Recent Immigrants in Metropolitan Areas: Calgary—A Comparative Profile Based on the 2001 Census
Part C: Families and Households
Family and household affiliation of individuals
Older recent immigrants more likely to be living with relatives
Very few recent immigrants live alone. Like the Canadian-born population, a large majority of recent immigrants live in households with at least two people, and in most cases, these are people with whom they are related by blood, marriage or adoption. In fact, recent immigrants are more likely than the Canadian-born population to live with relatives. This difference is seen in all age groups, but it is most notable among people aged 65 and over. Among Canadian-born seniors in Calgary, seven in ten live with relatives, while three in ten live alone. By comparison, nine out of ten very recent immigrants aged 65 and over live with relatives, while only one in ten lives alone. In part, these figures probably reflect a difference in the average age of recent immigrant seniors and Canadian-born seniors.
| Canadian-born | Immigrants | Immigrated before 1986 | Immigrated 1986-1995 | Immigrated 1996-2001 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All ages (including 0-14 years) | |||||
| Living alone | 65,180 | 16,120 | 12,360 | 2,480 | 1,280 |
| Living with non-relatives only | 50,700 | 7,440 | 3,700 | 2,020 | 1,730 |
| Living with relatives | 621,220 | 173,640 | 89,310 | 51,020 | 33,320 |
| 15-24 years | |||||
| Living alone | 3,830 | 390 | 120 | 160 | 110 |
| Living with non-relatives only | 16,050 | 1,080 | 330 | 440 | 320 |
| Living with relatives | 96,310 | 16,320 | 2,550 | 8,700 | 5,070 |
| 25-44 years | |||||
| Living alone | 28,470 | 4,420 | 2,100 | 1,320 | 990 |
| Living with non-relatives only | 26,440 | 4,340 | 1,840 | 1,270 | 1,240 |
| Living with relatives | 198,000 | 64,340 | 25,650 | 23,940 | 14,780 |
| 45-64 years | |||||
| Living alone | 18,540 | 5,000 | 4,310 | 600 | 100 |
| Living with non-relatives only | 6,030 | 1,470 | 1,160 | 230 | 90 |
| Living with relatives | 119,090 | 58,910 | 43,010 | 11,050 | 4,860 |
| 65 years and over | |||||
| Living alone | 14,350 | 6,320 | 5,840 | 400 | 90 |
| Living with non-relatives only | 1,090 | 500 | 390 | 80 | 20 |
| Living with relatives | 34,420 | 22,930 | 18,100 | 3,840 | 1,000 |
| All ages (including 0-14 years) | |||||
| Living alone | 9% | 8% | 12% | 4% | 4% |
| Living with non-relatives only | 7% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 5% |
| Living with relatives | 84% | 88% | 85% | 92% | 92% |
| 15-24 years | |||||
| Living alone | 3% | 2% | 4% | 2% | 2% |
| Living with non-relatives only | 14% | 6% | 11% | 5% | 6% |
| Living with relatives | 83% | 92% | 85% | 94% | 92% |
| 25-44 years | |||||
| Living alone | 11% | 6% | 7% | 5% | 6% |
| Living with non-relatives only | 10% | 6% | 6% | 5% | 7% |
| Living with relatives | 78% | 88% | 87% | 90% | 87% |
| 45-64 years | |||||
| Living alone | 13% | 8% | 9% | 5% | 2% |
| Living with non-relatives only | 4% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Living with relatives | 83% | 90% | 89% | 93% | 96% |
| 65 years and over | |||||
| Living alone | 29% | 21% | 24% | 9% | 8% |
| Living with non-relatives only | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% |
| Living with relatives | 69% | 77% | 74% | 89% | 91% |
Note: For definitions of living arrangements and related concepts, see the Glossary.
Recent immigrants more likely to live in extended families
Recent immigrants are similar to Canadian-born individuals in that most live in nuclear families, with no relatives other than the immediate members of the nuclear family. But unlike the Canadian-born population, recent immigrants are more likely to live in extended family situations. Of the Canadian-born population living with one or more relatives, only 6% are part of an extended-family. The proportion of very recent immigrants in that kind of arrangement is twice as large: one in eight.
