Recent Immigrants in Metropolitan Areas: Saskatoon—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 is most notable among the older age groups. Among Saskatoon’s Canadian-born population 45 years of age and over, 20% live alone. In comparison, less than 5% of very recent immigrants 45 years of age and over live alone. In part, these figures probably reflect a difference in the average age of recent immigrants and the Canadian-born in this age group.
Canadian-born | Immigrants | Immigrated before 1986 | Immigrated 1986-1995 | Immigrated 1996-2001 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
All ages (including 0-14 years) | |||||
Living alone | 22,050 | 2,260 | 1,840 | 260 | 170 |
Living with non-relatives only | 10,330 | 490 | 260 | 120 | 130 |
Living with relatives | 171,630 | 14,100 | 8,180 | 3,090 | 2,850 |
15-24 years | |||||
Living alone | 1,990 | 60 | 10 | 10 | 40 |
Living with non-relatives only | 4,730 | 120 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
Living with relatives | 28,050 | 1,250 | 260 | 630 | 350 |
25-44 years | |||||
Living alone | 7,100 | 480 | 190 | 180 | 120 |
Living with non-relatives only | 4,210 | 250 | 100 | 60 | 100 |
Living with relatives | 50,110 | 4,390 | 1,780 | 1,230 | 1,400 |
45-64 years | |||||
Living alone | 5,600 | 550 | 520 | 10 | 10 |
Living with non-relatives only | 870 | 80 | 60 | 10 | 0 |
Living with relatives | 34,940 | 4,910 | 3,810 | 780 | 280 |
65 years and over | |||||
Living alone | 7,370 | 1,170 | 1,120 | 50 | 0 |
Living with non-relatives only | 250 | 50 | 50 | 0 | 0 |
Living with relatives | 13,330 | 2,550 | 2,300 | 180 | 90 |
All ages (including 0-14 years) | |||||
Living alone | 11% | 13% | 18% | 7% | 5% |
Living with non-relatives only | 5% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 4% |
Living with relatives | 84% | 84% | 80% | 89% | 90% |
15-24 years | |||||
Living alone | 6% | 4% | 3% | 1% | 8% |
Living with non-relatives only | 14% | 8% | 13% | 6% | 8% |
Living with relatives | 81% | 88% | 84% | 93% | 83% |
25-44 years | |||||
Living alone | 12% | 9% | 9% | 12% | 7% |
Living with non-relatives only | 7% | 5% | 5% | 4% | 6% |
Living with relatives | 82% | 86% | 86% | 84% | 87% |
45-64 years | |||||
Living alone | 14% | 10% | 12% | 1% | 3% |
Living with non-relatives only | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 0% |
Living with relatives | 84% | 89% | 87% | 98% | 97% |
65 years and over | |||||
Living alone | 35% | 31% | 32% | 22% | 0% |
Living with non-relatives only | 1% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% |
Living with relatives | 64% | 68% | 66% | 78% | 100% |
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 a little more likely than the Canadian-born to live in extended family situations. Of the Canadian-born population living with one or more relatives, only 5% are part of an extended family compared to 7% of very recent immigrants living with relatives in an extended family.
Figure C-1: Immigrants by period of immigration and Canadian-born—percentage living with relatives in an extended family, Saskatoon Census Metropolitan Area, 2001
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.
