Recent Immigrants in Metropolitan Areas: Halifax—A Comparative Profile Based on the 2001 Census
Part C: Families and Households
Family and household affiliation of individuals
Nine out of ten recent immigrants live 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. Generally in Canada, the difference between the living arrangements of very recent immigrants and the Canadian-born is greatest among older people, but in Halifax a fairly large share of older very recent immigrants live alone.
Canadian-born | Immigrants | Immigrated before 1986 | Immigrated 1986-1995 | Immigrated 1996-2001 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
All ages (including 0-14 years) | |||||
Living alone | 34,580 | 2,680 | 2,090 | 320 | 270 |
Living with non-relatives only | 17,590 | 670 | 370 | 180 | 120 |
Living with relatives | 276,700 | 20,950 | 12,160 | 4,770 | 4,040 |
15-24 years | |||||
Living alone | 2,130 | 100 | 30 | 40 | 40 |
Living with non-relatives only | 6,480 | 170 | 40 | 90 | 40 |
Living with relatives | 37,620 | 1,990 | 290 | 990 | 730 |
25-44 years | |||||
Living alone | 12,240 | 630 | 290 | 170 | 180 |
Living with non-relatives only | 8,130 | 260 | 120 | 60 | 90 |
Living with relatives | 89,190 | 6,390 | 2,830 | 1,910 | 1,640 |
45-64 years | |||||
Living alone | 10,120 | 870 | 730 | 110 | 40 |
Living with non-relatives only | 2,160 | 190 | 160 | 30 | 0 |
Living with relatives | 63,720 | 7,780 | 6,130 | 1,190 | 480 |
65 years and over | |||||
Living alone | 10,090 | 1,090 | 1,050 | 30 | 20 |
Living with non-relatives only | 600 | 70 | 60 | 0 | 0 |
Living with relatives | 22,120 | 3,170 | 2,930 | 190 | 50 |
All ages (including 0-14 years) | |||||
Living alone | 11% | 11% | 14% | 6% | 6% |
Living with non-relatives only | 5% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% |
Living with relatives | 84% | 86% | 83% | 91% | 91% |
15-24 years | |||||
Living alone | 5% | 4% | 7% | 3% | 5% |
Living with non-relatives only | 14% | 7% | 10% | 8% | 5% |
Living with relatives | 81% | 88% | 83% | 89% | 90% |
25-44 years | |||||
Living alone | 11% | 9% | 9% | 8% | 9% |
Living with non-relatives only | 7% | 4% | 4% | 3% | 5% |
Living with relatives | 81% | 88% | 87% | 89% | 86% |
45-64 years | |||||
Living alone | 13% | 10% | 10% | 8% | 8% |
Living with non-relatives only | 3% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 0% |
Living with relatives | 84% | 88% | 87% | 90% | 92% |
65 years and over | |||||
Living alone | 31% | 25% | 26% | 12% | 23% |
Living with non-relatives only | 2% | 2% | 1% | 0% | 0% |
Living with relatives | 67% | 73% | 72% | 88% | 77% |
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. However, recent immigrants are more likely than the Canadian-born population 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. By contrast, 9% of very recent immigrants living with relatives live in an extended family.
Figure C-1: Immigrants by period of immigration and Canadian-born—percentage living with relatives in an extended family, Halifax 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. Consequently, the percentages in Table C-2 do not add to 100%.
