Though families are still the norm in Canadian society, they are dramatically
smaller than they were a few decades ago. In 1961, 16% of Canadian families
were made up of six or more persons, compared with only 2.6% in 2002.
The average size of the Canadian family decreased from 3.9 people in
1961 to 3.0 in 2001, while the number of people living alone increased
substantially. Individuals living alone made up 9% of all households
in 1961; by 2001, they accounted for 26%.
Very few
households bridged three generations—only 2% of Canadian households in 2001.
In 75% of Canadian families with children at home in 2002, a two-parent team
was tackling the job of raising children. The remainder had a lone parent in
charge—an arrangement that is gradually becoming more prevalent among Canadian
families. What's more, lone parents have to cope with a heavier burden than that
of two-parent families: in 2001, while two-parent families typically have 1.1
children, lone-parent families average 1.5.