Housing Statistics in Canada
Housing Experiences in Canada: Children in 2016
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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.
This fact sheet focuses on children aged 0 to 17 years living in private dwellings.Note The statistics below are derived from the 2016 Census. For the purposes of this analysis, children were identified based on responses to age-related questions on the census questionnaire. Since this fact sheet focuses on children in private dwellings, those living in collective dwellings are not included in the data.Note 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.” This right is also noted in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Canada has recognized every child’s right to a standard of living adequate for their physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development. It has also recognized the obligation to take appropriate measures to assist parents and others responsible for children to fulfill this right, including a particular regard for housing.
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 children living in private dwellings using the following indicators collected and produced by Statistics Canada: tenure status of household, shelter costs, housing affordability and suitability, condition of dwelling, core housing need, 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 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 2016 Census, children lived in private dwellings owned by a member of their household at a similar rate as the total population in 2016. Of the 7,001,530 children in Canada, 70.8% lived in a private dwelling owned by a member of their household, compared with 71.6% of the total population.
The proportion of children living in rented dwellings (26.7%) was similar to that of the total population (26.6%), but children (4.5%) were more likely to live in subsidized rented dwellings than the total population (3.3%). Of the 1,872,770 children who lived in rented dwellings, 314,970, or 4.5% of all children, lived in subsidized housing, and 1,557,795, or 22.2% of all children, lived in non-subsidized rental housing.
Of the 4,955,490 children who lived in owner-occupied dwellings, 4,304,645, or 61.5% of all children, lived in a dwelling with a mortgage, and the remaining 650,850, or 9.3% of all children, lived in a dwelling without a mortgage. Children (9.3%) were less likely to live in an owner-occupied dwelling without a mortgage than the total population (23.3%).
| Children | Total population | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| count | percent | count | percent | |
| Total, tenure status | 7,001,530 | 100.0 | 34,460,065 | 100.0 |
| Owner | 4,955,490 | 70.8 | 24,683,880 | 71.6 |
| With a mortgage | 4,304,645 | 61.5 | 16,670,675 | 48.4 |
| Without a mortgage | 650,850 | 9.3 | 8,013,205 | 23.3 |
| Renter | 1,872,770 | 26.7 | 9,164,150 | 26.6 |
| Subsidized housing | 314,970 | 4.5 | 1,135,275 | 3.3 |
| Not subsidized housing | 1,557,795 | 22.2 | 8,028,875 | 23.3 |
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Note: Figures may not add up to 100% because of rounding. Source: 2016 Census of Population |
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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 households with children ($1,490) was higher than the median shelter cost paid by all households ($1,020) in 2016.Note
Households with children in rented and owner-occupied dwellings also had higher median shelter costs than all households in dwellings of the same tenure status. For households with children in rented dwellings, the median shelter cost was $1,070, compared with $910 for all renter households. The median shelter cost paid by households with children in owner-occupied dwellings was $1,680, compared with $1,130 for all households.
The median shelter cost paid by renter households usually depends on the presence of a rent subsidy.Note Households with children in rented dwellings with a subsidy ($612) and without one ($1,130) had higher median monthly shelter costs, compared with all households in rented dwellings of the same subsidy status. The median shelter cost was $524 for all households with a subsidy and $960 for all households without one.
The median shelter cost paid by households in owner-occupied dwellings is typically larger when there is a mortgage, which can represent a large portion of monthly shelter costs. Households with children with a mortgage on their dwelling ($1,820) paid more per month in median shelter costs than all households in owner-occupied dwellings with a mortgage ($1,620). Similarly, median shelter costs for households with children without a mortgage ($624) were higher than those for all households ($540).
| Households with children | All households | |
|---|---|---|
| median (dollars) | ||
| Total, shelter costsTable 2 Note 1 | 1,490 | 1,020 |
| Owner | 1,680 | 1,130 |
| With a mortgage | 1,820 | 1,620 |
| Without a mortgage | 624 | 540 |
| Renter | 1,070 | 910 |
| Subsidized housing | 612 | 524 |
| Not subsidized housing | 1,130 | 960 |
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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
According to the 2016 Census, children were more likely to live in households that spent more than 30% of their total household income on shelter; 1,471,010 children (21.7%) lived in households that spent more than 30% of their total income on shelter, compared with 20.0% of the total population.
Children in owner-occupied dwellings (17.1%) were more likely to live in unaffordable housing than the total population in owner-occupied dwellings (14.7%). This was different for children in rented dwellings (33.9%), where the rate of unaffordable housing was similar to that of the total population (34.5%).
For those living in owner-occupied dwellings, the rate of unaffordable housing differed depending on the presence of a mortgage. Children in households with a mortgage (19.1%) experienced unaffordable housing at a similar rate as the total population (19.6%), while the proportion of children in households without a mortgage who were living in unaffordable housing (3.5%) was lower than that of the total population (4.4%).
