Housing Statistics in Canada
Housing experiences in Canada: Chinese people in 2018

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: Chinese population

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Highlights from the 2016 Census: Chinese population

  • Percent of the population: 4.6%
  • Average age: 39 years
  • Median household incomeNote 1: $64,893
  • Unemployment rate: 7.9%
  • Percent in rural areas: 1.4%
  • Percent who are immigrants: 65.3%

This fact sheet focuses on the Chinese population living in private dwellings. Statistics below are derived from the 2018 Canadian Housing Survey (CHS). For the purposes of this analysis, Chinese people were identified based on survey responses of the reference person for the household.Note 1 The reference person provides information on the characteristics of each household member. More fact sheets are available on the Housing Experiences in Canada series 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 Chinese people living in private dwellings, 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 2 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, 85% of 1,906,900 Chinese people lived in a private dwelling owned by a member of their household in 2018. This was larger than the share of the total population (73%) living in owner-occupied dwellings.

The 1,612,000 Chinese people who owned their homes or lived with someone who owned their homes can be further divided into the 1,018,200 Chinese people (53%) who lived in a dwelling with a mortgage and the remaining 593,800 Chinese people (31%) who lived in a dwelling without a mortgage. Chinese people were more likely to live in an owner-occupied dwelling without a mortgage than the total population (25%).

The remaining 294,900 Chinese people who lived in rented dwellings can be further divided into the 20,800 Chinese people (1%) living in subsidized housing and the 274,000 Chinese people (14%) not living in subsidized housing. Chinese people were less likely to live in rented dwellings (15%) than the total population (27%) and were less likely to live in subsidized rental housing (1%, compared with 3% for the total population).


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 Chinese population and Total population, calculated using count and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Chinese population Total population
count percent count percent
Total, tenure status 1,906,900 100 36,444,100 100
Owner 1,612,000 85Note * 26,694,500 73
With a mortgage 1,018,200 53Note * 17,696,300 49
Without a mortgage 593,800 31Note * 8,998,100 25
Renter 294,900 15Note * 9,749,700 27
Subsidized housing 20,800 1Note * 1,160,700 3
Not subsidized housing 274,000 14Note * 8,570,300 24

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 costs paid by Chinese households was $1,330 in 2018.Note 3 This was higher than the median shelter costs of $1,050 for all private households.

Chinese households in owner-occupied dwellings had higher median shelter costs than all owner households, but the costs for renter households were comparable. The median shelter costs paid by Chinese households in owner-occupied dwellings was $1,540, compared with $1,140 for all households. The difference in median shelter costs between Chinese households and all households in rented dwellings was not statistically significant.

The median shelter costs 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. Chinese households with a mortgage on their dwelling ($2,310) paid more per month in median shelter costs than all households in owner-occupied dwellings with a mortgage ($1,770). Median shelter costs for owner-occupied dwellings without a mortgage were also higher for Chinese households ($600) than for all households ($540).

Similarly, the median shelter costs paid by renter households usually depends on the presence of a rent subsidy.Note 4 Chinese households in rented dwellings with a subsidy ($550) had similar median monthly shelter costs as all households in rented dwellings with a subsidy ($530). Median shelter costs for Chinese households in rented dwellings without a subsidy ($1,170) were higher than the shelter costs for all households in rented dwellings without a subsidy ($1,010).Note 5


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 Chinese households and All households, calculated using median (dollars) units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Chinese households All households
median (dollars)
Total, tenure status 1,330Note * 1,050
Owner 1,540Note * Table 2 Note  1,140
With a mortgage 2,310Note * Table 2 Note  Table 2 Note  1,770
Without a mortgage 600Note * Table 2 Note  Table 2 Note  540
Renter 1,100Table 2 Note  Table 2 Note  960
Subsidized housing 550Table 2 Note  Table 2 Note  530
Not subsidized housing 1,170Note * Table 2 Note  1,010

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 6

According to the 2018 CHS, 604,900 Chinese people (32%) lived in households that spent more than 30% of their total household income on shelter. This was higher than the 18% of the total population who lived in private households which spent more than 30% of their total household income on shelter.

Chinese people in owner-occupied dwellings (32%) were more likely to be in unaffordable housing than the total population in owner-occupied dwellings (15%). For Chinese people in renter households (31%), the difference in the rate of unaffordable housing compared with the total population (26%) was not statistically significant.

Focusing on Chinese people in owner-occupied dwellings, those in households with a mortgage were more likely to be in unaffordable housing than the total population. The proportion of Chinese people living in unaffordable housing was 48% for those in households with a mortgage and 21% for the total population.

