Housing Statistics in Canada
Housing experiences in Canada: Total population in 2018

by Jeff Randle, Zheren Hu and Zachary Thurston

Release date: November 22, 2021

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The Housing Experiences in Canada series of fact sheets highlights the diversity of housing situations experienced by different groups of people living across Canada.

Highlights from the 2016 Census: Total population

Description for Figure 1

Highlights from the 2016 Census: Total population

Average age: 40 years
Median household income: $70,332
Unemployment rate: 7.7%
Percent in rural areas: 18.7%
Percent who are immigrants: 21.9%

This fact sheet focuses on the total population living in private dwellings and the households they live in. Statistics below are derived from the 2018 Canadian Housing Survey (CHS). More fact sheets are available on the Housing Experiences in Canada issue page.

The National Housing Strategy Act (2019) declared that “the right to adequate housing is a fundamental human right affirmed in international law.” Adequate housing is understood in international law as housing that provides secure tenure; is affordable; is habitable; provides access to basic infrastructure; is located close to employment, services and amenities; is accessible for people of all abilities; and is culturally appropriate.

This fact sheet focuses on the experience of the total population living in private dwellings and the households they live in, using the following indicators collected and produced by Statistics Canada. These are: tenure status of household, shelter costs, housing affordability, housing suitability, condition of dwelling, core housing need, dwelling satisfaction, neighbourhood satisfaction, and household living arrangements.

While these indicators together do not perfectly measure adequate housing as defined in international law, they are nevertheless useful proxies for understanding the housing experiences of people living in Canada.

Tenure status of household

The tenure status of a household refers to whether the household owns or rents its private dwelling.^Note 1 Homeownership is an important aspect of Canadian society and can affect outcomes for many housing indicators. For this reason, owner and renter households are often considered separately in housing analyses. In many cases, researchers further examine whether households in owner-occupied dwellings have mortgages on their dwellings and whether renter households pay subsidized rent.

According to the 2018 CHS, 69% of 14,790,400 households lived in a private dwelling owned by a member of their household in 2018, compared with 73% of the total population.

The 10,137,800 households in owner-occupied dwellings can be further split into the 5,913,800 (40%) households with a mortgage on their dwelling and the remaining 4,224,000 (29%) of households without a mortgage on their dwelling. Since households in owner-occupied dwellings with a mortgage tended to be larger in size, the share of the total population living in households with a mortgage (49%) exceeded the respective share of households. The opposite was true for households in owner-occupied dwellings without a mortgage, where the share of the total population living in these households (25%) was smaller than the respective share of households.

Households living in rented dwellings accounted for the remaining 31% of all households, while the share of the total population living in rented dwellings was 27%. Of the 9,749,700 individuals living in rented dwellings, 1,160,700 (3%) were living in subsidized housing while the remaining 8,570,300 (24%) were in housing that was not subsidized.

Table 1
Tenure status of private households for the population in private dwellings, Canada, 2018
Table summary
This table displays the results of Tenure status of private households for the population in private dwellings All households and All persons, calculated using count and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
	count	percent	count	percent
	All households		All persons
Total, tenure status	14,790,400	100	36,444,100	100
Owner	10,137,800	69^Note *	26,694,500	73
With a mortgage	5,913,800	40^Note *	17,696,300	49
Without a mortgage	4,224,000	29^Note *	8,998,100	25
Renter	4,652,600	31^Note *	9,749,700	27
Subsidized housing	588,700	4^Note *	1,160,700	3
Not subsidized housing	4,057,100	27^Note *	8,570,300	24
Note * Estimate for all households is significantly different than all persons at the 95% level Return to note * referrer Note: Figures may not add up to 100% because of rounding Source: 2018 Canadian Housing Survey

Shelter costs

Shelter costs refer to the monthly dwelling-related expenses paid by households, including mortgage or rent. For owner-occupied dwellings, shelter costs include, where applicable, mortgage payments, property taxes and condominium fees, along with the costs of electricity, heat, water and other municipal services. For renter households, shelter costs include, where applicable, rent and the costs of electricity, heat, water and other municipal services.

