Children Living at Home
The term "children", as defined by Statistics Canada, refers to
never married sons and/or daughters (including step and adopted
children), living with their parents, regardless of the age of the
children.
As of the 1996 Census, there were a total of 9 369 755 children
living at home, including children 25 years of age and older. Of
these children 6 869 705 lived in married couple families, 74% of
all children living at home. A total of 735 565 lived in common-law
families and 1 764 485 lived in lone-parent families.
[D] Click for larger version, 17 KB Figure 1. Proportion of Children in Private Households by Family Structure
The results of the 1994 to 1995 National Longitudinal Survey of
Children and Youth (NLSCY)
indicate a number of major trends in families with children. A selection
is listed below:
- The number of children per family has been decreasing, and
the largest proportion of children between the ages of 0 to
18 years had only one sibling (46%).
- Of children aged 0 to 11, at the time of the survey, nearly
20% were reported as only children.
- For the same age group, a third of the children had two or
more siblings.
- The fertility rate in Canada has dropped from 3.9 children
per woman in 1960 to 1.7 in 1992.
- In 1993, 27% of all children born in Canada were born to women
who had never been married.
- Eighty-two percent of Canadian children live in urban centres and 18% live
in rural communities. This difference has been growing steadily
over many decades due to the move from an agriculture-based economy
to one dominated by industry.
The decrease in family size may be attributed to the higher participation
rate of mothers in the paid workforce. The introduction of better
methods of contraception and public health services has also contributed
to the choices made by families. More women have delayed childbirth
and in some cases have chosen to remain childless. According to
the NLSCY,
the average age of a mother at the birth of her first child in 1992
was 27 years, up from 23 years in 1971.
This series of map layers shows the distribution of children by
age groups as a proportion of all children living at home, based
on 1996 Census data. The age groups are presented as separate map
layers that may be viewed individually.
Children Living at Home, Less than 6 Years
of Age, as a Proportion of all Children
This age group represented 24% of all children living at home.
The patterns evident on the map show that the highest proportions
of this age group were found in the Northwest Territories, Quebec
and the northern Prairie Provinces. This distribution is partly
attributed to the higher proportion of young common-law families,
particularly in Quebec and the Northwest Territories. Children of
this age group were also relatively common in the suburbs of major
cities. Newfoundland had the lowest overall proportion of this age
group.
Children Living at Home, Aged 6 to 14 Years,
as a Proportion of all Children
Of children 6 to 14 years of age, the pattern of distribution is
similar to that found for the younger age group. The most significant
differences illustrate a lower proportion of this age group (relative
to other areas) in Labrador, Newfoundland and much of the Maritime
Provinces, with the opposite occurring in the Yukon Territory, British
Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. This age group accounted for
37.4% of all children, the largest proportion of children living
at home.
Children Living at Home, Aged 15 to 17 Years,
as a Proportion of all Children
Children between the ages of 15 and 17, based on the map, were
distributed fairly evenly across Canada with the exception of the
Northwest Territories and the northern census divisions in Saskatchewan
and Manitoba. The highest proportion of this age group was found
in Newfoundland, southern Quebec, southern British Columbia, Alberta
and Saskatchewan. As a proportion of all children living at home,
this age group represented 12.2 % of the total.
Children Living at Home, Aged 18 to 24 Years,
as a Proportion of all Children
The maps showing the 18 to 24 age group and the 25 years and over
age group display similar patterns. There are significant concentrations
of these older children east of Manitoba, Quebec and the Maritime
Provinces.
Children Living at Home, 25 Years
and Over, as a Proportion of all Children
There has been a substantial increase in the number of young adults
living in their parental home. According to the results of the 1996
Census, 47% of women aged 20 to 34 lived with their parents, while
over half of young unmarried men lived at home. A number of factors
have influenced this trend: Longer periods of time spent in schooling,
higher rates of unemployment and economic instability during the
early 1980's and in the early 1990's have influenced young adults
towards placing more dependence on parents.
The distribution of children 25 years and over living at home is
similar to the previous age group. There are higher proportions
of young adults east of Quebec, throughout the Maritime Provinces
with the highest concentration found in Newfoundland.
To properly interpret this map, please consult the text Data
and Mapping Notes. |