The rate of unaffordable housing was lower for children in renter households with a subsidy (23.3%) than the total population in households with a subsidy (32.3%). However, it was higher for children in renter households without a subsidy (36.1%), compared with the total population without a subsidy (34.8%).
| Children | Total population | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| count | percent | count | percent | |
| Total, shelter-cost-to-income ratioTable 3 Note 1 | 6,773,485 | 100.0 | 33,642,820 | 100.0 |
| Spending more than 30% of income on shelter costs | 1,471,010 | 21.7 | 6,742,050 | 20.0 |
| Owner | 843,505 | 17.1 | 3,605,535 | 14.7 |
| With a mortgage | 821,110 | 19.1 | 3,257,230 | 19.6 |
| Without a mortgage | 22,395 | 3.5 | 348,300 | 4.4 |
| Renter | 627,510 | 33.9 | 3,136,520 | 34.5 |
| Subsidized housing | 71,750 | 23.3 | 361,270 | 32.3 |
| Not subsidized housing | 555,760 | 36.1 | 2,775,245 | 34.8 |
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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 2016 Census, children were more likely to live in unsuitable housing, with 992,810 (14.2%) living in unsuitable housing, compared with 8.9% of the total population. This means that there were not enough bedrooms in the dwelling to meet the needs of the household, according to the NOS.
Children in rented and owner-occupied dwellings were also more likely to live in unsuitable housing than the total population. Of all children living in rented dwellings, 29.8% lived in unsuitable housing; this was also the case for 7.7% of children in owner-occupied dwellings. For the total population, 17.8% of individuals living in rented dwellings lived in unsuitable housing, along with 5.4% of individuals in owner-occupied dwellings.
Children in renter households with and without a subsidy had higher rates of unsuitable housing than the total population. There was a 10.3 percentage point difference in the unsuitable housing rate for children (29.5%) and the total population (19.2%) living in subsidized housing, and a 12.3 percentage point difference in the unsuitable housing rate for children (29.9%) and the total population (17.6%) living in non-subsidized housing.
When owner-occupied dwellings are differentiated by the presence of a mortgage, children living in dwellings without a mortgage (9.9%) experienced unsuitable housing at a rate nearly three times higher than the total population in dwellings without a mortgage (3.4%). The difference was less pronounced for children in owner-occupied dwellings with a mortgage, where the rate of unsuitable housing was 7.4%, compared with 6.4% for the total population.
| Children | Total population | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| count | percent | count | percent | |
| Total, housing suitability | 7,001,525 | 100.0 | 34,460,065 | 100.0 |
| Not suitable | 992,810 | 14.2 | 3,081,315 | 8.9 |
| Owner | 382,340 | 7.7 | 1,335,345 | 5.4 |
| With a mortgage | 317,895 | 7.4 | 1,062,985 | 6.4 |
| Without a mortgage | 64,445 | 9.9 | 272,365 | 3.4 |
| Renter | 558,120 | 29.8 | 1,631,845 | 17.8 |
| Subsidized housing | 93,050 | 29.5 | 218,130 | 19.2 |
| Not subsidized housing | 465,075 | 29.9 | 1,413,720 | 17.6 |
| Source: 2016 Census of Population | ||||
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.
According to the 2016 Census, children (7.7%) were more likely to live in private dwellings in need of major repairs than the total population (6.7%).
This difference was mainly driven by children living in rented dwellings (10.9%) that were in need of major repairs at a higher rate than the total population (8.8%). Children lived in owner-occupied dwellings in need of major repairs (5.8%) at a similar rate as the total population (5.5%).
Among children in renter households, 14.6% of those with a subsidy lived in dwellings in need of major repairs, while the rate was 10.2% for those in renter households without a subsidy. Both of these proportions are higher than those for the total population in rented dwellings with a subsidy (11.6%) and without one (8.4%).
For owner-occupied dwellings with a mortgage, children (5.7%) lived in dwellings in need of major repairs at the same rate as the total population living in owner-occupied dwellings with a mortgage (5.7%). The proportion of children living in owner-occupied dwellings without a mortgage (6.5%) was higher than that of the total population without a mortgage (4.9%).
| Children | Total population | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| count | percent | count | percent | |
| Total, dwelling condition | 7,001,530 | 100.0 | 34,460,065 | 100.0 |
| Dwelling in need of major repairs | 542,050 | 7.7 | 2,298,760 | 6.7 |
| Owner | 286,695 | 5.8 | 1,351,740 | 5.5 |
| With a mortgage | 244,095 | 5.7 | 956,105 | 5.7 |
| Without a mortgage | 42,600 | 6.5 | 395,640 | 4.9 |
| Renter | 204,120 | 10.9 | 807,125 | 8.8 |
| Subsidized housing | 45,985 | 14.6 | 131,670 | 11.6 |
| Not subsidized housing | 158,145 | 10.2 | 675,460 | 8.4 |
| Source: 2016 Census of Population | ||||
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 2016 Census, children (13.3%) were more likely to live in households in core housing need than the total population (10.6%), owing mainly to the difference in rates among renters.
