Living Arrangements and Residential Overcrowding: The Situation of Older Immigrants in Canada, 1991

Older immigrants arriving in Canada are not eligible for government transfer payments or welfare benefits for up to 10 years. Consequently, many of them choose to live with their relatives or sponsors in crowded three or more generation households. Cultural preferences also influence this tendency. The propensity for immigrant groups from developing regions to live in three or more generation households ranges up to 18 times those of their Canadian-born and the immigrant counterparts from the developed regions. The average income, percent receiving Old Age Security payments, percent widowed and duration of residence in Canada are significantly associated with proportions of immigrants living in such arrangements, and explain about 84% of birthplace variation for males and 81% for females.