Family matters: Family ties: How often do adult children see their parents?

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Release date: December 24, 2020
Infographic: Family matters: Family ties: How often do adult children see their parents?
Description: Family matters: Family ties: How often do adult children see their parents?

Family matters: Family ties: How often do adult children see their parents?

Family ties: How often do adult children see their parents?

In 2017, 19.6 million Canadians aged 25 to 64 years (81%) had at least one living biological or adoptive parent.

Over half of these adult children saw their parents in person regularly (at least once per month).


60% saw their mother regularly
Table summary
This table displays the results of 60% saw their mother regularly . The information is grouped by Frequency of regular visits with mother (appearing as row headers), Percent (appearing as column headers).
Frequency of regular visits with mother Percent
At least once per month 60%
Less than once per month 28%
Never 13%

54% saw their father regularly
Table summary
This table displays the results of 54% saw their father regularly . The information is grouped by Frequency of regular visits with father (appearing as row headers), Percent (appearing as column headers).
Frequency of regular visits with father Percent
At least once per month 54%
Less than once per month 31%
Never 15%

For 9 in 10 Canadians who saw their parents or parents-in-law on a daily basis, the average meeting lasted at least one hour.

Canadians were much less likely to see their father regularly when their parents were separated or divorced.

But they were almost as likely to see their mother regularly, whether their parents were separated or divorced or not.


Regular visits with
Table summary
This table displays the results of Regular visits with Mother and Father (appearing as column headers).
Mother Father
Parents separated or divorced 57% 38%
Parents not separated or divorced 61% 61%

Regular visits with parents were more common in the Atlantic provinces and Quebec.


Regular visits with parents
Table summary
This table displays the results of Regular visits with parents Mother and Father (appearing as column headers).
Mother Father
British-Columbia 49% 43%
Prairie provinces 54% 47%
Ontario 61% 56%
Quebec 67% 61%
Atlantic provinces 68% 63%

Note: The results refer to Canadians aged 25 to 64 who were not living with their parents and who had at least one living biological or adoptive parent at the time of the surveys. The results refer to in-person meetings and exclude virtual meetings.

Sources: Statistics Canada, 2017 General Social Survey – Family, and 2015 General Social Survey – Time Use.

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