In Canada, the median shelter cost paid by private households was $1,050, but owner-occupied households ($1,140) paid a higher median shelter cost than renter households ($960).

The median shelter cost paid by households in owner-occupied dwellings are typically larger when there is a mortgage on the dwelling, because a mortgage can represent a large portion of monthly shelter costs. Canadian households with a mortgage on their dwelling ($1,770) paid approximately $1200 more per month in median shelter costs than households in owner-occupied dwellings without a mortgage ($540).

Similarly, the median shelter cost paid by renter households usually depends on the presence of a rent subsidy.^Note 2 Households in rented dwellings with a subsidy ($530) paid just over half of the median shelter costs of renter households without a subsidy ($1,010).

Table 2
Monthly shelter costs for the population in private dwellings, Canada, 2018
Table summary
This table displays the results of Monthly shelter costs for the population in private dwellings All households and All persons, calculated using median (dollars) units of measure (appearing as column headers).
	median (dollars)
	All households	All persons
Total, tenure status	1,050	1,050
Owner	1,140^{Table 2 Note †}^{Table 2 Note ‡}	1,140^{Table 2 Note †}^{Table 2 Note ‡}
With a mortgage	1,770^{Table 2 Note †}^{Table 2 Note ‡}	1,770^{Table 2 Note †}^{Table 2 Note ‡}
Without a mortgage	540^{Table 2 Note †}^{Table 2 Note ‡}	540^{Table 2 Note †}^{Table 2 Note ‡}
Renter	960^{Table 2 Note †}^{Table 2 Note ‡}	960^{Table 2 Note †}^{Table 2 Note ‡}
Subsidized housing	530^{Table 2 Note †}^{Table 2 Note ‡}	530^{Table 2 Note †}^{Table 2 Note ‡}
Not subsidized housing	1,010^{Table 2 Note †}^{Table 2 Note ‡}	1,010^{Table 2 Note †}^{Table 2 Note ‡}
Note † Estimate for all households by tenure type is significantly different than tenure subtotal at the 95% level Return to note † referrer Note ‡ Estimate for all households by tenure type is significantly different than tenure counterpart at the 95% level Return to note ‡ referrer Source: 2018 Canadian Housing Survey

Housing affordability

Housing affordability is derived using the shelter-cost-to-income ratio, which refers to the proportion of average total income households spend on shelter costs. A household is said to have affordable housing if it spends less than 30% of its total income on shelter costs.^Note 3

According to the 2018 CHS, 22% of households, or 3,165,000 households, spent more than 30% of their total income on shelter. The individuals who lived in these households (6,400,200) accounted for 18% of the total population.

Owner-occupied households (17%) were less likely to be in unaffordable housing than their renter-household counterparts (33%). The share of the population who lived in unaffordable housing was lower for owners (15%) than renters (26%), which suggests that smaller household sizes are more susceptible to being in unaffordable housing.

Focusing on households in owner-occupied dwellings, households with a mortgage were more likely to be in unaffordable housing. The proportion of households living in unaffordable housing was 24% for households with a mortgage and 6% for households without a mortgage. Among the population who lived in owner-occupied dwellings, those who lived in dwellings with a mortgage (21%) were also more likely to be in unaffordable housing when compared to those in owner-occupied dwellings without a mortgage (4%).

