Between 1981 and 2016, the proportion of the population aged 25 to 64 living alone increased for both women and men, while growth was faster for men (Figure 4). The proportion of women aged 65 and older living alone declined over this period for all but the oldest age groups, while the proportion of senior men living alone generally increased. While there are many contrasting experiences among those who live alone, this study found that solo residents also share many shared experiences. Regardless of age or gender, people living alone are less likely to own their home and live in a condominium more often than people who live with others. Independent residents are also more likely to face financial burdens, such as prohibitive housing costs, than people who can take advantage of the economies of scale associated with living with others. As living alone is the situation for a growing segment of the Canadian population, the demand for housing and affordability issues associated with this lifestyle may become more significant in society. The Divorce Act of 1968 allowed divorce after three years of separation. This legislation may have encouraged one of the spouses to live alone for a period of time before the upcoming divorce and may have contributed to some extent to an increase in the overall number of divorces. By the mid-1980s, the new ability and growing preference for life alone were deeply rooted in Canadian society. Many researchers of the phenomenon debated at the time whether the growing trend in one-person households would end once the youngest baby boomers reached adulthood. However, as described in the following sections, the prevalence of living alone continued to increase in the following decades. There is no specific age at which you can decide where you want to live. The answer to this question depends on your situation.
After the dissolution of a union involving young children, it can be difficult for people who do not share the primary residence with their children to renegotiate timeshare agreements, general decision-making and financial expenses, as well as other important parenting responsibilities. Relatively few young adults and seniors living alone have a dependent child (aged 18 or younger) from a previous relationship, but this is more common among middle-aged single residents. According to the 2017 GSS, almost half (46%) of people aged 35 to 64 living alone had experienced a separation or divorce in the past 20 years. Of these, about 1 in 5 solo residents (or 93,460) had at least one dependent child from a previous association. Most (59%) reported that their child had lived with them for some time in the past 12 months (Figure 9). Living with a child, even if only at regular intervals, is likely to influence individual residents` choices and consumption patterns of housing, furniture, entertainment, food and other daily necessities. After World War II, the period from the early 1950s to the late 1970s saw the fastest growth in solo living. Part of this increase is simply due to changes in the structure of the Canadian population: the large baby boom generation began to enter adulthood when living alone became possible. In addition, a greater improvement in women`s life expectancy compared to men over this period led to an increase in the number of senior women living alone after the death of their spouse. However, most of the increase in popularity of life alone during this period can be attributed to changing attitudes and preferences. Note social changes such as the introduction of no-fault divorce on his part; Take note of the emergence of a new transition period between leaving home and starting a family; urbanization and the resulting rapid growth in the number of high-rise apartments; Pay attention to internal technological developments; It should be noted that the expansion of social assistance and social housing programs has allowed more people to live alone if they so wish. While the number of people living alone increased over time in all age groups, the number grew fastest in mid-adulthood (Figure 2).
Among those aged 35 to 64, the proportion living alone increased from 8% in 1981 to 13% in 2016.
