In Canada, being a grandparent increasingly means being part of the household itself—and the numbers look very different from province to province.
1. Three Generations Are Sharing Homes
Canada had 441,750 multigenerational households in 2021, up 21.2% from 2001. That means grandparents, parents and children are increasingly sharing the same address rather than living in separate households.
2. Ontario Is the Biggest Hub
Ontario accounted for 50.2% of everyone living in a multigenerational household in Canada, even though it represented 38.6% of the country’s population. British Columbia was another major centre, accounting for 17.7% of the national total.
3. Nunavut Is in a Different League
The national rate was 6.5%, but 24.9% of people in Nunavut lived in multigenerational households in 2021—nearly four times the Canadian average. Quebec was at the other extreme, at just 3.1%.
4. Grandparents Are Providing Real Childcare
This isn’t just about sharing a roof. Statistics Canada found that 21% of unpaid caregivers provided care to grandchildren in 2022. Those caring only for grandchildren spent about 15 hours a week doing it.
5. Indigenous Families Show a Different Pattern
In 2022, 14% of Indigenous children aged 1 to 14 lived with at least one grandparent, compared with 9% of non-Indigenous children. Among Indigenous children living with grandparents, 77% lived in households containing three or more generations.
6. Grandparents Can Be Part of the Family for Longer
Longer life expectancy means grandparents can potentially remain involved across much more of a child’s life. Combined with rising multigenerational living, that is changing the traditional idea of grandparents as relatives who live elsewhere and mainly visit on special occasions.
Sources
- Statistics Canada — Unpacking Canada’s Multigenerational Households: A Look at the People Who Call Them Home (www150.statcan.gc.ca)
- Statistics Canada — Living Under One Roof: What the Data Say About Multigenerational Households in Canada (statcan.gc.ca)
- Statistics Canada — The Diversity of Families in Canada (statcan.gc.ca)
- Statistics Canada — Grandparents’ Day, by the Numbers