The report found that young adults stayed at home either because they never left their nests in the first place or returned after living somewhere else — most likely living near campuses for school. The proportion, however, is a slight drop from 2006 when at least 42.5 per cent of young adults were still living at home.
"I stayed at home because it was more cost efficient so I only had to pay for courses, books and transportation," Megan Gallant, a Toronto early childhood educator, told the Huffington Post Canada.
Still at home today, Gallant says she wanted to move out but didn't want to get sucked into pay high rent prices in Toronto. "It sucks of course being an adult and living at home, but I managed. I'm an only child and my parents would keep me home forever if they could, so no issues there," she said.
Gallant also got engaged recently, and says saving for her wedding and moving didn't go hand-in-hand. "I did have money saved up, then I got engaged, so all my money went to the wedding," she says. This move toward marriage actually runs counter to the Census 2011 findings, where more couples are in common-law relationships than getting married.
Like Gallant, more Canadian young adults found living at home a reasonable option to save for their futures. The report found that adults most likely lived with their parents for a source of emotional and financial support. However, other reasons for staying in the family home could include not being in a relationship, cultural preferences, the cost of housing, pursuit of higher education or finding a job in today's economy, Statistics Canada found.
Share your vote on Facebook so your friends can take this poll
Across Canada, the highest proportion of young adults living in their parental homes in 2011 was in Ontario with 50.6 per cent while Saskatchewan and Alberta had the lowest proportions.
When it came down to age, young adults in their early twenties were more likely to live at home compared to those in their later twenties. One of these 20-year-olds is Hinal Ghelani of Toronto.
"I live at home but my parents prefer it that way. I think I'd probably like to live on my own or at least move so that I'm closer to campus but it's cheaper and a cultural preference for my family," Ghelani says.
The census found that more men (47 per cent of them) in their twenties lived at home, compared to 38 per cent of women. Most of these young adults also had never been legally married, but 2.1 per cent also had a spouse or common-law partner at the parental home.
Are your young adults still living at home? Are you a 20-something still using your parents' laundry machine? Tell us your story in the comments below:
LOOK: Census 2012 Canadian highlights:
Loading Slideshow
Married Couples
Married couples remained the predominant family structure (67.0%) in Canada in 2011, but the share has decreased over time. The 2011 Census of Population counted 9,389,700 census families in Canada, up 5.5% from 8,896,840 families in 2006.
Lone-Parent Families
Lone-parent families increased eight per cent from 2006 to 2011. Interestingly, growth was higher for male lone-parent families (+16.2%) than for female lone-parent families (+6.0%). About 8 in 10 lone-parent families were female lone-parent families in 2011 (12.8% of all census families), while male lone-parent families represented 3.5% of all census families.
Same-Sex Marriage
The number of same-sex married couples nearly tripled between 2006 and 2011, reflecting the first five-year period for which same-sex marriage has been legal across the country. Same-sex common-law couples rose 15.0%, slightly higher than the 13.8% increase for opposite-sex common-law couples.
Stepfamilies
The 2011 Census counted stepfamilies for the first time. Of the 3,684,675 couples with children, 87.4% were intact families--that is, they were comprised of two parents and their biological or adopted children-- and 12.6% were stepfamilies.
The State Of Seniors
Among the population aged 65 and over, the majority (56.4%) lived as part of a couple in 2011; a higher proportion than a decade earlier in 2001 (54.1%). More than 7 in 10 senior men (72.1%) and over 4 in 10 senior women (43.8%) lived in a couple in 2011.
Among seniors aged 65 to 69, 70% lived as part of a couple in 2011, although this was higher for men (77.9%) than for women (62.7%). For the oldest age group, aged 85 and over, fewer seniors were in couples. Still, more than one-fifth (21.9%) of this age group lived with a married spouse or common-law partner: 46.2% of men and 10.4% of women.
Foster Children
The 2011 Census counted foster children for the first time. The majority of foster children reported in the 2011 Census were aged 14 and under (29,590 or 61.8%). A total of 17,410 households contained at least one foster child aged 14 and under. Of these households, 45.1% included one foster child, 28.8% included two foster children and 26.2% included three or more foster children.
Common-Law Marriage
Between 2006 and 2011, the number of common-law couples rose 13.9%, more than four times the 3.1% increase for married couples.