Extended family living arrangements are most common among older recent immigrants. Almost 30% of the very recent immigrants aged 65 years and over live in extended families, compared to 5% of Canadian-born seniors. Very recent immigrant seniors are more likely than seniors who immigrated during the 1986-1995 period to live in extended families. 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 | 158,850 | 12,690 | 7,350 | 2,770 | 2,590 |
Extended family | 9,020 | 1,110 | 650 | 250 | 210 |
Under 15 years | |||||
Nuclear family | 42,870 | 950 | – | 270 | 700 |
Extended family | 2,170 | 50 | – | 10 | 40 |
15-24 years | |||||
Nuclear family | 24,270 | 1,080 | 230 | 570 | 280 |
Extended family | 2,230 | 90 | 30 | 40 | 30 |
25-44 years | |||||
Nuclear family | 46,800 | 3,950 | 1,570 | 1,090 | 1,290 |
Extended family | 2,140 | 330 | 130 | 100 | 100 |
45-64 years | |||||
Nuclear family | 32,760 | 4,490 | 3,510 | 720 | 260 |
Extended family | 1,760 | 400 | 280 | 80 | 30 |
65 years and over | |||||
Nuclear family | 12,160 | 2,230 | 2,050 | 130 | 60 |
Extended family | 730 | 240 | 180 | 40 | 30 |
All ages | |||||
Nuclear family | 93% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 91% |
Extended family | 5% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 7% |
Under 15 years | |||||
Nuclear family | 95% | 95% | – | 96% | 93% |
Extended family | 5% | 5% | – | 4% | 5% |
15-24 years | |||||
Nuclear family | 87% | 87% | 88% | 91% | 79% |
Extended family | 8% | 7% | 12% | 6% | 7% |
25-44 years | |||||
Nuclear family | 93% | 90% | 88% | 89% | 92% |
Extended family | 4% | 7% | 7% | 8% | 7% |
45-64 years | |||||
Nuclear family | 94% | 91% | 92% | 89% | 91% |
Extended family | 5% | 8% | 7% | 9% | 9% |
65 years and over | |||||
Nuclear family | 91% | 87% | 89% | 74% | 71% |
Extended family | 5% | 9% | 8% | 20% | 29% |
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 Part. Consequently, the percentages in Table C-2 do not add to 100%.
Families
One in twenty-four families in Saskatoon is a recent immigrant family
In Saskatoon in 2001, there were 6,600 recent immigrants who landed in Canada between 1986 and 2001. A large majority of these immigrants—5,700 or 86%—were members of a nuclear family. In other words, they were husbands, wives, common-law partners, lone parents, or children. One in twenty-four families in Saskatoon 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 only 8% are lone-parent families. Among Canadian-born families, 18% are lone-parent families and 82% comprise a married or common-law couple. When families are grouped by the age of the oldest member, lone-parent families are more common among the Canadian-born for all age groups except seniors aged 65 years and over. Lone-parent families of seniors are more common among recent immigrant families than Canadian-born families.
Canadian-born families | Recent immigrant families | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
All families (including 15-24 years) | ||||
Couples with or without children | 42,030 | 82% | 2,250 | 93% |
Lone-parent families | 8,990 | 18% | 190 | 8% |
Total number of families | 51,020 | 100% | 2,430 | 100% |
25-44 years | ||||
Couples with or without children | 18,060 | 78% | 1,340 | 93% |
Lone-parent families | 5,050 | 22% | 100 | 7% |
Total number of families | 23,100 | 100% | 1,440 | 100% |
45-64 years | ||||
Couples with or without children | 15,980 | 87% | 710 | 90% |
Lone-parent families | 2,440 | 13% | 80 | 10% |
Total number of families | 18,420 | 100% | 790 | 100% |
65 years and over | ||||
Couples with or without children | 6,620 | 92% | 170 | 85% |
Lone-parent families | 570 | 8% | 30 | 15% |
Total number of families | 7,180 | 100% | 200 | 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. Three-quarters of recent immigrant families have at least one child of any age living at home. In comparison, almost two-thirds of Canadian-born families have children at home.
This difference occurs mainly among older families, when age of family is defined as the age of the older spouse or lone parent. In families where the older spouse or lone parent is 25 to 44 years of age, recent immigrant families in Saskatoon are slightly less likely than Canadian-born families to have children at home—76% compared to 81%, respectively. However, in families where the older spouse or lone parent is 45 to 64 years of age, 82% of recent immigrant families and 62% of Canadian-born families have children in the home. In families where the older spouse or lone parent is 65 years of age or over, 38% of recent immigrant families have children in the home, compared to just 15% of Canadian-born families.
Figure C-2: Recent immigrant and Canadian-born families—never-married children living at home, by age of older spouse or lone parent, Saskatoon Census Metropolitan Area, 2001 (percentage)
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.
