Marital Status, 2006: Widowed (by census subdivision)

In 2006, for the first time in Canadian history, there were more unmarried persons aged 15 years and over than legally married people. Just over one-half of Canada’s population aged 15 years and over (51.5%) was unmarried; that is, they had never been legally married (34.9%), or they were divorced (8.0%), widowed (6.2%) or separated (3.0%). Legally married people formed slightly less than half (47.9%) of the population. Twenty years earlier, 61.4% of the population aged 15 years and over was legally married, while 38.6% were unmarried. Although the proportions of widowed and separated persons have remained relatively stable over the past two decades, increases have occurred largely among the divorced and, even more so, among the single (never legally married) population.