Figure C-1: Immigrants by period of immigration and Canadian-born—percentage living with relatives in an extended family, Calgary Census Metropolitan Area, 2001 (percentage)
Note: For definitions of extended and nuclear families, see the Glossary. Whereas Table C-1 includes all persons, Figure C-1 and Table C-2 include only persons who are living with relatives. A small percentage of individuals living with relatives are in “non-family” households. An example might be two adult brothers living together. The percentage of individuals in these situations is not shown in the table and figure in this section.
Older recent immigrants are most likely to live in an extended family. Three in ten of very recent immigrants aged 65 and over live in extended families, compared to less than one in ten Canadian-born seniors. Older recent immigrants living in extended families are most often related to someone within a nuclear family and are not members of the nuclear family itself.
| Canadian-born | Immigrants | Immigrated before 1986 | Immigrated 1986-1995 | Immigrated 1996-2001 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All ages | |||||
| Nuclear family | 571,840 | 147,170 | 77,390 | 40,840 | 28,950 |
| Extended family | 38,860 | 23,740 | 10,330 | 9,470 | 3,940 |
| Under 15 years | |||||
| Nuclear family | 162,300 | 10,120 | – | 3,140 | 6,980 |
| Extended family | 10,840 | 1,000 | – | 350 | 650 |
| 15-24 years | |||||
| Nuclear family | 86,680 | 13,410 | 2,140 | 7,100 | 4,180 |
| Extended family | 6,900 | 2,540 | 350 | 1,450 | 740 |
| 25-44 years | |||||
| Nuclear family | 182,500 | 54,370 | 22,100 | 19,260 | 13,020 |
| Extended family | 11,070 | 8,910 | 3,090 | 4,310 | 1,510 |
| 45-64 years | |||||
| Nuclear family | 110,210 | 51,510 | 38,440 | 8,990 | 4,090 |
| Extended family | 7,160 | 6,840 | 4,170 | 1,950 | 740 |
| 65 years and over | |||||
| Nuclear family | 30,160 | 17,770 | 14,740 | 2,360 | 680 |
| Extended family | 2,900 | 4,460 | 2,710 | 1,420 | 310 |
| All ages | |||||
| Nuclear family | 92% | 85% | 87% | 80% | 87% |
| Extended family | 6% | 14% | 12% | 19% | 12% |
| Under 15 years | |||||
| Nuclear family | 94% | 91% | – | 90% | 91% |
| Extended family | 6% | 9% | – | 10% | 9% |
| 15-24 years | |||||
| Nuclear family | 90% | 82% | 84% | 81% | 83% |
| Extended family | 7% | 16% | 14% | 17% | 15% |
| 25-44 years | |||||
| Nuclear family | 92% | 84% | 86% | 80% | 88% |
| Extended family | 6% | 14% | 12% | 18% | 10% |
| 45-64 years | |||||
| Nuclear family | 93% | 87% | 89% | 81% | 84% |
| Extended family | 6% | 12% | 10% | 18% | 15% |
| 65 years and over | |||||
| Nuclear family | 88% | 77% | 81% | 62% | 68% |
| Extended family | 8% | 19% | 15% | 37% | 31% |
Note: For definitions of extended and nuclear families, see the Glossary. Whereas Table C-1 includes all persons, Figure C-1 and Table C-2 include only persons who are living with relatives. A small percentage of individuals living with relatives are in “non-family” households. An example might be two adult brothers living together. The percentage of individuals in these situations is not shown in the table and figure in this section. Consequently, the percentages in Table C-2 do not add to 100%.
Families
One in seven families is a recent immigrant family
In Calgary in 2001, there were 91,900 recent immigrants who had landed in Canada between 1986 and 2001. A large majority of these immigrants—79,500 or 86%—were members of a nuclear family. In other words, they were husbands, wives, common-law partners, lone parents or children. One in seven families in Calgary is a recent immigrant family—that is, a family in which either or both spouses or the lone parent are recent immigrants. In Canada as a whole, one in nine families is a recent immigrant family.
Most of the recent immigrant families consist of married or common-law couples, while 9% are lone-parent families. Among Canadian-born families, 16% are lone-parent families, while 84% are married or common-law couples.