Older recent immigrants are most likely to live in an extended family. One in five of very recent immigrants aged 65 and over live in extended families, compared to one in eight 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 | 254,040 | 18,750 | 10,980 | 4,140 | 3,630 |
Extended family | 17,700 | 1,920 | 1,040 | 550 | 350 |
Under 15 years | |||||
Nuclear family | 60,980 | 1,540 | – | 430 | 1,100 |
Extended family | 2,820 | 100 | – | 50 | 45 |
15-24 | |||||
Nuclear family | 34,430 | 1,680 | 260 | 830 | 590 |
Extended family | 2,380 | 220 | 30 | 90 | 90 |
25-44 | |||||
Nuclear family | 82,510 | 5,820 | 2,620 | 1,740 | 1,480 |
Extended family | 5,120 | 490 | 180 | 170 | 150 |
45-64 | |||||
Nuclear family | 57,840 | 7,030 | 5,570 | 1,040 | 420 |
Extended family | 4,750 | 700 | 500 | 130 | 70 |
65 years and over | |||||
Nuclear family | 18,280 | 2,690 | 2,560 | 100 | 40 |
Extended family | 2,640 | 440 | 330 | 100 | 10 |
All ages | |||||
Nuclear family | 92% | 90% | 90% | 87% | 90% |
Extended family | 6% | 9% | 9% | 11% | 9% |
Under 15 years | |||||
Nuclear family | 95% | 94% | – | 90% | 96% |
Extended family | 4% | 6% | – | 10% | 4% |
15-24 | |||||
Nuclear family | 92% | 84% | 86% | 84% | 83% |
Extended family | 6% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 13% |
25-44 | |||||
Nuclear family | 93% | 91% | 93% | 91% | 90% |
Extended family | 6% | 8% | 6% | 9% | 9% |
45-64 | |||||
Nuclear family | 91% | 90% | 91% | 88% | 86% |
Extended family | 7% | 9% | 8% | 11% | 14% |
65 years and over | |||||
Nuclear family | 83% | 85% | 87% | 50% | 80% |
Extended family | 12% | 14% | 11% | 50% | 20% |
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 thirty families in Halifax is a recent immigrant family
In Halifax in 2001, there were 9,700 recent immigrants who landed in Canada between 1986 and 2001. A large majority of these immigrants—8,400 or 87%—were members of a nuclear family. In other words, they were husbands, wives, common-law partners, lone parents or children. Only 3% of families in Halifax are recent immigrant families—that is, families 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 8% are lone-parent families. Among Canadian-born families, 16% are lone-parent families, while 84% are married or common-law couples. Single-parent families are less common among recent immigrant families regardless of the age of the oldest member of the family.
Canadian-born families | Recent immigrant families |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|
All families (including ages 15-24) | ||||
Couples with or without children | 71,930 | 84% | 3,170 | 92% |
Lone-parent families | 14,180 | 16% | 270 | 8% |
Total number of families | 86,110 | 100% | 3,440 | 100% |
25-44 | ||||
Couples with or without children | 31,940 | 81% | 1,820 | 93% |
Lone-parent families | 7,600 | 19% | 130 | 7% |
Total number of families | 39,540 | 100% | 1,950 | 100% |
45-64 | ||||
Couples with or without children | 28,680 | 88% | 1,140 | 90% |
Lone-parent families | 4,090 | 12% | 130 | 10% |
Total number of families | 32,770 | 100% | 1,270 | 100% |
65 years and over | ||||
Couples with or without children | 10,120 | 86% | 160 | 100% |
Lone-parent families | 1,580 | 14% | 0 | 0% |
Total number of families | 11,700 | 100% | 160 | 100% |
Note: For definitions of family and 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
Recent immigrant and Canadian-born families differ in the proportion of families with children at home. Nearly three in four 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 households in the 45-64 age group, when age of family is defined as the age of the oldest member of the family. Among families headed by seniors, Canadian-born families are more likely to have children living in the home.
Figure C-2: Recent immigrant and Canadian-born families—never-married children living at home, by age of older spouse or lone parent, Halifax Census Metropolitan Area, 2001 (percentage)
Older recent immigrant families have more children living at home
Recent immigrant families with children are more likely to have more than two children in the home than Canadian-born families with children. As many as 27% of recent immigrant families with children have three or more children, compared to 14% of Canadian-born families.
Among families with children, the largest gap between the Canadian-born and recent immigrants occurs in the 45-64 age group. Recent immigrant families in this age group are almost three times more likely than their Canadian-born counterparts to have three or more children.