Table 3
Unaffordable housing for the population in private dwellings, Canada, 2018
Table summary
This table displays the results of Unaffordable housing for the population in private dwellings All households and All persons, calculated using count and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
	count	percent	count	percent
	All households		All persons
Total, shelter-cost-to-income ratio^{Table 3 Note 1}	14,510,400	100	35,669,100	100
Spending more than 30% of income on shelter costs	3,165,000	22^Note *	6,400,200	18
Owner	1,657,600	17^Note *^{Table 3 Note †}^{Table 3 Note ‡}	3,895,800	15^{Table 3 Note †}^{Table 3 Note ‡}
With a mortgage	1,403,100	24^Note *^{Table 3 Note †}^{Table 3 Note ‡}	3,568,600	21^{Table 3 Note †}^{Table 3 Note ‡}
Without a mortgage	254,500	6^Note *^{Table 3 Note †}^{Table 3 Note ‡}	327,200	4^{Table 3 Note †}^{Table 3 Note ‡}
Renter	1,507,400	33^Note *^{Table 3 Note †}^{Table 3 Note ‡}	2,504,400	26^{Table 3 Note †}^{Table 3 Note ‡}
Subsidized housing	180,600	31^Note *	269,500	23
Not subsidized housing	1,325,600	33^Note *	2,232,300	26
Note * Estimate for all households is significantly different than all persons at the 95% level Return to note * referrer Note † Estimate for all households or all persons by tenure type is significantly different than tenure subtotal at the 95% level Return to note † referrer Note ‡ Estimate for all households or all persons by tenure type is significantly different than tenure counterpart at the 95% level Return to note ‡ referrer Note 1 All persons in private dwellings excluding those living in households on reserves, households in farm dwellings, and households with zero or negative total household income. Return to note 1 referrer Source: 2018 Canadian Housing Survey

Housing suitability

Housing suitability refers to whether a private household is living in suitable accommodations according to the National Occupancy Standard (NOS), that is, whether the dwelling has enough bedrooms for the size and composition of the household. The indicator assesses the required number of bedrooms for a household based on the age and sex of household members, and the relationships between them.

According to the 2018 CHS, 747,100 households (5%) were in unsuitable housing, meaning that there were not enough bedrooms in the dwelling to meet the needs of their household, according to the NOS.

The share of the households living in unsuitable housing was lower for those in owner-occupied dwellings (3%) than for those in rented dwellings (9%).

When households in owner-occupied dwellings are differentiated by the presence of a mortgage, households with a mortgage (4%) were more likely to be in unsuitable housing than their counterparts without a mortgage (1%).

Table 4
Housing suitability for the population in private dwellings, Canada, 2018
Table summary
This table displays the results of Housing suitability for the population in private dwellings All households and All persons, calculated using count and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
	count	percent	count	percent
	All households		All persons
Total, housing suitability	14,790,400	100	36,444,100	100
Not suitable	747,100	5^Note *	3,408,400	9
Owner	306,900	3^Note *^{Table 4 Note †}^{Table 4 Note ‡}	1,599,500	6^{Table 4 Note †}^{Table 4 Note ‡}
With a mortgage	249,100	4^Note *^{Table 4 Note †}^{Table 4 Note ‡}	1,307,600	7^{Table 4 Note †}^{Table 4 Note ‡}
Without a mortgage	57,800	1^Note *^{Table 4 Note †}^{Table 4 Note ‡}	291,900	3^{Table 4 Note †}^{Table 4 Note ‡}
Renter	440,300	9^Note *^{Table 4 Note †}^{Table 4 Note ‡}	1,808,900	19^{Table 4 Note †}^{Table 4 Note ‡}
Subsidized housing	47,900	8^Note *	227,000	20
Not subsidized housing	391,600	10^Note *	1,578,200	18
Note * Estimate for all households is significantly different than all persons at the 95% level Return to note * referrer Note † Estimate for all households or all persons by tenure type is significantly different than tenure subtotal at the 95% level Return to note † referrer Note ‡ Estimate for all households or all persons by tenure type is significantly different than tenure counterpart at the 95% level Return to note ‡ referrer Source: 2018 Canadian Housing Survey

Condition of dwelling

Data on condition of dwelling are used to provide some insight into whether housing is habitable. Dwellings are classified into three groups by condition: needing regular maintenance only, needing minor repairs and needing major repairs. Dwellings in need of major repairs are considered to be inadequate housing. Examples of dwellings in need of major repairs include homes with defective plumbing or electrical wiring, and housing needing structural repairs to walls, floors or ceilings.