When families are grouped by the age of the oldest member, families of seniors are seen to have a composition different from the general pattern. Lone-parent families are more common among recent immigrant families and less common among the families of Canadian-born seniors.
| Canadian-born families | Recent immigrant families | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All families (including 15-24 years) | ||||
| Couples with or without children | 140,140 | 85% | 31,340 | 91% |
| Lone-parent families | 25,660 | 15% | 3,080 | 9% |
| Total number of families | 165,800 | 100% | 34,420 | 100% |
| 25-44 years | ||||
| Couples with or without children | 68,920 | 83% | 18,990 | 93% |
| Lone-parent families | 13,980 | 17% | 1,530 | 7% |
| Total number of families | 82,900 | 100% | 20,510 | 100% |
| 45-64 years | ||||
| Couples with or without children | 51,890 | 85% | 9,640 | 90% |
| Lone-parent families | 8,820 | 15% | 1,080 | 10% |
| Total number of families | 60,710 | 100% | 10,720 | 100% |
| 65 years and over | ||||
| Couples with or without children | 15,840 | 90% | 2,310 | 85% |
| Lone-parent families | 1,840 | 10% | 420 | 15% |
| Total number of families | 17,680 | 100% | 2,730 | 100% |
Note: For definitions of family and other related concepts, see the Glossary. Since the 1996 Census there have been changes to the definition of family.
Recent immigrant families more likely to have children in the home
One difference between recent immigrant and Canadian-born families is in the proportion of families with children at home. More than seven in ten recent immigrant families have at least one child of any age living at home. By comparison, just over six in ten Canadian-born families have children at home.
This difference occurs mainly among families whose oldest member is 45 years of age or older. Among young families, the proportion of those with children living at home is similar for recent immigrant and Canadian-born families. However, nearly two in five recent immigrant families of seniors have children in the home, compared to only one in five Canadian-born families.
The higher proportion of older recent immigrant families with children living at home could be due to a greater likelihood that older children stay longer in the parental home, as well as possible differences in the timing of childbirth and level of fertility. Some of the children in older immigrant families may be adults living with and possibly supporting one or two aging parents.
Figure C-2: Recent immigrant and Canadian-born families—never-married children living at home, by age of older spouse or lone parent, Calgary Census Metropolitan Area, 2001 (percentage)
Older recent immigrant families have more children living at home
Recent immigrant families with children are somewhat more likely to have more than two children in the home than Canadian-born families with children. As many as 19% of recent immigrant families with children have three or more children, compared to 17% of Canadian-born families.
| Canadian-born families | Recent immigrant families | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All ages (including 15-24 years) | ||||
| One child | 42,360 | 41% | 9,640 | 38% |
| Two children | 43,800 | 42% | 10,670 | 43% |
| Three or more children | 17,410 | 17% | 4,780 | 19% |
| 25-44 years | ||||
| One child | 20,510 | 34% | 5,930 | 38% |
| Two children | 27,660 | 46% | 6,930 | 44% |
| Three or more children | 11,580 | 19% | 2,810 | 18% |
| 45-64 years | ||||
| One child | 17,190 | 45% | 2,890 | 35% |
| Two children | 15,380 | 40% | 3,480 | 42% |
| Three or more children | 5,730 | 15% | 1,850 | 23% |
| 65 years and over | ||||
| One child | 3,170 | 88% | 700 | 67% |
| Two children | 410 | 11% | 240 | 23% |
| Three or more children | 50 | 1% | 110 | 11% |
The share of young families with three or more children is the same for Canadian-born families and recent immigrant families, one in five. However, nearly one-quarter of recent immigrant families whose older spouse or lone parent is 45 to 64 years old have more than two children, compared to 15% of Canadian-born families. Among the oldest recent immigrant families, 11% have three or more children living at home, compared to only 1% of Canadian-born families.
Majority of recent immigrants married to other recent immigrants
The majority of the 34,400 recent immigrant families consist of a recently immigrated husband married to or living common-law with a recently immigrated wife, with or without children. An additional 14% of families have a recently immigrated spouse and a spouse who immigrated before 1986. One in five recent immigrant families has a recent immigrant paired with a Canadian-born spouse. This type of family structure is a little more common in Calgary than in Canada, where one in seven recent immigrants is paired with a Canadian-born spouse.
Figure C-3: Recent immigrant families—family structure showing immigrant status of spouses, Calgary Census Metropolitan Area, 2001 (percentage distribution)
Of the families of immigrants who landed before 1986, more than four in ten consist of an immigrant paired with a Canadian-born spouse (not shown in Figure C-3).