Older recent immigrant families have more children living at home
Recent immigrant families with children are as likely to have more than two children in the home as Canadian-born families with children. The shares of families with three or more children are also very similar. In families with children where the older spouse or lone parent is 25 to 44 years of age, two or more children are more common among Canadian-born families than among recent immigrant families. However, among families where the older spouse or lone parent is 45 years of age and over, recent immigrant families tend to have a larger number of children.
Canadian-born families | Recent immigrant families | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
All ages (including 15-24 years) | ||||
One child | 12,620 | 39% | 720 | 40% |
Two children | 12,800 | 39% | 730 | 40% |
Three or more children | 7,160 | 22% | 360 | 20% |
25-44 years | ||||
One child | 5,520 | 30% | 430 | 39% |
Two children | 8,210 | 44% | 440 | 40% |
Three or more children | 4,910 | 26% | 240 | 21% |
45-64 years | ||||
One child | 5,160 | 45% | 240 | 38% |
Two children | 4,200 | 37% | 280 | 44% |
Three or more children | 2,130 | 19% | 120 | 19% |
65 years and over | ||||
One child | 1,000 | 91% | 50 | 60% |
Two children | 80 | 7% | 20 | 27% |
Three or more children | 20 | 2% | 10 | 13% |
In majority of recent immigrant families, both spouses are recent immigrants
The majority of the 2,400 recent immigrant families consist of a recent immigrant husband married to or living common-law with a recent immigrant wife, with or without children. An additional 11% of families have a recent immigrant spouse and a spouse who immigrated earlier, before 1986. Slightly more than one-quarter of recent immigrant families in Saskatoon consist of a recent immigrant paired with a Canadian-born spouse. In Canada as a whole, 15% of recent immigrant families consist of a recent immigrant with a Canadian-born spouse.
Figure C-3: Recent immigrant families—family structure showing immigrant status of spouses, Saskatoon Census Metropolitan Area, 2001 (percentage distribution)
Of the families of immigrants who landed before 1986, 55% consist of an immigrant paired with a Canadian-born spouse (not shown in Figure C-3). This proportion is roughly twice that of recent immigrant families and well above the Canadian average.
When recent immigrants enter into conjugal unions, they are very likely to do so as a legally married couple. In Saskatoon, just 4% of recent immigrant couples live common-law, compared to 12% of Canadian-born couples. The difference is found among couples in the 25-44 age range as well as at other ages.
Canadian-born families | Recent immigrant families | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
All ages | 5,120 | 12% | 50 | 4% |
25-44 years | 2,830 | 16% | 40 | 5% |
All other ages | 2,300 | 10% | 10 | 2% |
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 twenty-five households is a recent immigrant household
In 2001, there were 3,200 recent immigrant households—households in which at least one member 15 years of age or older was a recent immigrant. These made up 4% of the total number of households in Saskatoon.
One-half of recent immigrant households, or 1,600 in total, have at least one member who immigrated after 1995. For one-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 one-third of these households, the other persons are immigrants who landed before 1996, in 58% they are persons born in Canada, and in 8% they are both persons born in Canada and immigrants who landed before 1996. In Canada as a whole, very recent immigrants tend to live more with other immigrants and less with persons born in Canada.
Number of households |
Share of all households |
|
---|---|---|
Canadian-born | 77,950 | 88% |
Earlier immigrants | 7,400 | 8% |
Recent immigrants | 3,150 | 4% |
1986-1995 immigrants | 1,620 | 2% |
1996-2001 immigrants with others | 770 | 1% |
1996-2001 immigrants only | 770 | 1% |
All households | 88,950 | 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.
