Social inclusion for ethnocultural groups in Canada: New tables

Today, Statistics Canada is releasing three data tables that provide insights into racialized populations by household composition and the perception of their local community using the most recent data available from the 2021 Census of Population and the 2022 Canadian Housing Survey. This information is part of the Social Inclusion Framework for Ethnocultural Groups in Canada and serves to inform the development of anti-racism and anti-discrimination policies.

In Canada, among racialized groups, Arab, West Asian and Korean individuals were the most likely to live in households consisting of a couple and children, without additional persons

Data on household composition offer insights on how living arrangements reflect socioeconomic living conditions. They also shed light on the immediate support that can be received from household members.

Based on data from the 2021 Census of Population, most racialized individuals aged 15 and older were part of a one-census-family household, that is, they were part of a household consisting of one couple with children (40.4%), one couple without children (12.5%), or one-parent family (8.6%). This was also the case for the majority of the total Canadian population in the same age group (couple with children: 34.5%; couple without children: 25.3%; and one-parent family: 8.2%).

However, the proportion of persons aged 15 years and older living in a household composed of one couple with children was higher among racialized populations than the total Canadian population (34.5%). Among racialized groups, Arab (57.2%), West Asian (45.8%) and Korean (45.2%) individuals were the most likely to live in households comprising one couple with children. The Black population (35.0%) posted a proportion similar to the Canadian national average.

Conversely, among persons aged 15 years and older, living in a one-parent-family household was more common among the Black population (18.0%) than among the South Asian (4.1%), Filipino (6.3%) or Chinese (7.6%) populations. By comparison, the proportion of the total Canadian population in that same age group that was part of a one-parent-family household was 8.2%.

South Asian, Filipino and Southeast Asian groups were more likely to be part of a multigenerational household

Various demographic, socioeconomic and cultural factors may influence the formation of a family or the dissolution of unions as well as the type of living arrangement of persons and families. For racialized groups, household composition may also reflect a form of economic support or transition that can vary by groups.

In this regard, in 2021, among individuals aged 15 years and older, racialized groups were more likely than the total Canadian population to be in either a multigenerational household (12.6% compared to 6.0% for the total Canadian population), a multiple-census-family household (2.8% compared to 1.4%), or a one-census-family household with additional persons (7.6% compared to 5.0%).

For example, South Asian (19.8%), Filipino (13.0%) and Southeast Asian (12.9%) Canadians posted the highest proportion of individuals aged 15 years and older who live in a multigenerational household, compared with 6.0% of the total Canadian population. People in these same three groups were also more likely to be in a multiple-census-family household, as well as in a one-census-family household with additional persons.

Among the racialized population aged 15 years and older, 7.1% were in a household with two or more unrelated persons, also known as a roommate household, while 8.3% were living alone. By comparison, the proportions of these two types of households were 5.1% and 14.5% respectively for the total Canadian population aged 15 years and older. Among the racialized groups, the Filipino (4.2%), South Asian (4.6%) and Southeast Asian (7.7%) populations posted the lowest shares of people living alone.