When recent immigrants enter into conjugal unions, they are very likely to do so as a legally married couple. Just 2% of recent immigrant couples live common-law, compared to 16% of Canadian-born couples. Even among younger couples, where common-law relationships are the clear preference of the Canadian-born, relatively few recent immigrant couples have chosen this option.
| Canadian-born families | Recent immigrant families | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All ages | 23,050 | 16% | 370 | 2% |
| 15-24 years | 2,500 | 71% | 40 | 25% |
| 25-44 years | 15,080 | 22% | 260 | 2% |
| 45-64 years | 4,980 | 10% | 70 | 1% |
| 65 years and over | 490 | 3% | 10 | 1% |
The low incidence of common-law relationships is in part a result of immigration law, which, prior to the introduction of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) in June 2002, did not recognize common-law relationships.
Households
One in nine households is a recent immigrant household
In 2001, there were 39,700 recent immigrant households—households in which at least one member 15 years of age or older was a recent immigrant. These made up 11% of the total number of households in Calgary.
Nearly two out of five recent immigrant households, or 16,090 in total, have at least one member who immigrated after 1995. For a little less than half of these households, all members are very recent immigrants. The remaining 8,420 households consist of very recent immigrants living together with other persons. In 60% of these households, the other persons are immigrants who landed before 1996, in 33% they are Canadian-born and in 7% of these households they are both Canadian-born and immigrants who landed prior to 1996.
Seven out of ten households in Calgary comprise only Canadian-born persons. The remaining 19% of all households include one or more earlier immigrants but no recent immigrants.
| Number of households |
Share of all households |
|
|---|---|---|
| Canadian-born | 248,580 | 70% |
| Earlier immigrants | 66,330 | 19% |
| Recent immigrants | 39,700 | 11% |
| 1986-1995 immigrants | 23,610 | 6.6% |
| 1996-2001 immigrants with others | 8,420 | 2.4% |
| 1996-2001 immigrants only | 7,670 | 2.2% |
| All households | 356,380 | 100% |
Note: The total “All households” includes households of non-permanent residents not shown in the table. For definitions of household and related concepts, see the Glossary.
Recent immigrant households more likely to be larger than a nuclear family
A recent immigrant household is much more likely than a Canadian-born household to consist of one or more families. The large majority of recent immigrant households are family households, compared to just two out of three Canadian-born households.
One in three Canadian-born households is a non-family household, and most of these consist of a person living alone. Among more recent immigrant households, persons living alone are rarer.
Most households consist of a nuclear family—that is, a couple with or without children or a lone parent with one or more children. Immigrant households, except for households of very recent immigrants with others, are somewhat more likely to consist of just a nuclear family than Canadian-born households.
A significant proportion of recent immigrant households consist of a nuclear family living with other persons. In most of these “expanded-family” households, the non-family person or persons are related to the family. Expanded-family households are not unknown among the Canadian-born, but they occur much less frequently.
| Family households | Non-family households | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All family house- holds |
Nuclear families | Expanded families | Multiple families | Single person | Multiple persons | |
| Canadian-born | 162,560 | 147,510 | 13,210 | 1,840 | 65,170 | 20,840 |
| Earlier immigrants | 50,830 | 45,210 | 4,560 | 1,070 | 12,350 | 3,160 |
| Recent immigrants | 33,550 | 25,220 | 5,030 | 3,300 | 3,760 | 2,390 |
| 1986-1995 immigrants | 19,830 | 15,370 | 3,000 | 1,470 | 2,480 | 1,310 |
| 1996-2001 immigrants with others | 7,660 | 4,290 | 1,660 | 1,710 | 0 | 760 |
| 1996-2001 immigrants only | 6,070 | 5,590 | 360 | 130 | 1,290 | 310 |
| All households | 248,040 | 218,950 | 22,850 | 6,240 | 81,800 | 26,530 |
| Canadian-born | 65% | 59% | 5% | 1% | 26% | 8% |
| Earlier immigrants | 77% | 68% | 7% | 2% | 19% | 5% |
| Recent immigrants | 85% | 64% | 13% | 8% | 9% | 6% |
| 1986-1995 immigrants | 84% | 65% | 13% | 6% | 10% | 6% |
| 1996-2001 immigrants with others | 91% | 51% | 20% | 20% | 0% | 9% |
| 1996-2001 immigrants only | 79% | 73% | 5% | 2% | 17% | 4% |
| All households | 70% | 61% | 6% | 2% | 23% | 7% |
Note: The total “All households” includes households of non-permanent residents not shown in the table. For definitions of household and related concepts, see the Glossary.