Canadian-born families | Recent immigrant families |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|
All ages (including ages 15-24) | ||||
One child | 24,490 | 46% | 740 | 29% |
Two children | 21,190 | 40% | 1,110 | 44% |
Three or more children | 7,620 | 14% | 680 | 27% |
25-44 | ||||
One child | 11,120 | 38% | 510 | 34% |
Two children | 13,440 | 45% | 660 | 44% |
Three or more children | 5,050 | 17% | 330 | 22% |
45-64 | ||||
One child | 9,960 | 51% | 210 | 21% |
Two children | 7,170 | 37% | 430 | 44% |
Three or more children | 2,490 | 13% | 340 | 35% |
65 years and over | ||||
One child | 2,550 | 87% | 10 | 40% |
Two children | 350 | 12% | 20 | 60% |
Three or more children | 30 | 1% | 0 | 0% |
One in three recent immigrant families includes a Canadian-born spouse
The majority of the 3,440 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 10% of families have a recently immigrated spouse and a spouse who immigrated before 1986. One in three recent immigrant families in Halifax have a recent immigrant paired with a Canadian-born spouse. This latter share is twice as high as that in Canada as a whole.
Figure C-3: Recent immigrant families—family structure showing immigrant status of spouses, Halifax Census Metropolitan Area, 2001 (percentage distribution)
Of the families of immigrants who landed before 1986, the majority, 62%, consist of an immigrant paired with a Canadian-born spouse (not shown in Figure C-3). This rate is much higher than for recent immigrants.
When recent immigrants enter into conjugal unions, they are very likely to do so as a legally married couple. Just 1% of recent immigrant couples live common-law, compared with 15% of Canadian-born couples.
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.
Canadian-born families | Recent immigrant families | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
All ages | 11,090 | 15% | 10 | 1% |
15-24 | 990 | 83% | 0 | 0% |
25-44 | 7,210 | 23% | 10 | 1% |
45-64 | 2,610 | 9% | 0 | 0% |
65 years and over | 300 | 3% | 0 | 0% |
Households
One in thirty households is a recent immigrant household
In 2001, there were 4,490 recent immigrant households—households in which at least one member 15 years or older was a recent immigrant. These made up just 3% of the total number of households in Halifax.
Two out of five recent immigrant households, or 1,820 in total, have at least one member who immigrated after 1995. For more than half of these households, all members are very recent immigrants. The remaining 800 households are comprised of very recent immigrants living together with other persons. In three in ten of these households, the other persons are immigrants who landed before 1996, and in the remaining seven in ten they are persons born in Canada.
Number of households |
Share of all households |
|
---|---|---|
Canadian-born | 128,240 | 89% |
Earlier immigrants | 11,010 | 8% |
Recent immigrants | 4,490 | 3% |
1986-1995 immigrants | 2,660 | 2% |
1996-2001 immigrants with others | 810 | 1% |
1996-2001 immigrants only | 1,010 | 1% |
All households | 144,440 | 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.
Nine out of ten households in Halifax consist of only Canadian-born persons. Households that include one or more earlier immigrants but no recent immigrants account for 8% of households.
Recent immigrant households more likely to be larger than a nuclear family
A recent immigrant household in Halifax is slightly more likely than a Canadian-born household to consist of one or more families. Four in five recent immigrant households are family households, compared to 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 much 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 are more likely to consist of just a nuclear family than Canadian-born households.
Ten percent 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 occur much less frequently among the Canadian-born.
