2001 Census Topic-based tabulations

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Topic-based tabulation: Census Family Status (6), Age Groups (17A) and Sex (3) for Population in Private Households, for Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2001 Census - 20% Sample Data

About this tabulation

General information

Catalogue number :97F0005XCB2001003
Release date :October 22, 2002
Topic :Families and Household Living Arrangements
Data dimensions :

Note

Special Note: Nunavut (1)

A new territory called Nunavut came into effect on April 1, 1999. For additional information, please refer to the 2001 Census Dictionary, Catalogue Number 92-378-XIE or 92-378-XPE.

Special Note: Private Household

Refers to a person or a group of persons (other than foreign residents) who occupy a private dwelling and do not have a usual place of residence elsewhere in Canada. For additional information, please refer to the 2001 Census Dictionary, Catalogue Number 92-378-XIE or 92-378-XPE.

Special Note: Changes to family concepts for the 2001 Census

For the 1996 Census, the definition of census family was as follows:

Refers to a now-married couple (with or without never-married sons and/or daughters of either or both spouses), a couple living common-law (with or without never-married sons and/or daughters of either or both partners) or a lone-parent of any marital status, with at least one never-married son or daughter living in the same dwelling.

This reflected a concept that had not changed since 1976. However, during the planning for the 2001 Census, it was decided that some changes were required, due to the following factors: (1) changes to federal and provincial legislation putting same-sex couples on an equal footing with opposite-sex common-law couples (most notably Bill C-23, the Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Act, which was passed by the Government of Canada in 2000); (2) recommendations by the United Nations as part of a process of standardization of concepts for the 2000-2001 round of censuses in member countries; and (3) a significant number of persons less than 15 years of age classified as 'non-family persons' in previous censuses.

As a result, the census family concept for the 2001 Census reflects the following changes:

· Two persons living in a same-sex common-law relationship, along with any of their children residing in the household, are considered a census family.

· Children in a census family can have been previously married (as long as they are not currently living with a spouse or common-law partner). Previously, they had to be 'never-married'.

· A grandchild living in a three-generation household where the parent (middle generation) is never-married is, contrary to previous censuses, now considered as a child in the census family of his or her parent, provided the grandchild is not living with his or her own spouse, common-law partner, or child. Traditionally, the census family usually consisted of the two older generations.

· A grandchild of another household member, where a middle-generation parent is not present, is now considered as a child in the census family of his or her grandparent, provided the grandchild is not living with his or her own spouse, common-law partner, or child. Traditionally, such a grandchild would not be considered as a member of a census family.

The last three changes listed (definition of 'child'), together, result in a 1.5% increase in the total number of census families, and in a 10.1% increase in the number of lone-parent families. The inclusion of same-sex couples results in a 0.4% increase in the number of census families at the national level.

The term economic family refers to a group of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling and are related to each other by blood, marriage, common-law or adoption. This definition has not changed for 2001. The only effect of conceptual changes on economic families is that same-sex partners are now considered to be common-law partners. Thus they are considered related and members of the same economic family.

Outside of the 'family universe', there are two related concepts that are affected by the change in the census family definition: common-law status and household type. Prior to 2001, two people living together as husband and wife without being legally married to each other were considered to be living common-law. For 2001, this has been expanded to include persons living in a same-sex partnership. The concept of household type refers to the basic division of private households into family and non-family households. Since it is based on the census family concept, the household type (whether a household is 'family' or 'non-family') is affected by the change. Also, the detailed classification of this variable is affected, since married couples and common-law couples were broken down into those 'without never-married sons or daughters' and 'with never-married sons or daughters'. For 2001 this reads 'without children' and 'with children', with the attendant change in meaning.

For additional information, please refer to the 2001 Census Dictionary, Catalogue Number 92-378-XIE or 92-378-XPE.

Data table

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This table details census family status , age groups and sex for population in private households in CanadaFootnote 1
Age Groups (17A) Census Family Status (6)
Total - Census family status Spouses Common-law partners Lone parents Children in census families Non-family persons
Total - Age groups 29,522,305 11,802,850 2,316,815 1,311,190 9,582,615 4,508,835
Under 15 years 5,723,250 0 0 0 5,678,320 44,930
15-19 years 2,035,700 5,155 29,370 15,740 1,891,000 94,435
15-17 years 1,239,190 1,130 3,855 5,295 1,201,505 27,415
18-19 years 796,510 4,030 25,515 10,445 689,490 67,020
20-24 years 1,931,800 126,975 252,150 59,515 1,100,705 392,445
25-29 years 1,878,245 573,050 386,185 90,865 398,810 429,340
30-34 years 2,078,275 1,056,830 363,010 125,490 175,355 357,590
35-44 years 5,057,255 3,079,025 671,005 399,345 208,610 699,270
45-54 years 4,378,315 2,935,640 390,720 306,570 96,500 648,890
55-64 years 2,836,275 1,988,895 155,590 117,900 28,090 545,800
65 years and over 3,603,180 2,037,270 68,790 195,760 5,225 1,296,135
65-74 years 2,096,725 1,367,090 52,460 92,270 4,940 579,955
75 years and over 1,506,455 670,180 16,330 103,490 285 716,175
75-79 years 772,990 408,650 10,465 44,375 275 309,230
80-84 years 449,730 186,255 4,205 31,475 10 227,780
85 years and over 283,740 75,270 1,660 27,630 0 179,170

Footnotes

Footnote 1

Excludes census data for one or more incompletely enumerated Indian reserves or Indian settlements.

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Source: Statistics Canada, 2001 Census of Population, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 97F0005XCB2001003.

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Footnotes

Footnote a

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Footnote b

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Footnote c

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Footnote d

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