Component of Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 89-503-X Article W Women in Canada: A Gender-based Statistical Report July 2011 How to obtain more information For information about this product or the wide range of services and data available from Statistics Canada, visit our website, www.statcan.gc.ca. You can also contact us by email at [email protected], telephone, from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the following toll-free numbers: • Statistical Information Service 1-800-263-1136 • National telecommunications device for the hearing impaired 1-800-363-7629 • Fax line 1-877-287-4369 Depository Services Program • Inquiries line 1-800-635-7943 • Fax line 1-800-565-7757 To access this product This product, Catalogue no. 89-503-X, is available free in electronic format. 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Acknowledgements This publication was made possible thanks to the collaboration and financial support of Status of Women Canada, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Justice Canada, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Health Canada, Canadian Heritage, Public Health Agency of Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, Public Safety Canada, Western Economic Diversification Canada, Canadian Human Rights Commission, Department of National Defence, National Council on Welfare, Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. This edition of Women in Canada was prepared by the Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division of Statistics Canada. The Statistics Canada team would like to acknowledge Status of Women for their role coordinating the review process with all partners. Table of contents Introduction ...............................................................................................................................................................9 Chapter 1 Female Population ................................................................................................................................ 11 A slim female majority ........................................................................................................................................ 11 Age distribution .................................................................................................................................................. 13 Female population across Canada .................................................................................................................... 15 Aboriginal identity .............................................................................................................................................. 17 Immigrant status ................................................................................................................................................ 18 Females belonging to visible minority groups.................................................................................................... 19 Residential mobility ............................................................................................................................................ 21 Languages spoken ............................................................................................................................................ 22 Religious affiliation and religiosity ...................................................................................................................... 24 Chapter 2 Families, Living Arrangements and Unpaid Work ................................................................................ 27 Most women live as part of couples .................................................................................................................. 27 Women in common-law unions increasing ........................................................................................................ 29 Women in same-sex couples a growing minority .............................................................................................. 31 Couples with children declining over time ......................................................................................................... 32 Share of female lone-parent families remains stable in recent years ............................................................... 34 Fewer children and older mothers ..................................................................................................................... 35 Fewer marriages ................................................................................................................................................ 37 Stable number of divorces ................................................................................................................................. 38 Intact families most common ............................................................................................................................. 39 Many older women live alone ............................................................................................................................ 39 Living arrangements vary by ethnocultural group ............................................................................................. 40 Unpaid work inside and outside the home......................................................................................................... 42 Women spend more time on care of children in the household than men ........................................................ 42 Women do more domestic work than men ........................................................................................................ 43 Division of housework evolving between the sexes .......................................................................................... 45 Women spent more time caring for seniors ....................................................................................................... 46 Slightly more women volunteered than men ..................................................................................................... 47 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 89-503-X iii Women in Canada Chapter 3 Women and Health ............................................................................................................................... 49 Well-being and measures of health ................................................................................................................... 49 Self-rating mental health and stress .................................................................................................................. 51 Perception of stress level................................................................................................................................... 52 Fitness measures .............................................................................................................................................. 53 Satisfaction with life ........................................................................................................................................... 55 Chronic health conditions .................................................................................................................................. 56 Prevalence of arthritis ........................................................................................................................................ 56 Cancer ............................................................................................................................................................... 59 High blood pressure