The rate of unaffordable housing was higher for Chinese people in renter households with a subsidy (50%) when compared to their counterparts in the total population (23%).Note 7


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 Chinese population and Total population, calculated using count and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Chinese population Total population
count percent count percent
Total, shelter-cost-to-income ratioTable 3 Note 1 1,878,000 100 35,669,100 100
Spending more than 30% of income on shelter costs 604,900 32Note * 6,400,200 18
Owner 517,800 32Note * 3,895,800 15
With a mortgage 480,000 48Note * Table 3 Note  Table 3 Note  3,568,600 21
Without a mortgage 37,800 6Table 3 Note  Table 3 Note  327,200 4
Renter 87,100 31 2,504,400 26
Subsidized housing 9,800 50Note * 269,500 23
Not subsidized housing 77,400 29 2,232,300 26

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, 144,400 Chinese people (8%) 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.

Chinese people in owner-occupied dwellings (6%) were less likely to be in unsuitable housing than Chinese people in renter households (18%). This difference was also reflected in the total population. The share of the population living in unsuitable housing was lower for individuals in owner-occupied dwellings (6%) than those in renter households (19%).

Differences in rates of unsuitable housing for Chinese people by presence of a mortgage for those in owner-occupied households, or by presence of a housing subsidy for those in renter households, were not statistically significant.


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 Chinese population and Total population, calculated using count and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Chinese population Total population
count percent count percent
Total, housing suitability 1,906,900 100 36,444,100 100
Not suitable 144,400 8 3,408,400 9
Owner 90,400 6Table 4 Note  1,599,500 6
With a mortgage 68,300 7 1,307,600 7
Without a mortgage 22,000 4 291,900 3
Renter 54,000 18Table 4 Note  Table 4 Note  1,808,900 19
Subsidized housing 2,200 10 227,000 20
Not subsidized housing 51,800 19 1,578,200 18

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, 5% of all Chinese people lived in private dwellings that were in need of major repairs. This rate was the same for Chinese people in all owner-occupied dwellings, regardless of the presence of a mortgage.

Chinese people in rented dwellings (4%) were less likely to be living in a dwelling in need of major repairs than the total population in rented dwellings (9%). This was also true when comparing Chinese people in renter households without a subsidy (3%) to their counterparts in the total population (9%).Note 8 Other differences in proportion of Chinese people living in dwellings in need of major repairs by other housing tenure types are not statistically significant.


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 Chinese population and Total population, calculated using count and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Chinese population Total population
count percent count percent
Total, dwelling condition 1,906,900 100 36,444,100 100
Dwelling in need of major repairs 94,000 5 2,556,400 7
Owner 82,800 5 1,657,400 6
With a mortgage 52,700 5 1,162,500 7
Without a mortgage 30,100 5 494,900 5
Renter 11,300 4Note * 899,000 9
Subsidized housing 3,000 14 134,000 12
Not subsidized housing 8,300 3Note * 761,800 9

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, 15% of Chinese people were living in households in core housing need. This is higher than the 9% of the total population in core housing need.

Chinese people in owner-occupied dwellings (14%) were more likely to be in core housing need than the total population in owner-occupied dwellings (5%). This was different for renter households, where the difference in the rates of core housing need for Chinese people and the total population was not statistically significant.

The incidence of core housing need was higher for Chinese people in owner-occupied dwellings with a mortgage, but comparable for those without a mortgage. Among Chinese people in owner-occupied dwellings with a mortgage, 18% were in core housing need, compared with 6% of the total population.Note 9 Among Chinese people in owner-occupied dwellings without a mortgage, 8% were in core housing need, compared with 4% of the total population.

Similarly, the incidence of core housing need varied for renters depending on whether there was a rent subsidy. Among Chinese people in renter households with a subsidy, 48% were in core housing need, while the rate was 19% for those without a subsidy.Note 10


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 Chinese population and Total population, calculated using count and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Chinese population Total population
count percent count percent
Total, core housing needTable 6 Note 1 1,793,400 100 35,128,000 100
In core housing need 270,100 15Note * 3,151,900 9
Owner 215,400 14Note * 1,358,700 5
With a mortgage 170,900 18Note * Table 6 Note  982,800 6
Without a mortgage 44,400 8Table 6 Note  Table 6 Note  375,900 4
Renter 54,800 21 1,793,200 19
Subsidized housing 8,500 48Table 6 Note  Table 6 Note  342,000 30
Not subsidized housing 46,200 19Table 6 Note  1,447,300 18

Housing experiences of Chinese men and women

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 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 Chinese men and women. Compared to Chinese men, Chinese women were just as likely to live in owner-occupied dwellings, unaffordable housing, unsuitable housing, dwellings requiring major repairs, and be in core housing need.


Table 7
Housing indicators for Chinese men and women, Canada, 2018
Table summary
This table displays the results of Housing indicators for Chinese men and women Chinese men and Chinese women, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Chinese men Chinese women
percent
In an owner-occupied dwelling 85 84
In household spending 30% or more of income on shelter costs 32 32
In unsuitable housing 7 8
In dwelling requiring major repairs 4 6
In core housing need 15 15

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 as they become available.