Households of recent immigrants are also much more likely than Canadian-born households to consist of two or more families. These families may be related to each other, as for example a married couple living with the family of one of their children. Multiple family households are most common among households combining very recent immigrants with other persons. Many recent immigrants live in households that are different from the standard nuclear family.
Recent immigrant households tend to be large
Recent immigrant households are more likely to be large in size than Canadian-born and earlier immigrant households. One of every two recent immigrant households has one to three members, compared to three out of four Canadian-born households. The proportion of households with four or more members is twice as large among recent immigrant households as among Canadian-born households.
| Number of persons in household | Total households |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | 4 or 5 | 6 or more | ||
| Canadian-born | 189,050 | 54,390 | 5,150 | 248,580 |
| Earlier immigrants | 46,820 | 17,330 | 2,170 | 66,320 |
| Recent immigrants | 20,800 | 14,390 | 4,520 | 39,710 |
| 1986-1995 immigrants | 12,060 | 9,230 | 2,340 | 23,620 |
| 1996-2001 immigrants with others | 4,170 | 2,530 | 1,710 | 8,410 |
| 1996-2001 immigrants only | 4,580 | 2,640 | 460 | 7,680 |
| All households | 257,970 | 86,510 | 11,910 | 356,380 |
| Number of persons in household | Estimated average size | |||
| 1 to 3 | 4 or 5 | 6 or more | ||
| Canadian-born | 76% | 22% | 2% | 2.5 |
| Earlier immigrants | 71% | 26% | 3% | 2.8 |
| Recent immigrants | 52% | 36% | 11% | 3.6 |
| 1986-1995 immigrants | 51% | 39% | 10% | 3.6 |
| 1996-2001 immigrants with others | 50% | 30% | 20% | 4.0 |
| 1996-2001 immigrants only | 60% | 34% | 6% | 3.2 |
| All households | 72% | 24% | 3% | 2.7 |
Note: The total “All households” includes households of non-permanent residents not shown in the table. For definitions of household and related concepts, see the Glossary. Average size of household is estimated assuming an average of 4.5 for households with four or five members and an average of 7 for households with six or more members. For households with one, two or three members, the actual size of household was used in the calculation.
Most of the larger recent immigrant households have four or five members. Households where very recent immigrants live together with other persons are the most likely of all households to be large, with one in five of such households having six or more members. The share of equally large households among Canadian-born households is only 2%.
More care of children
The proportion of recent immigrants 15 years of age or over reporting time spent on unpaid care of children is significantly higher than the proportion of Canadian-born persons in the same category. On the other hand, the proportion of recent immigrants spending time on a regular basis to look after elder persons, while also higher, is more comparable to the proportion of Canadian-born persons caring regularly for elder persons.
The difference in time spent on care of children may reflect the fact that recent immigrants are more likely than the Canadian-born to have children living at home and, if so, more likely to have two or more children.
| Care of | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children | Elders | |||
| Women | ||||
| Canadian-born | 113,470 | 31% | 47,460 | 13% |
| Immigrants | 43,430 | 43% | 18,170 | 18% |
| Immigrated before 1986 | 21,340 | 40% | 10,930 | 21% |
| Immigrated 1986-1995 | 14,110 | 48% | 4,900 | 17% |
| Immigrated 1996-2001 | 7,990 | 42% | 2,350 | 12% |
| Men | ||||
| Canadian-born | 93,010 | 25% | 33,130 | 9% |
| Immigrants | 34,580 | 36% | 13,110 | 14% |
| Immigrated before 1986 | 18,260 | 35% | 8,150 | 16% |
| Immigrated 1986-1995 | 10,290 | 39% | 3,390 | 13% |
| Immigrated 1996-2001 | 6,030 | 34% | 1,570 | 9% |
| Total | ||||
| Canadian-born | 206,480 | 28% | 80,590 | 11% |
| Immigrants | 78,010 | 40% | 31,280 | 16% |
| Immigrated before 1986 | 39,600 | 38% | 19,080 | 18% |
| Immigrated 1986-1995 | 24,400 | 44% | 8,290 | 15% |
| Immigrated 1996-2001 | 14,020 | 39% | 3,910 | 11% |
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