In 2018, according to the CHS, 7% of all households lived in private dwellings that were in need of major repairs.

This proportion of households in dwellings that require repairs was smaller for individuals in owner-occupied dwellings than those in rented dwellings. Of households in owner-occupied dwellings, 6% were living in dwellings in need of major repairs, compared with 8% of households in rented dwellings.

Households who lived in owner-occupied dwellings were slightly more likely to live in a dwelling in need of major repairs when there was a mortgage on their dwelling. For households in owner-occupied dwellings with a mortgage, 7% were in dwellings in need of major repairs, compared with 6% of households without a mortgage.

Among households in rented dwellings, 10% of those in subsidized housing lived in a dwelling in need of major repairs. This was slightly higher than the proportion of renter households without a subsidy, where the rate was the same as all renter households (8%).

Table 5
Condition of dwelling for the population in private dwellings, Canada, 2018
Table summary
This table displays the results of Condition of dwelling for the population in private dwellings All households and All persons, calculated using count and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
	count	percent	count	percent
	All households		All persons
Total, dwelling condition	14,790,400	100	36,444,100	100
Dwelling in need of major repairs	1,052,900	7	2,556,400	7
Owner	658,400	6^{Table 5 Note †}^{Table 5 Note ‡}	1,657,400	6^{Table 5 Note †}^{Table 5 Note ‡}
With a mortgage	411,100	7^{Table 5 Note ‡}	1,162,500	7^{Table 5 Note ‡}
Without a mortgage	247,300	6^{Table 5 Note ‡}	494,900	5^{Table 5 Note ‡}
Renter	394,600	8^{Table 5 Note †}^{Table 5 Note ‡}	899,000	9^{Table 5 Note †}^{Table 5 Note ‡}
Subsidized housing	59,300	10^{Table 5 Note ‡}	134,000	12^{Table 5 Note †}^{Table 5 Note ‡}
Not subsidized housing	334,200	8^{Table 5 Note ‡}	761,800	9^{Table 5 Note ‡}
Note † Estimate for all households or all persons by tenure type is significantly different than tenure subtotal at the 95% level Return to note † referrer Note ‡ Estimate for all households or all persons by tenure type is significantly different than tenure counterpart at the 95% level Return to note ‡ referrer Source: 2018 Canadian Housing Survey

Core housing need

Core housing need touches on several elements of the right to adequate housing. It considers whether the affordability, suitability, and condition of dwelling needs of the household are being met and if not, whether affordable rental housing is available that meets all these needs. A household is said to be in core housing need if their dwelling falls below at least one of the affordability, suitability, or condition of dwelling standards, and would have to spend 30% or more of their total before-tax income to pay the median rent of alternative local housing that is acceptable (meets all three housing standards).

According to the 2018 CHS, 12% of households were in core housing need and 9% of the total population lived in these households. Households in owner-occupied dwellings (7%) were less likely to be in core housing need than their counterparts in rented dwellings (23%). The percentage of the total population in owner-occupied households that were in core housing need was 5%, while for the population in renter-households, the rate was 19%.

Persons and households living in owner-occupied dwellings were in core housing need at similar rates, regardless of whether or not there was a mortgage on the dwelling.

The incidence of core housing need varied for renters depending on whether there was a rent subsidy. Approximately one-third (34%) of renter-households with a subsidy were in core housing need, which was higher than renter-households without a subsidy (21%), and the highest of any other household category of tenure. The population in renter-households that had a subsidy and were in core housing need was 30%, while for their counterparts without a subsidy, the rate was 18%.

