Family composition

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 Chart 6 Proportion of children under six years of age, living in a family of four or more children, by Aboriginal identity, 2006

Aboriginal children more likely to live in larger families

The 2006 Census found that Aboriginal children under the age of six were more likely than their non-Aboriginal counterparts to live in larger families, consisting of four or more children. Nearly 3 in 10 Inuit children under the age of six (28%) lived in families that had four or more children while the same was true for one-quarter (25%) of young First Nations children and 11% of young Métis children. The 2006 Census showed that 8% of young non-Aboriginal children lived in families with four or more children.

Aboriginal children under the age of 15 are more likely than their non-Aboriginal counterparts to live with their grandparents with neither of their parents present. The 2006 Census showed that 3% of First Nations children were living with their grandparents as well as 2% of Inuit children and 2% of Métis children. The proportion of non-Aboriginal children under the age of 15 years that lived solely with their grandparents was 0.4%.

Related data:

Related data can be found for children under six years of age using the Aboriginal Children's Survey. Data are provided on Aboriginal identity, Aboriginal ancestry and registered Indian status populations. 2006 Profile of Aboriginal Children, Youth and Adults

Related articles:

2006 Census: Aboriginal Peoples in Canada in 2006: Inuit, Métis and First Nations, 2006 Census

This article reveals that the number of people who identified themselves as an Aboriginal person has surpassed the one-million mark, and provides information on age distribution, Aboriginal languages, living arrangements, housing characteristics and geographic mobility. Separate data are provided for Inuit, Métis and First Nations people.

Aboriginal Children's Survey, 2006: Family, Community and Child Care

Higher proportions of young Aboriginal children are growing up in large families and are being raised by young parents compared with non-Aboriginal children. There is evidence that many people, including extended family and community members, are involved in raising young Aboriginal children.