Stepfamilies counted for the first time in the 2011 Census

According to the 2011 Census, nearly 9 in 10 couples with children were considered intact families, that is, a family consisting of a married or common-law couple with children, in which all children are the biological or adopted children of both parents.
Approximately one in eight (12.6%) couples with children was a stepfamily, that is, a couple with children where the birth or adoption of at least one of the children preceded the current relationship.
In 2011, 7.4% of couples with children were simple stepfamilies, in which all children were the biological or adopted children of one and only one married spouse or common-law partner. An additional 5.2% of couples with children were complex stepfamilies,^Note 17 most of which were comprised of at least one child of both parents as well as at least one child of one parent only.

Table 7
Distribution (number and percentage) of couple families with children by stepfamily status, Canada, 2011
Table summary
This table displays the results of Distribution (number and percentage) of couple families with children by stepfamily status. The information is grouped by Couple family with children (appearing as row headers), Number and Percentage (appearing as column headers).
Couple family with children^Note 1	Number	Percentage
All couple families with children	3,684,675	100.0
Intact families^Note 2	3,220,340	87.4
Stepfamilies	464,335	12.6
Simple stepfamilies	271,930	7.4
Complex stepfamilies	192,410	5.2
Families with child(ren) of both parents and child(ren) of one parent only	149,365	4.1
Families with child(ren) of each parent only and no children of both parents	35,765	1.0
Families with child(ren) of both parents and child(ren) of each parent only	7,275	0.2
Note 1. Refers to couples with at least one child aged 24 and under. Return to note 1 referrer Note 2. Couple families with at least one child aged 24 and under for whom it cannot be determined if there are stepchildren present are considered intact families. Return to note 2 referrer Source(s): Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2011.

Notes