Table 6
Core housing need status for the population in private dwellings, Canada, 2018
Table summary
This table displays the results of Core housing need status for the population in private dwellings All households and All persons, calculated using count and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
	count	percent	count	percent
	All households		All persons
Total, core housing need^{Table 6 Note 1}	14,185,100	100	35,128,000	100
In core housing need	1,644,900	12^Note *	3,151,900	9
Owner	632,700	7^Note *^{Table 6 Note †}^{Table 6 Note ‡}	1,358,700	5^{Table 6 Note †}^{Table 6 Note ‡}
With a mortgage	373,400	7	982,800	6^{Table 6 Note ‡}
Without a mortgage	259,300	6^Note *	375,900	4^{Table 6 Note †}^{Table 6 Note ‡}
Renter	1,012,200	23^Note *^{Table 6 Note †}^{Table 6 Note ‡}	1,793,200	19^{Table 6 Note †}^{Table 6 Note ‡}
Subsidized housing	193,600	34^{Table 6 Note †}^{Table 6 Note ‡}	342,000	30^{Table 6 Note †}^{Table 6 Note ‡}
Not subsidized housing	817,300	21^Note *^{Table 6 Note †}^{Table 6 Note ‡}	1,447,300	18^{Table 6 Note ‡}
Note * Estimate for all households is significantly different than all persons at the 95% level Return to note * referrer Note † Estimate for all households or all persons by tenure type is significantly different than tenure subtotal at the 95% level Return to note † referrer Note ‡ Estimate for all households or all persons by tenure type is significantly different than tenure counterpart at the 95% level Return to note ‡ referrer Note 1 All persons in private dwellings excluding those living in households on reserves, households in farm dwellings, and households with zero or negative total household income before tax or a shelter-cost-to-income ratio greater than or equal to 100%. Return to note 1 referrer Source: 2018 Canadian Housing Survey

Housing experiences of Canadian men, women and gender diverse individuals

In 1995, the Government of Canada committed to using GBA+ to advance gender equality in Canada, as part of the ratification of the United Nations’ Beijing Platform for Action.

Gender equality is enshrined in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which is part of the Constitution of Canada. Gender equality means that diverse groups of women, men and gender diverse people are able to participate fully in all spheres of Canadian life, contributing to an inclusive and democratic society.

GBA+ is an analytical process used to assess how diverse groups of women, men and gender diverse people may experience policies, programs and initiatives. The “plus” in GBA+ is not just about differences between people on the basis of gender. We all have multiple characteristics that intersect and contribute to who we are. GBA+ considers many other identity factors such as race, ethnicity, immigrant status, religion, age, presence of a mental or physical disability, and how the interaction between these factors influences the way we experience government policies and initiatives.

The data presented here highlight differences in housing experiences for Canadian men, women and gender diverse individuals. Compared to men, women were more likely to live in unaffordable housing and be in core housing need. Gender diverse individuals were more likely to live in a dwelling requiring major repairs.

Table 7
Housing indicators for men, women and gender diverse individuals, Canada, 2018
Table summary
This table displays the results of Housing indicators for men Men, Women and Gender diverse, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
	percent
	Men	Women	Gender diverse
In an owner-occupied dwelling	74	73	57
In household spending 30% or more of income on shelter costs	17	19^Note *	25
In unsuitable housing	9	10	18
In dwelling requiring major repairs	7	7	29^Note *
In core housing need	8	10^Note *	13
Note * Statistically different from men at the 95% confidence level. Return to note * referrer Source: 2018 Canadian Housing Survey

More information on GBA+ can be found at the Government of Canada’s Status of Women web page.

More information on the housing experiences of other subpopulations, broken down by age and gender groups, immigrant status, population groups designated as visible minorities, Indigenous populations and other groups, can be found in the additional fact sheets on the Housing Experiences in Canada issue page. Additional data products that focus more on an intersectional GBA+ analysis of housing experiences will also be released through the Housing Experiences in Canada issue page.

