Living under one roof: What the data say about multigenerational households in Canada

Living under one roof: What the data say about multigenerational households in Canada

Whether it’s to save money, care for aging parents, or both, multigenerational households are on the rise—and more common in some parts of the country than others.

Three generations under one roof

A multigenerational household includes at least three generations of the same family living together, such as grandparents, parents and children.

According to the 2021 Census of Population, 441,750 (2.9%) private households in Canada were multigenerational in 2021, up from 406,645 in 2016 and 364,505 in 2001. This represents an 8.6% increase from 2016 and a 21.2% increase from 2001.

Brampton and Nunavut have the highest share of multigenerational households in Canada

Nunavut had by far the highest share of multigenerational households among the provinces and territories in 2020, at 13.5%.

One reason for this may be related to shelter costs. In 2023, almost three in four Iqaluit households were living in a rental property, where rent payment accounted for approximately half of the expenditures for principal residences.

Provincially, in 2021, multigenerational households were most prevalent in Canada’s most expensive housing markets of Ontario (4.0%) and British Columbia (3.7%). Again, rental prices may be a factor. In the first quarter of 2025, the average asking rent for a two-bedroom apartment was $3,170 in Vancouver and $2,690 in Toronto.

Approximately one in seven (14.3%) households in Brampton were multigenerational in 2021, the highest rate among Canadian cities. Surrey (9.6%) and Markham (9.5%) followed, with close to one in ten households multigenerational.

Culture may be a factor in the prevalence of multigenerational living

Many immigrants in Canada come from countries where it is more common for several generations to share a household, often due to close intergenerational ties and traditions around family support. In these contexts, the family environment plays a central role in transmitting cultural norms, language and customs to children, and living with more relatives can strengthen that transmission.

Census data show that immigrants are more likely than the Canadian-born population to live in multigenerational households, with Canadian-born children who have at least one foreign-born parent being the most likely group to live in such households.

Almost 1 in 10 children in Canada live in a multigenerational household

Just under 2.4 million Canadians were living in a multigenerational household in 2021, over one-third of whom were children (905,000). In fact, nearly 1 in 10 children in Canada were living in a multigenerational family in 2021.

Multigenerational households are less likely to live in low income than couples with children

Over one in six (15.2%) Canadian households were living in low income in 2020. Households are deemed to be living in low income when their after-tax income is less than half of the national median, adjusted for household size.

Multigenerational households are less likely to live in low income than other households. In 2020, 4.3% of multigenerational households were living in low income, a fraction of the rate for Canadians who lived alone (30.2%) and five times lower than the rate for single mother households (22.8%). By way of comparison, 5.8% of couples with children lived in low income in 2020.

Multigenerational families most likely to live in a single-family home

Just over two-thirds (68.3%) of multigenerational households lived in a single-detached home in 2021, the same rate as for couples with children and well above the rate for one-parent families (44.1%).

Introduction of the multigenerational home renovation tax credit

In 2023, the Government of Canada introduced the multigenerational home renovation tax credit to help families build a secondary suite for a senior or an adult with a disability. Families could claim 15% of renovation expenses up to a maximum credit of $7,500 per renovation.

In the first year, 6,540 families received the credit, with the average credit received totalling $4,120. While couple families represent about half of all family units, about three in four claimants were couple families.

Further reading

Interested in learning more about multigenerational households? Check out the article “Unpacking Canada's multigenerational households: A look at the people who call them home.”