Dwelling satisfaction

According to the 2018 CHS, approximately 74% of Chinese people were in homes where the reference person said that they were satisfied with their dwelling. This is lower than the proportion of the total population satisfied with their dwelling (82%).

By tenure, 76% of Chinese people in owner-occupied dwellings lived in households where the reference person was satisfied with the dwelling. This is lower than the 87% of the total population in owner-occupied dwellings where the reference person was satisfied.

Focusing on Chinese people in owner-occupied dwellings, those with a mortgage (75%) had a lower dwelling satisfaction rate than the total population with a mortgage (86%).Note 11 Chinese people without a mortgage (78%) were also less likely to be satisfied with their dwelling than the total population without a mortgage (89%).Note 12

Differences in rates of dwelling satisfaction for Chinese people in rented dwellings, regardless of the presence of a subsidy, were not statistically significant.


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 Chinese population and Total population, calculated using count and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Chinese population Total population
count percent count percent
Total, overall dwelling satisfaction 1,906,900 100 36,444,100 100
Satisfied (or very satisfied) with dwelling overall 1,405,500 74Note * 29,977,600 82
Owner 1,225,400 76Note * Table 8 Note  23,295,900 87
With a mortgage 759,400 75Note * 15,267,800 86
Without a mortgage 466,000 78Note * 8,028,100 89
Renter 180,100 61Table 8 Note  Table 8 Note  6,681,700 69
Subsidized housing 14,700 70 775,800 67
Not subsidized housing 165,400 60 5,892,600 69

Neighbourhood satisfaction

At the time of the 2018 CHS, 78% of Chinese people lived in households where the reference person indicated that they were satisfied with their neighbourhood. This is lower than the proportion of the total population satisfied with their neighbourhood (86%).

By tenure, 79% of Chinese people in owner-occupied dwellings lived in households where the reference person was satisfied with their neighbourhood. This is lower than the 88% of the total population in owner-occupied dwellings where the reference person was satisfied. For Chinese people in renter households (75%), the rate of neighbourhood satisfaction was comparable to the total population in renter households (80%).

Chinese people in owner-occupied dwellings with a mortgage (80%) had lower rates of neighbourhood satisfaction than the total population with a mortgage (88%).Note 13 Chinese people without a mortgage (78%) were also less likely to be satisfied with their neighbourhood than the total population without a mortgage (89%).Note 14

Differences in rates of neighbourhood satisfaction for Chinese people by presence of a subsidy for those in rented dwellings were not statistically significant.


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 Chinese population and Total population, calculated using count and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Chinese population Total population
count percent count percent
Total, overall neighbourhood satisfaction 1,906,900 100 36,444,100 100
Satisfied (or very satisfied) with neighbourhood overall 1,496,600 78Note * 31,255,800 86
Owner 1,276,400 79Note * 23,504,200 88
With a mortgage 813,600 80Note * 15,494,800 88
Without a mortgage 462,800 78Note * 8,009,400 89
Renter 220,200 75 7,751,600 80
Subsidized housing 15,900 77 840,500 72
Not subsidized housing 204,300 75 6,897,100 80

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 15 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 CHS, about three quarters (76%) of Chinese people lived as part of a one-census-family household. Chinese people in one-census-family households were more likely to live in a couple family with children (48%) than without (18%). Chinese people (10%) were just as likely to live in a one parent family household as the total population (10%).

Living in a non-census-family household was less common for Chinese people (12%) than the total population (16%). This is because a small proportion of Chinese people lived alone (7%). By comparison, 12% of the total population in private households in Canada lived alone.


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 Chinese population and Total population, calculated using count and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Chinese population Total population
count percent count percent
Total, household type 1,906,900 100 36,444,100 100
One-census-family householdTable 10 Note 1 1,447,000 76 28,959,300 79
Couple family without children 335,400 18Note * 8,583,600 24
Couple family with children 913,200 48 16,782,900 46
One parent family 198,500 10 3,592,800 10
Multiple-census-family householdTable 10 Note 1 224,200 12Note * 1,799,100 5
Non-census-family household 235,700 12Note * 5,685,800 16
One-person household 126,600 7Note * 4,243,300 12
Two- or more person household 109,100 6Note * 1,442,400 4

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:

  1. comparisons of estimates between the focus population group and the total population (for example, the percentage of Chinese people in rented dwellings in core housing need, compared with the percentage of the total population in rented dwellings in core housing need)
  2. comparisons of estimates between a category and the category total within the focus population group (for example, the percentage of Chinese people in rented dwellings in core housing need, compared with the percentage of all Chinese people in core housing need)
  3. comparisons of estimates between categories within the focus population group (for example, the percentage of Chinese people in rented dwellings in core housing need, compared with the percentage of Chinese people 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:


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