**Families are comprised of: 1) couples (married or common-law, including same-sex couples) living in the same dwelling with or without children, and 2) single parents (male or female) living with one or more children. Persons who are not matched to a family become persons not in census families. They may be living alone, with a family to whom they are related, with a family to whom they are unrelated or with other persons not in census families. Beginning in 2001, same-sex couples reporting as couples are counted as couple families. Characteristics such as age are as of December 31 of the reference year. A couple family consists of a couple living together (married or common-law, including same-sex couples) living at the same address with or without children. Beginning in 2001, same-sex couples reporting as couples are counted as couple families. A lone-parent family is a family with only one parent, male or female, and with at least one child.

Source: CICH graphic created using data from Statistics Canada. Table 111-0011 – Family characteristics, by family type, family composition and characteristics of parents, annual (number unless otherwise noted). http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang=eng&id=1110011&&pattern=&stByVal=1&p1=1&p2=-1&tabMode=dataTable&csid= -accessed July 21, 2017.