The Kids At Home
The 2011 Census of Population showed that 42.3% of the 4,318,400 young adults aged 20 to 29 lived in the parental home, either because they never left it or because they returned home after living elsewhere. This proportion changed little from 2006 (42.5%). However, it was higher than in preceding decades: 32.1% in 1991 and 26.9% in 1981.
Same-Sex Families
The 2011 Census counted 64,575 same-sex couple families, up 42.4% from 2006. Of these couples, 21,015 were same-sex married couples and 43,560 were same-sex common-law couples.
Couples Without Children
Between 2006 and 2011, couples with children living at home continued to fall as a share of all census families. In 2011, 39.2% of census families were couples with children, whereas 44.5% were couples who did not have children, a widening of the gap first observed in 2006.
More and more young adults in Canada continue living under their families' roofs.
The 2011 Census Report of Population shows that 42.3 per cent of the 4,318,400 young adults in Canada, aged between...
More and more young adults in Canada continue living under their families' roofs.
The 2011 Census Report of Population shows that 42.3 per cent of the 4,318,400 young adults in Canada, aged between...
i haven't lived at home since 2nd year university. 8 years out from that and 6 years out from graduating uni i have accepted i will never own a house in the city i grew up in and i love. i probably won't ever even own a condo. have never owned a car and don't see that changing for the forseeable future. times are tough. those that can afford these luxuries are the kids who lived at home as long as possible, had their uni paid for by their parents, and are probably still on the family mobile plan. i wish.
jbomb: i haven't lived at home since 2nd year university. 8
You can easily see why Harper Reform wants to curb the census, it shows that the Conservative view of life: mom, dad and kids, is no longer reality and less info helps steve to contort policy to fit the tired and out dated Harper Reform world view.
CommonWealth-SinglePayer: You can easily see why Harper Reform wants to curb
Because the extended family is the more supportive and healthy alternative?
Because Dad now thinks a Hammer is a wrench and Mom keeps poodles for child substitutes? Because cheap babysitting is worth almost any inconvenience?
Because a good family argument can't be beat?
Because kicking the kids out at 18 makes no economic sense?
Or because Dad is a soft touch ;)
Gnomish: Because the extended family is the more supportive and healthy
My 21 year old daughter tried living on her own for a year. She lived much the same as I did when I first left home, small apartment, second hand everything, cheap entertainment. Unfortunately, since she was the only person in her social circle that didn't live at home, she became isolated from her friends. She could not afford their lifestyle.
In contrast, when I moved out at 18, my friends and I were all in the same boat - on our own and broke. We all lived cheap and made it work. (Minimum wage was $3.65 an hour, and after graduating with a B.Sc., entry level lab positions paid $4.10/hr..)
I have let my daughter move home until she finishes school. Once she graduates though, out she goes, student loans and all. There is a lot to be learned in the struggle to pay your rent and your bills. I don't think we do our kids a favour by making it easy.
Diane_Wells: My 21 year old daughter tried living on her own
If you can otherwise demonstrate that you have a given skill, it is still irrelevant without being able to afford a credential from a university/college.
TheRealWallyrus: If you can otherwise demonstrate that you have a given
Exactly. I could be a naturally skilled or self-taught engineer but if I can't afford the time or money to get a get a credential I will never get a job doing what I'm good at.
TheRealWallyrus: Exactly. I could be a naturally skilled or self-taught engineer
Apart from seriously technical jobs, the basic skills needed to work in a given field has not drastically changed over the last 50 years. So, why is it you now need to be able to afford a $100,000 university degree just to get somebody to glance at your resum?or a lousy sales job?
TheRealWallyrus: Apart from seriously technical jobs, the basic skills needed to
You're right that the basic skills needed to work in a given field haven't changed much. The thing that has changed, however, is that you now need a special certification to do many of these jobs. Administrative assistant, for example. I'm university-educated with office experience, yet my resume gets filtered out because I don't have a 2-year college business administration or similar diploma.
I don't expect anyone to give me a job. But, I would appreciate if someone gave me an opportunity.
benkas: You're right that the basic skills needed to work in
The main thing that has changed is the rate of pay. A fair wage for productive work used to be acceptable. Now it is "pay as little as you can regardless of how much you are exploiting your workers". Capitalism sans the spirit of capitalism.
SoakerCity: The main thing that has changed is the rate of
Growing up we were told to go to university and make something of ourselves so we wouldn't end up working some minimum wage job. Now we have tens of thousands of dollars in student debt, and few options other than minimum wage jobs. Add in an over-inflated housing market, and it's no wonder so many of us have no choice but to live at home.
