Legal marital status

Part A - Plain language definition:

A person's conjugal status under the law (e.g., single, married, widowed). Legal marital status data are derived from the responses to Question 4 (Marital status) in the census questionnaires.

Part B - Detailed definition:

Refers to the legal conjugal status of a person.

The various responses are defined as follows:

Never legally married (single)

Persons who have never married (including all persons less than 15 years of age) and persons whose marriage has been annulled and who have not remarried.

Legally married (and not separated)¹

Persons whose spouse is living, unless the couple is separated or a divorce has been obtained.

Separated, but still legally married

Persons currently married, but who are no longer living with their spouse (for any reason other than illness or work) 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 who have not remarried.

More information on Legal marital status

1. Since 1996, Aboriginal people married according to traditional customs were instructed to report themselves as legally married. In 2006, legally married same-sex couples are included in this category.