Dwelling satisfaction

According to the 2018 CHS, approximately 83% of households said that they were satisfied with their dwelling.

By tenure, 88% of households in owner-occupied dwellings lived in homes where the reference person was satisfied with their dwelling. This is higher than the 71% of households living in rented dwellings where the reference person was satisfied.

When focusing on owner-occupied households, households in owner-occupied dwellings without a mortgage (90%) were more likely to be satisfied with their dwelling than households with a mortgage (86%).

For renter households, the rate of dwelling satisfaction was similar regardless of whether there was a subsidy for the dwelling.

Table 8
Overall dwelling satisfaction for the population in private dwellings, Canada, 2018
Table summary
This table displays the results of Overall dwelling satisfaction for the population in private dwellings All households and All persons, calculated using count and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
	count	percent	count	percent
	All households		All persons
Total, overall dwelling satisfaction	14,790,400	100	36,444,100	100
Satisfied (or very satisfied) with dwelling overall	12,221,300	83	29,977,600	82
Owner	8,908,000	88^{Table 8 Note †}^{Table 8 Note ‡}	23,295,900	87^{Table 8 Note †}^{Table 8 Note ‡}
With a mortgage	5,111,100	86^{Table 8 Note †}^{Table 8 Note ‡}	15,267,800	86^{Table 8 Note ‡}
Without a mortgage	3,796,900	90^{Table 8 Note †}^{Table 8 Note ‡}	8,028,100	89^{Table 8 Note †}^{Table 8 Note ‡}
Renter	3,313,300	71^Note *^{Table 8 Note †}^{Table 8 Note ‡}	6,681,700	69^{Table 8 Note †}^{Table 8 Note ‡}
Subsidized housing	428,700	73^Note *	775,800	67
Not subsidized housing	2,879,600	71^Note *	5,892,600	69
Note * Estimate for all households is significantly different than all persons at the 95% level Return to note * referrer Note † Estimate for all households or all persons by tenure type is significantly different than tenure subtotal at the 95% level Return to note † referrer Note ‡ Estimate for all households or all persons by tenure type is significantly different than tenure counterpart at the 95% level Return to note ‡ referrer Source: 2018 Canadian Housing Survey

Neighbourhood satisfaction

At the time of the 2018 CHS, 86% of households indicated that they were satisfied with their neighbourhood.

By tenure, 88% of households in owner-occupied dwellings lived in homes where the reference person was satisfied with their neighbourhood. This is higher than the 80% of households in rented dwellings where the reference person was satisfied.

For households in owner-occupied dwellings, the rate of neighbourhood satisfaction was higher for households without a mortgage (89%) than households with a mortgage (87%).^Note 4

For renter households, the rate of neighbourhood satisfaction was lower for those in subsidized housing. The proportion of renter households that were satisfied with their neighbourhood was 76% for those in subsidized housing and 81% for those not in subsidized housing.^Note 5

Table 9
Overall neighbourhood satisfaction for the population in private dwellings, Canada, 2018
Table summary
This table displays the results of Overall neighbourhood satisfaction for the population in private dwellings All households and All persons, calculated using count and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
	count	percent	count	percent
	All households		All persons
Total, overall neighbourhood satisfaction	14,790,400	100	36,444,100	100
Satisfied (or very satisfied) with neighbourhood overall	12,653,500	86	31,255,800	86
Owner	8,912,200	88^{Table 9 Note †}^{Table 9 Note ‡}	23,504,200	88^{Table 9 Note †}^{Table 9 Note ‡}
With a mortgage	5,144,000	87^{Table 9 Note ‡}	15,494,800	88^{Table 9 Note ‡}
Without a mortgage	3,768,100	89^{Table 9 Note †}^{Table 9 Note ‡}	8,009,400	89^{Table 9 Note ‡}
Renter	3,741,300	80^{Table 9 Note †}^{Table 9 Note ‡}	7,751,600	80^{Table 9 Note †}^{Table 9 Note ‡}
Subsidized housing	449,100	76^Note *^{Table 9 Note †}^{Table 9 Note ‡}	840,500	72^{Table 9 Note †}^{Table 9 Note ‡}
Not subsidized housing	3,287,100	81^{Table 9 Note ‡}	6,897,100	80^{Table 9 Note ‡}
Note * Estimate for all households is significantly different than all persons at the 95% level Return to note * referrer Note † Estimate for all households or all persons by tenure type is significantly different than tenure subtotal at the 95% level Return to note † referrer Note ‡ Estimate for all households or all persons by tenure type is significantly different than tenure counterpart at the 95% level Return to note ‡ referrer Source: 2018 Canadian Housing Survey

