Valentine's Day... by the numbers

2017

February 14th is Valentine's Day!

Named for Saint Valentine, this is a day when people express their love by sending cards, exchanging gifts of chocolate, roses or personal items, and even sharing romantic dinners by candlelight.

Here are some facts on assorted topics related to Valentine's Day.

(Last updated: February 13, 2017)


All couples

  • 7,861,860 — The total number of couples in private households in Canada in 2011. Of these couples, 6.3 million were married couples and 1.6 million were common-law unions.

Sources: 2011 Census, Portrait of Families and Living Arrangements in Canada; Table 1: Distribution (number and percentage) and percentage change of census families by family structure, Canada, 2001 to 2011.

  • 15,723,715 — The total number of persons in private households living in a couple (including opposite- and same-sex married spouses and common-law partners) aged 15 and over in Canada in 2011.

Source: Household Living Arrangements (12), Age Groups (21) and Sex (3) for the Population in Private Households of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2011 Census.


Singles

  • 11,784,855 — The total number of persons not living in a couple (including never-married, divorced, separated or widowed) aged 15 and over in Canada in 2011.

Source: 2011 Census, Census Profile.


Same-sex couples

Same-sex couples accounted for 0.8% of all couples in 2011.

The number of same-sex married couples nearly tripled between 2006 and 2011, reflecting the first full five-year period for which same-sex marriage has been legal across the country.

  • 64,575 — The number of same-sex couple families in 2011.
  • 21,015 — The number of same-sex married couples.
  • 43,560 — The number of same-sex common-law couples.

Source: 2011 Census, "2011 Census of Population: Families, households, marital status, structural type of dwelling, collectives," The Daily, Wednesday, September 19, 2012.


One couple, two addresses

  • 1.9 million — The number of Canadians, or just over 7% of the population aged 20 and over, who said that they were in a couple relationship with someone in 2011, but lived at separate addresses. This proportion was down slightly from 8% in 2001.

Source: "Study: Living apart together," The Daily, Tuesday, March 5, 2013.


Second union

  • About 3 in 10 — The proportion of people 55 to 64 years of age in 2011 experiencing at least two unions during their lifetime, compared with 19% among people 65 and over.

Source: "Study: Emerging trends in living arrangements and conjugal unions for current and future seniors, 1981 to 2011," The Daily, Monday, February 24, 2014.


Love at any age

  • 14% — The proportion of senior couples* with an age gap of 10 years or more in 2011, compared with 18% in 1981.
  • 49% — The proportion of senior couples* with an age gap of three years or less in 2011, compared with 40% in 1981.

*"Senior couple" refers to couples where one partner is aged 65 or over.

Source: "Emerging trends in living arrangements and conjugal unions for current and future seniors, 1981 to 2011," Insights on Canadian Society.


A special meal

  • $2,502 — The average annual spending on food purchased from restaurants by Canadian households in 2015.

("Restaurants" includes full service restaurants, fast-food outlets, cafeterias, but also refreshments stands, snack bars, vending machines, mobile canteens, caterers and chip wagons. Includes tips. Does not include expenses for alcoholic beverages.)

Source: CANSIM, table 203-0021.


A special gift

  • $3.60 billion — The value of jewellery and watches sold at retailers in Canada in 2015.
  • $2.89 billion — The value of cosmetics and fragrances sold at retailers in Canada in 2015.
  • $1.77 billion — The value of women's lingerie, sleepwear and intimates sold at retailers in Canada in 2015.
  • $796.2 million — The value of men's underwear, sleepwear and hosiery sold at retailers in Canada in 2015.

Source: CANSIM, table 080-0022.


A glass of wine

  • 481 million litres — The volume of all wines sold by liquor stores, agencies and other retail outlets in Canada during the year ending March 31, 2015.
  • $6.7 billion — The value of all wines sold by liquor stores, agencies and other retail outlets in Canada during the year ending March 31, 2015.
  • 75.7% — The proportion of red wines sold in Canada during the year ending March 31, 2015 that were imported.
  • 60.5% — The proportion of white wines sold in Canada during the year ending March 31, 2015 that were imported.

Source: "Control and sale of alcoholic beverages, for the year ending March 31, 2015," The Daily, Wednesday, May 10, 2016.


A glass of sparkling wine

  • $336.6 million — The value of sales of sparkling wines in Canada in 2014/2015.
  • 16 million litres — The volume of sparkling wines sold in Canada in 2014/2015.

Source: CANSIM, table 183-0024.


A box of chocolates

  • 327 — The number of manufacturers of chocolate and chocolate confectionery manufacturing from cacao beans and confectionery manufacturing from purchased chocolate in Canada in 2016.

Source: CANSIM, tables 552-0004 and 553-0004.

  • $942 million — The value of chocolate and chocolate confectionary manufactured in Ontario in 2015.

Source: CANSIM, table 304-0015.

  • $225 — The average expenditure on candies and chocolates by Canadian households in 2015.

Source: CANSIM, table 203-0028.


A bouquet of roses

  • 5.38 million — The number of rose stems produced in Canada in 2015.

Source: CANSIM, table 001-0049.

  • 11.1 million dozen — The number of cut roses and rose buds imported to Canada in 2016, mostly from Colombia and Ecuador.
  • $71.7 million — The value of cut roses and rose buds imported to Canada in 2016.

Source: Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database.


A love story

Romance novels explore human relationships. Poetry is often used to convey feelings of love.

  • $1.87 billion — The operating revenues for the book publishing industry in Canada in 2012.

Source: Book publishers, 2012.


A place to find your soulmate

You may or may not find your soulmate in these selected places, but you might find some interesting data using the NHS Profile or the Census Profile:

  • Chocolate Cove, New Brunswick
  • Cupids, Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Heart Lake, Alberta
  • Heart's Content, Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Heart's Delight, Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Heart's Desire, Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Heart's Hill, Saskatchewan
  • Honey Harbour, Ontario
  • Love, Saskatchewan
  • Romance, Saskatchewan
  • Rose Lake, British Columbia
  • Rose Valley, Saskatchewan
  • Saint-Valentin, Quebec

Happy Valentine's Day from Statistics Canada!


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See features on many other subjects in By the numbers.

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