Family matters: Being separated or divorced in Canada
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Correction Notice
In the table presenting the percentage separated from a previous union, by age group, the data for 'Women, separated from common-law union' have been corrected.
Description: Family matters: Being separated or divorced in Canada
Family matters: Being separated or divorced in Canada
Of the 20 million people aged 25 to 64 years old in Canada in 2017Footnote 1
- 1.3 million people (6%) were currently separated or divorced from a marriage; and,
- 1.6 million people (8%) were currently separated from a common-law relationship.
Is the 7 year itch a myth or reality?
| Previously married | Previously common-law | |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 7 years | 28% | 74% |
| 7 to 9 years | 15% | 11% |
| 10 years or more | 57% | 15% |
At older ages, being separated or divorced from a previous union was more likely among women than men.
| 30 to 34 years | 35 to 39 years | 40 to 44 years | 45 to 49 years | 50 to 54 years | 55 to 59 years | 60 to 64 years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men, separated or divorced from marriage | 2.0% | 3.7% | 3.9% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 8.9% | 6.7% |
| Women, separated or divorced from marriage | 3.6% | 5.5% | 9.1% | 8.5% | 11.9% | 11.6% | 11.7% |
| Men, separated from common-law union | 8.6% | 7.7% | 8.0% | 9.3% | 7.7% | 7.6% | 5.7% |
| Women, separated from common-law union | 9.2% | 7.3% | 8.3% | 8.6% | 8.7% | 6.3% | 7.0% |
Those previously common-law were twice as likely to have experienced multiple separations or divorces:
| Separated once | Separated twice or more | |
|---|---|---|
| Previously common-law | 57% | 43% |
| Previously married | 81% | 19% |
Source: General Social Survey (Families), 2017.
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