Household living arrangements

Household living arrangements refer to whether a person lives with another person or people, and, if so, whether they are related to that person or those people. Households can be further differentiated based on whether they are census family households or non-census-family households. Census family households contain at least one census family.^Note 6 Non-census-family households are either one person living alone or a group of two or more people who live together but do not constitute a census family (for example, roommates).

According to the 2018 Canadian Housing Survey (CHS), there were 14,790,400 private households in Canada with 36,444,100 persons living in these households.

Almost two-thirds (65%) of households were one-census-family households which accounted for 79% of the population. Of one-census-family households, couple families with children (28%) were just as common as those without children (28%). Of one-census-family households, one parent families (9%) were the least common.

Non-census-family households accounted for 33% of all households, while only accounting for 16% of the total population. This is a result of the large proportion of one-person households in this group, which accounted for 29% of all households, the second largest group of households in Canada. Despite accounting for such a large share of households, the population in one-person households only accounted for 12% of the total population.

Table 10
Household living arrangements for the population in private dwellings, Canada, 2018
Table summary
This table displays the results of Household living arrangements for the population in private dwellings All households and All persons, calculated using count and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
	count	percent	count	percent
	All households		All persons
Total, household type	14,790,400	100	36,444,100	100
One-census-family household^{Table 10 Note 1}	9,639,200	65^Note *	28,959,300	79
Couple family without children	4,156,700	28^Note *	8,583,600	24
Couple family with children	4,113,900	28^Note *	16,782,900	46
One parent family	1,368,600	9	3,592,800	10
Multiple-census-family household^{Table 10 Note 1}	313,300	2^Note *	1,799,100	5
Non-census-family household	4,837,900	33^Note *	5,685,800	16
One-person household	4,243,100	29^Note *	4,243,300	12
Two- or more person household	594,800	4	1,442,400	4
Note * Estimate for all households is significantly different than all persons at the 95% level Return to note * referrer Note 1 One-census-family households and multiple-census-family households may include additional persons that do not belong to a census family. Return to note 1 referrer Note: Figures may not add up to 100% because of rounding Source: 2018 Canadian Housing Survey

Interpreting the results

The Canadian Housing Survey (CHS) is a representative sample survey drawn from a frame of private dwellings across Canada. Since the survey sample is drawn from private households, individuals living in the following forms of housing are not included in the data:

people living on reserves and in other Indigenous settlements
official representatives of foreign countries living in Canada, and their families
members of religious and other communal colonies
members of the Canadian Armed Forces living on military bases
people living in seniors’ residences
people living full time in institutions (e.g., inmates of penal institutions, and chronic care patients living in hospitals and nursing homes)
people living in other types of collective dwellings (e.g., shelters, campgrounds and hotels).