Nearly nine out of ten households in Saskatoon are comprised only of 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 is much more likely than a Canadian-born household to consist of one or more families. Four out of 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, 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 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 | 50,560 | 47,000 | 3,270 | 300 | 22,040 | 5,350 |
Earlier immigrants | 5,310 | 4,880 | 370 | 60 | 1,840 | 270 |
Recent immigrants | 2,500 | 2,130 | 250 | 130 | 420 | 230 |
1986-1995 immigrants | 1,240 | 1,110 | 90 | 50 | 250 | 130 |
1996-2001 immigrants with others | 710 | 500 | 150 | 60 | 0 | 80 |
1996-2001 immigrants only | 580 | 540 | 30 | 10 | 180 | 20 |
All households | 58,590 | 54,170 | 3,940 | 480 | 24,440 | 5,910 |
Canadian-born | 65% | 60% | 4% | 0% | 28% | 7% |
Earlier immigrants | 72% | 66% | 5% | 1% | 25% | 4% |
Recent immigrants | 79% | 68% | 8% | 4% | 13% | 7% |
1986-1995 immigrants | 77% | 69% | 5% | 3% | 15% | 8% |
1996-2001 immigrants with others | 93% | 65% | 20% | 8% | 0% | 10% |
1996-2001 immigrants only | 75% | 70% | 4% | 1% | 23% | 3% |
All households | 66% | 61% | 4% | 1% | 27% | 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 Canadians. 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. Six out of ten recent immigrant households have one to three persons in the household, compared to three-quarters of Canadian-born households. The proportion of households with four or more members is significantly larger among recent immigrant households than among Canadian-born households.
Number of persons in household | Total | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Households | 1 to 3 | 4 or 5 | 6 or more | |
Canadian-born | 59,220 | 16,770 | 1,970 | 77,950 |
Earlier immigrants | 5,610 | 1,630 | 170 | 7,400 |
Recent immigrants | 1,870 | 1,010 | 270 | 3,150 |
1986-1995 immigrants | 940 | 550 | 150 | 1,630 |
1996-2001 immigrants with others | 430 | 270 | 60 | 760 |
1996-2001 immigrants only | 500 | 200 | 60 | 760 |
All households | 67,070 | 19,480 | 2,400 | 88,950 |
Number of persons in household | Estimated average size |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|
Households | 1 to 3 | 4 or 5 | 6 or more | |
Canadian-born | 76% | 22% | 3% | 2.5 |
Earlier immigrants | 76% | 22% | 2% | 2.6 |
Recent immigrants | 59% | 32% | 8% | 3.3 |
1986-1995 immigrants | 57% | 33% | 9% | 3.3 |
1996-2001 immigrants with others | 57% | 36% | 8% | 3.5 |
1996-2001 immigrants only | 66% | 26% | 8% | 3.1 |
All households | 75% | 22% | 3% | 2.6 |
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. 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. The proportion of recent immigrant households having six or more members is 8%. The share of equally large households among Canadian-born households is only 3%.
More care of children
The proportion of recent immigrants 15 years of age or over reporting time spent on unpaid care of children is higher than the proportion of Canadian-born persons in the same category. On the other hand, a smaller share of recent immigrants report spending time on a regular basis looking after elderly persons in comparison to the Canadian-born.
These numbers reflect differences in family and household structure. Families with children are more numerous among recent immigrants.
Care of | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Children | Elders | |||
Women | ||||
Canadian-born | 36,490 | 35% | 18,790 | 18% |
Immigrants | 3,360 | 40% | 1,480 | 17% |
Immigrated before 1986 | 1,860 | 36% | 1,120 | 22% |
Immigrated 1986-1995 | 930 | 49% | 230 | 12% |
Immigrated 1996-2001 | 580 | 39% | 130 | 9% |
Men | ||||
Canadian-born | 27,750 | 28% | 12,350 | 12% |
Immigrants | 2,800 | 33% | 1,010 | 12% |
Immigrated before 1986 | 1,560 | 30% | 690 | 13% |
Immigrated 1986-1995 | 690 | 44% | 200 | 13% |
Immigrated 1996-2001 | 550 | 33% | 120 | 7% |
Total | ||||
Canadian-born | 64,230 | 31% | 31,140 | 15% |
Immigrants | 6,160 | 36% | 2,490 | 15% |
Immigrated before 1986 | 3,420 | 33% | 1,810 | 18% |
Immigrated 1986-1995 | 1,610 | 46% | 430 | 12% |
Immigrated 1996-2001 | 1,130 | 36% | 250 | 8% |
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