Family households | Non-family households | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Households | All family house- holds |
Nuclear families | Expanded families | Multiple families | Single person | Multiple persons |
Canadian-born | 85,100 | 78,170 | 6,100 | 840 | 34,550 | 8,600 |
Earlier immigrants | 8,560 | 7,800 | 670 | 100 | 2,090 | 370 |
Recent immigrants | 3,630 | 3,160 | 380 | 100 | 590 | 280 |
1986-1995 immigrants | 2,170 | 1,910 | 230 | 40 | 320 | 160 |
1996-2001 immigrants with others | 740 | 590 | 100 | 50 | 0 | 70 |
1996-2001 immigrants only | 710 | 660 | 40 | 10 | 270 | 40 |
All households | 97,530 | 89,350 | 7,150 | 1,030 | 37,530 | 9,380 |
Canadian-born | 66% | 61% | 5% | 1% | 27% | 7% |
Earlier immigrants | 78% | 71% | 6% | 1% | 19% | 3% |
Recent immigrants | 81% | 70% | 8% | 2% | 13% | 6% |
1986-1995 immigrants | 82% | 72% | 8% | 1% | 12% | 6% |
1996-2001 immigrants with others | 91% | 73% | 12% | 6% | 0% | 9% |
1996-2001 immigrants only | 70% | 65% | 4% | 1% | 27% | 4% |
All households | 68% | 62% | 5% | 1% | 26% | 6% |
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 somewhat 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, but even in that group, the proportion of multiple family households is only 6%. Many recent immigrants clearly 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. A little more than half of recent immigrant households have one to three members, compared to four out of five 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 | 100,710 | 25,630 | 1,900 | 128,230 |
Earlier immigrants | 8,160 | 2,590 | 280 | 11,020 |
Recent immigrants | 2,500 | 1,590 | 410 | 4,490 |
1986-1995 immigrants | 1,440 | 1,010 | 210 | 2,650 |
1996-2001 immigrants with others | 510 | 230 | 80 | 810 |
1996-2001 immigrants only | 550 | 360 | 120 | 1,020 |
All households | 112,000 | 29,840 | 2,600 | 144,440 |
Number of persons in household | Estimated average size |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|
Households | 1 to 3 | 4 or 5 | 6 or more | |
Canadian-born | 79% | 20% | 1% | 2.5 |
Earlier immigrants | 74% | 23% | 2% | 2.7 |
Recent immigrants | 56% | 35% | 9% | 3.4 |
1986-1995 immigrants | 54% | 38% | 8% | 3.4 |
1996-2001 immigrants with others | 62% | 28% | 10% | 3.4 |
1996-2001 immigrants only | 54% | 35% | 11% | 3.3 |
All households | 78% | 21% | 2% | 2.5 |
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. Recent immigrant households are the most likely of all households to have six or more members. The share of households among Canadian-born having six or more members is only 1%.
More care of children
The proportion of recent immigrants of 15 years of age and over reporting time spent on unpaid care of children is higher than the proportion of Canadian-born persons in the same category. By contrast, the share of recent immigrants spending time on a regular basis to look after elder persons is lower than that reported by Canadian-born persons.
Care of | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Children | Elders | |||
Women | ||||
Canadian-born | 54,900 | 32% | 25,370 | 15% |
Immigrants | 4,850 | 39% | 1,810 | 15% |
Immigrated before 1986 | 2,620 | 36% | 1,320 | 18% |
Immigrated 1986-1995 | 1,280 | 48% | 290 | 11% |
Immigrated 1996-2001 | 960 | 40% | 200 | 8% |
Men | ||||
Canadian-born | 40,260 | 25% | 16,420 | 10% |
Immigrants | 4,120 | 34% | 1,410 | 12% |
Immigrated before 1986 | 2,390 | 33% | 1,000 | 14% |
Immigrated 1986-1995 | 930 | 36% | 210 | 8% |
Immigrated 1996-2001 | 800 | 39% | 210 | 10% |
Total | ||||
Canadian-born | 95,160 | 29% | 41,790 | 13% |
Immigrants | 8,970 | 37% | 3,220 | 13% |
Immigrated before 1986 | 5,010 | 34% | 2,320 | 16% |
Immigrated 1986-1995 | 2,210 | 42% | 490 | 9% |
Immigrated 1996-2001 | 1,750 | 40% | 410 | 9% |
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