The survey results are an outcome of the sampling procedure that estimates a true value with an acceptable level of uncertainty. Therefore, it is not recommended to compare any two numbers published above unless the comparison is made in the text. This fact sheet features three types of comparisons:

comparisons of estimates between the focus population group and the total population (for example, the percentage of households in rented dwellings in core housing need, compared with the percentage of the total population in rented dwellings core housing need)
comparisons of estimates between a category and the category total within the focus population group (for example, the percentage of households in rented dwellings in core housing need, compared with the percentage of all households in core housing need)
comparisons of estimates between categories within the focus population group (for example, the percentage of households in rented dwellings in core housing need, compared with the percentage of households in owner-occupied dwellings in core housing need).

Each of these three comparisons provides a different insight to understand the housing experiences of the focus population group. A statistical test is conducted to see whether the two estimates are different from one another at the 95% confidence level—often stated as 19 times in 20. The test results are presented for percentage statistics in the tables on relative prevalence or median shelter costs only; test results are omitted for statistics on the associated number of people.

When other comparisons are made between sample results presented in the fact sheets or data tables, it is important to remember that it cannot be concluded with a degree of certainty that the observed difference is not attributable to variation from the sampling procedure.

About the data

The estimates presented in this fact sheet are from the 2018 Canadian Housing Survey (CHS). Additional socioeconomic and demographic highlights are from the 2016 Census of Population. For detailed information on the CHS or any of the indicators in this fact sheet, please refer to the following:

Notes

Note 1

A household is considered to own its dwelling if a member of the household owns it, even if it is not fully paid for (for example, if there is a mortgage or another claim on it). A household is considered to rent its dwelling if no member of the household owns it. A household is considered to rent its dwelling even if the dwelling is provided without cash rent or at a reduced rent, or if the dwelling is part of a cooperative.

Return to note 1 referrer

Note 2

'Rent subsidy' refers to whether a renter household lives in a dwelling that is subsidized. Subsidized housing includes rent geared to income, social housing, public housing, government-assisted housing, non-profit housing, rent supplements and housing allowances.

Return to note 2 referrer

Note 3

In 1986, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the provinces agreed to use the 30% threshold to measure affordability for the purposes of defining need for social housing. This agreement was reached during the development of federal and provincial social housing programs. Research on housing affordability in the territories often uses the same threshold.

Return to note 3 referrer

Note 4

The difference in the neighbourhood satisfaction rate between all households in owner-occupied dwellings and all households in owner-occupied dwellings with a mortgage is not statistically significant.

Return to note 4 referrer

Note 5

The difference in the neighbourhood satisfaction rate between all households in rented dwellings and all households in rented dwellings without a subsidy is not statistically significant.

Return to note 5 referrer

Note 6

A census family is defined as a married couple and the children, if any, of either or both spouses; a couple living common law and the children, if any, of either or both partners; or a lone parent of any marital status with at least one child living in the same dwelling and that child or those children. All members of a particular census family live in the same dwelling. A couple may be of opposite or same sex. Children may be children by birth, marriage, common-law union or adoption regardless of their age or marital status as long as they live in the dwelling and do not have their own married spouse, common-law partner or child living in the dwelling. Grandchildren living with their grandparent(s) but with no parents present also constitute a census family.

Return to note 6 referrer

Date modified:: 2025-10-27

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Housing Statistics in Canada
Housing experiences in Canada: Total population in 2018

Highlights from the 2016 Census: Total population

Tenure status of household

Shelter costs

Housing affordability

Housing suitability

Condition of dwelling

Core housing need

Housing experiences of Canadian men, women and gender diverse individuals

Dwelling satisfaction

Neighbourhood satisfaction

Household living arrangements

Interpreting the results

About the data

Housing Statistics in Canada Housing experiences in Canada: Total population in 2018

Highlights from the 2016 Census: Total population

Tenure status of household

Shelter costs

Housing affordability

Housing suitability

Condition of dwelling

Core housing need

Dwelling satisfaction

Neighbourhood satisfaction

Household living arrangements

Interpreting the results

Note of appreciation

Standards of service to the public

Copyright

Housing Statistics in Canada
Housing experiences in Canada: Total population in 2018