Please note the data collected does not breakdown the information to race-related data collection. Therefore, we are unable to specifically share data related to Black, African and Caribbean Single Mothers. You can join us by advocating for change in the way data is collected in Canada to show race-based data, which will provide insight on those most impacted. We do believe that those who are most effective are single mother’s from the Black and Indigenous communities.
“In 2019, about 1.71 million single parent families were living in Canada, compared to 1.56 million in 2010.” To see data and chart visit: https://www.statista.com/statistics/443342/single-parent-families-in-canada/
There has been a notable increase in the number of lone-parent families with children—from 289,000 in 1976 to 698,000 in 2014. Lone-parent families accounted for 20% of families with children aged less than 16, up from 9% in 1976. Of note, lone mothers accounted for 81% of lone-parent families in 2014 (compared with 86% in 1976). Reference: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2015001/article/14202/parent-eng.htm
“Lone-parent families are much more likely to be headed by women than men. For example, in 1996 women headed 83 percent of all lone-parent families, while men headed only 17 percent of lone-parent families. Although the number of lone-parent families has been increasing, the proportion of female to male lone parents has remained relatively stable over the past decade.” Department of Justice Canada (2015). Selected Statistics on Canadian Families and Family Law: Second Edition. Retrieved from: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/fl-lf/famil/stat2000/p1.html
Lone-parent homes have been on a rise in the last four decades. (Reference 4)
In 2011, there were 1,527,840 lone-parent families in Canada accounting for an eight percent change since 2001.2 (Reference 5)
Lone-parent families accounted for 16.3 percent of all census families in 2011, up from 15.7 percent in 2001. In 1961, only 8.4 percent of census families were headed by lone parents. (Reference 6)
Lone-parent homes are more economically disadvantaged compared to common law and married couples with/without children (Reference 7)
There are four female lone-parent families for every one male lone-parent family (Reference 8)
References:
- Statista Canada, Number of Single Parent Families in Canada from 2016 to 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/443342/single-parent-families-in-canada/
- Statistic Canada. 150 Stats Canada. Retrieved from: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2015001/article/14202/parent-eng.htm
- Department of Justice Canada (2015). Selected Statistics on Canadian Families and Family Law: Second Edition. Retrieved from: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/fl-lf/famil/stat2000/p1.html
- Institute of Marriage and Family Canada (2020). Retrieved from: https://www.imfcanada.org/archive/42/lone-parent-homes#:~:text=Research%20continually%20bears%20out%20the,from%2015.7percent%20in%202001.
- Statistics Canada. (2012). Figure 1. Distribution (in percentage) of families by family structure, Canada 1961 to 2011. Fifty years of families in Canada: 1961 to 2011. Retrieved from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/98-312-x/2011001/tbl/tbl1-eng.cfm
- For 2001 percentage see Statistics Canada. (2012). Table 1. Distribution (number and percentage) and percentage change of census families by family structure, Canada, 2001 to 2011. Portrait of families and living arrangements in Canada. Retrieved from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/98-312-x/2011001/tbl/tbl1-eng.cfm
- Institute of Marriage and Family Canada (2020). Retrieved from https://www.imfcanada.org/archive/42/lone-parent-homes#:~:text=Research%20continually%20bears%20out%20the,from%2015.7percent%20in%202001.
- Statistics Canada. (2012). Fifty years of families in Canada: 1961 to 2011. Retrieved from
- http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/98-312-x/98-312-x2011003_1-eng.cfm
- Statistics Canada. (2012). Description for figure 2. Distribution (in percentage) of the legal marital status of lone parents, Canada, 1961 to 2011. Fifty years of families in Canada: 1961 to 2011. Retrieved from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/98-312-x/2011003/fig/desc/desc3_1-2-eng.cfm