members from different families. These complex family arrangements have only added to the diversity of today's Canadian families.

The overall propensity to live as a couple has been decreasing since 1981. Two factors that have contributed towards this trend are: young people are delaying living as a couple, and many new couples are choosing common-law relationships. According to the 1991 Census, 35% of divorced men and 25% of divorced women were living common-law. Further trends have suggested that these common-law unions are not as long-lasting, and that legal marriages of the younger generations are more fragile than the marriages of the older generations, adding to the increase of individuals living alone.

[D]
Click for larger version, 52 KB
Figure 3. Comparison (males and females 15 years of age or older) Married or Common-law to Single Marital Status, 1981 to 1996

In the 1996 Census, Aboriginal people who married according to traditional customs were instructed to report themselves as" legally married". Of those persons who did not do this and had never been married previously, they would have been classified as "single".

Single Marital Status

Statistics Canada has defined "single marital status" as single, never-married persons of all age groups, including those persons who had their marriage annulled.

In 1996, 13.3 million persons were single and had never married – that is, 46.1% of the Canadian population. Since 1981, there has been an increase in the proportion of single people 15 years of age or older. This is partly attributable to the fact that young people are waiting longer to get married or prefer to live common-law. In 1996, four out of ten individuals living alone reported being of a "single marital status", the same as for 1991. The proportion of single people aged 25 to 29 years has increased where, in 1996, 59% of that age group has never married. This does not take into account the persons living in a common-law union.

The map indicates that the proportion of single persons is largest in the areas in which common-law unions are more popular, primarily Quebec and the Northwest Territories. Based on 1996 Census data, two thirds of the persons living common-law are single. Another explanation for the higher incidence of single persons in the northern regions may be related to the large population of young children and young adults.

Consult the Children Living at Home maps, the Population Structure maps and the Family Structure maps for similar information. When making map comparisons, keep in mind that each map is generated from a unique data set and the legend classifications are defined to reflect that specific map content.

Separated, but Still Legally Married

In Canada, separation is usually seen as a transitional state before divorce or marriage annulment and perhaps remarriage. Many chose to remain single. In 1996, only 3% of persons 15 years of age or older were separated. These individuals are still considered legally married, but no longer live with their spouse. Overall, the rate of marriage breakdowns has continued to rise significantly since the early 1900's as a result of changes to attitudes and perceptions of the institution of marriage. To a certain extent, religion and the influence of the church has maintained some control over formal marriage dissolution through divorce.

Divorced

Between 1985 and 1989, the number of divorces greatly increased in most of the provinces, then remained fairly stable during the 1990s. In Canada, 1.6 million persons reported being divorced in 1996 – that is, 7.2% of persons 15 years of age or older. The provinces of Newfoundland (4.0%) and Prince Edward Island (4.8%) have relatively few divorced persons. The largest proportions of divorced persons are in the provinces of Quebec (9.0%) and British Columbia (7.9%). The figure below shows the Canadian divorce rates for 1995.

[D]
Click for larger version, 24 KB
Figure 4. Divorce Rates, Provinces and Territories (1995)

Changes to the Canadian Divorce Law in 1968 and 1985 have directly influenced the increase of divorce rates. The figure below illustrates the trends in divorce and marriage over a period of three decades. In comparison to some other western industrialized countries, Canada's divorce rate of 2.6 per 1000 persons (1995) is considered low. As a comparison, the divorce rate per 1000 persons was 4.0 in the United States, 3.0 in the United Kingdom and 2.7 in Australia, based on 1995 figures.

[D]
Click for larger version, 38 KB
Figure 5. Marriage and Divorce Rates in Canada (1967 to 1995)

Widowed Persons

In 1996, there were 1.5 million widowed persons in Canada, accounting for 6.4% of the Canadian population 15 years of age and older. Women make up more than 80% of this group, a figure that will increase as people age, since men have a much higher mortality rate at advanced ages. The map inset presents the distribution of widows in Canada. Reference could be made to the Age Structure Series of maps for a comparison of the proportion of widows in Canada, to the elderly population in Canada.

[D]
Click for larger version, 51 KB
Figure 6. Proportion of the Population that are Widows, 1996 Census

The map layer in this Marital Status Series indicates that widowed persons as a whole live mainly in southern areas, near the large centres. The province of Saskatchewan is an exception, with the highest proportion of widowed persons in Canada (7.6%). The widowed population are spread over much of this region, particularly in the small towns. This is primarily due to the fairly high rates of migration of working-age adults to the other provinces. In Alberta, the situation is completely different. Alberta has the smallest proportion of widowed persons of all the provinces (5.2%). This is due to Alberta’s having one of the highest fertility rates, as well as to the economic prosperity of the 1970s, which attracted young adults from other provinces. In the Northwest Territories, the proportion of widowed persons was much smaller than in all the other provinces (3.1%).

Data and Mapping Notes provides information regarding the 1996 Census data presented in the maps and references to mapping techniques used.

• Family Structure Map | Read about this map
• Children Living at Home Map | Read about this map
• Families with Children Living at Home Map | Read about this map

• People & Society
• Family
• Families (1996)
• References and Links