Families with young children: A sociodemographic profile

The early years of life are recognized as critical to learning and development, with parents having a foundational role in the growth of their young children.

This study describes the characteristics of families with at least one child aged 5 years or younger, including the sociodemographic characteristics of the parents of young children.

Because of population aging and changing living arrangements, families with young children in Canada are decreasing in prevalence relative to families with older children or those without children at home. The parents of young children are substantially older today than a generation ago, a result of the continued postponement of childbearing. They are also increasingly likely to be living in a common-law union.

Parents of young children today are highly diverse from an ethnocultural perspective, with one-third having immigrated to Canada. In addition to welcoming a new child, most parents of young children have recently moved, adding further changes during a time of major transformation in their lives.

Reflecting the formative nature of the first years of life, young children are the focus of numerous social programs aimed at providing support to them and their parents, including maternity and parental benefits and specific provisions of the Canada Child Benefit. In recent years, the federal government initiated a funding plan to provide parents in Canada with $10-a-day (on average) regulated child care spaces for children aged 0 to 5 years.

In the years following the 2021 Census—the source of data for this study—Canada has experienced record-high levels of net international migration, high inflation and rising housing prices. In this context, the characteristics of families with young children are expected to continue to evolve.

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