Children in rented dwellings (32.3%) were in core housing need at a higher rate than the total population in rented dwellings (25.3%). The difference was smaller for children in owner households, where the proportion of children in owner-occupied dwellings in core housing need was 6.4%, compared with 5.4% for the total population in owner-occupied dwellings.
The incidence of core housing need varied for renters, depending on whether there was a rent subsidy. Children in renter households without a subsidy (30.6%) were more likely to be in core housing need than the total population without a subsidy (23.2%). The rate of core housing need was similar for children (40.7%) and the total population (39.9%) in rented dwellings with a subsidy.
The incidence of core housing need was similar for children in owner-occupied dwellings with and without a mortgage, compared with the total population. Among children in owner-occupied dwellings with a mortgage, 6.6% were in core housing need, compared with 6.0% of the total population. For children in owner-occupied dwellings without a mortgage, 5.0% were in core housing need, compared with 4.3% of the total population.
| Children | Total population | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| count | percent | count | percent | |
| Total, core housing needTable 6 Note 1 | 6,611,240 | 100.0 | 32,803,125 | 100.0 |
| In core housing need | 879,865 | 13.3 | 3,492,080 | 10.6 |
| Owner | 309,530 | 6.4 | 1,307,620 | 5.4 |
| With a mortgage | 277,835 | 6.6 | 971,150 | 6.0 |
| Without a mortgage | 31,690 | 5.0 | 336,470 | 4.3 |
| Renter | 570,335 | 32.3 | 2,184,455 | 25.3 |
| Subsidized housing | 122,245 | 40.7 | 433,190 | 39.9 |
| Not subsidized housing | 448,095 | 30.6 | 1,751,265 | 23.2 |
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Housing experiences of boys and girls
In 1995, the Government of Canada committed to using Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) 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 Canadian 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 Plus 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 Plus is not just about differences between people on the basis of gender. Everyone has multiple characteristics that intersect and contribute to who they are. GBA Plus 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 people experience government policies and initiatives.
The data presented here highlight differences in housing experiences for boys and girls. Compared to boys, girls were just as likely to live in owner-occupied dwellings, unaffordable housing, unsuitable housing, a dwelling requiring major repairs, and be in core housing need.
| Boys | Girls | |
|---|---|---|
| percent | ||
| In an owner-occupied dwelling | 70.8 | 70.8 |
| In a household spending 30% or more of income on shelter costsTable 7 Note 1 | 21.8 | 21.6 |
| In unsuitable housing | 14.1 | 14.3 |
| In a dwelling requiring major repairs | 7.8 | 7.7 |
| In core housing needTable 7 Note 2 | 13.3 | 13.3 |
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More information on GBA Plus 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 Plus analysis of housing experiences will also be released through the Housing Experiences in Canada issue page as they become available.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 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 2016 Census, the vast majority of children in one-census-family households (75.2%) lived in couple families with children. For the total population, 45.7% of individuals lived in a one-census-family household with children, and 22.5% without children. Children (18.1%) were more likely to live in a one-parent-family household than the total population (11.3%).
Most of the remaining children (6.3%) lived in multiple-census-family households. Children tended to live in multiple-census-family households at a higher rate than the total population (5.1%).
| Children | Total population | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| count | percent | count | percent | |
| Total, household type | 7,001,530 | 100.0 | 34,460,065 | 100.0 |
| One-census-family householdTable 8 Note 1 | 6,543,535 | 93.5 | 27,414,900 | 79.6 |
| Couple family without children | 15,445 | 0.2 | 7,761,355 | 22.5 |
| Couple family with children | 5,262,165 | 75.2 | 15,754,465 | 45.7 |
| One-parent family | 1,265,925 | 18.1 | 3,899,085 | 11.3 |
| Multiple-census-family householdTable 8 Note 1 | 438,745 | 6.3 | 1,746,110 | 5.1 |
| Non-census-family household | 19,250 | 0.3 | 5,299,050 | 15.4 |
| One-person household | 1,870 | 0.0 | 3,967,770 | 11.5 |
| Two- or more person household | 17,380 | 0.2 | 1,331,280 | 3.9 |
Source: 2016 Census of Population |
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About the data
The estimates presented in this fact sheet are from the 2016 Census of Population. For detailed information on any of the indicators in this fact sheet, please refer to the Census of Population main page.
The Census of Population data on housing are collected on the long-form questionnaire, which draws its sample from a frame of private dwellings across Canada. Because the survey sample is drawn from private households, individuals in the following situations are not included in the data:
- 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).
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