Personally, I had to move halfway across the country to find affordable housing and employment (of course, not in the field that put me thousands of dollars in debt in the first place...)
StoneBones: Growing up we were told to go to university and
I was at home though age 27 because I was in school (and out of, working) until I was 26. My parents gratefully let me stay (paying a large amount of rent when I wasn't in school full time) until they'd finally had enough and I had a good, stable job. Well, I did for a year, then they changed my contract and cut my hours and salary by a third.
Thankfully I lived with my sister, so we really skrimped until I found another job six months later.Which I still have, so all is good.
I couldn't have made it on my own before 27, though, as I didn't have the education or stable, guaranteed work like so many people of my generation. It's hard. My sister had a Bachelor's in Japanese Language, accepted a teaching job in Japan, until they kept changing the contract every time she spoke to them. She didn't take it, and has worked retail since. She wasn't stable until a couple years ago when she accepted a manager position. She's got top numbers but is always scared for her job.
We didn't get to where we are until our mid/late 20's, though... because without any money from parents, people of our generation need the time to find work, become secure, and save. We still don't own property and don't expect to for years. We rent a place at the edge of the city, even if it does cost $1400 a month.
IndomitableSam: I was at home though age 27 because I was
While I can't speak for all young adults living at home, I can put forth my own opinion. I'm a 20-something recent(ish) university graduate who has moved home several times since finishing school. I attended one of Canada's 'top' universities and studied in an interdisciplinary faculty with hopes of one day going to law school. In reality, I just quit my minimum wage retail job because it cost me 3 hours wages just to pay for gas since I was commuting almost an hour to work.
So, yes, while there are certain perks to living at home (free laundry, groceries, etc.) I would much rather be out there struggling on my own and attempting to make my way. Factor in 50+K in student debt and I imagine I'll be living with my parents for quite some time.
benkas: While I can't speak for all young adults living at
There are many reasons for this phenomenon. For one, today's parents (at least in the middle-class) generally had few children but bought relatively big family homes. So there is no pressure for most of their kids to leave quickly as the house is more than big enough for them to live in without anyone on anyone's toes. When most families lived in small apartments and had 5 or 6 kids, you couldn't get out of there fast enough.
Also, today's young adults are entering a job market that is screwing them over. Old secure jobs with good pay and benefits are being "rationalized" away by those in power so as to get bigger profit margins. They are not helping their own cause because they have turned their backs on unions and activism for better conditions, they have foolishly swallowed the propaganda that the only way to get paid more is to work more and be more educated, that if they do so, their boss will reward them in good faith. So it's harder to afford going out on your own.
Finally, there is the real community breakdown. More and more, people live in isolation from one another and stay single longer. The internet that was supposed to bring us together is keeping us apart, people trade real communities for virtual ones of virtual friends. This lack of social support network outside the family doesn't help.
valar84: There are many reasons for this phenomenon. For one, today's
Did you apply for it? I've gotten a job where it said minimum 1 year experience, with 0 experience in the field. If you get to the interview stage, you could probably talk circles around someone with science or arts degrees.
evenminded: Did you apply for it? I've gotten a job where
Canada is royally screwed. The Government makes it much easier for welfare applicants to get their own place then students or newly graduated trying to make ends meet. Who will be paying back into the Machine? Not the generational welfare applicants....
zaksawyer: Canada is royally screwed. The Government makes it much easier
I blame the education system. I remember being taught in school that "money isn't everything" and "the most important thing is finding a job that you enjoy". If anything, a teacher's job is to help young Canadians find what they're good at and tell them how to make money doing it. So why, then, are our teachers allowed to spout such obvious nonsense? I've said it before, I think there are serious efforts being made to stop middle
TheRealWallyrus: I blame the education system. I remember being taught in
the education system has nothing to do with it: economic, cultural and government economic/social policies, personal considerations... growing up is not a right but a personal decision. from there, everything proceeds. staying at home as an adult child is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if one is willing to pull one's weight and help out. ie, not all adult children staying at home are slackers but economic refugees (not in a bad, negative way - just the way society is evolving; you want to change it, get politically involved)
jarnakak: the education system has nothing to do with it: economic,
Loading comments… 
The Huffington Post Canada | By Arti Patel Posted: 09/19/2012 9:48 am Updated: 09/20/2012 1:14 pm