September 1, 2025 — Still living with your oldies?
Intergenerational households composed of parents and their adult children aged 20 years and over are prevalent in Canada.
Given the high cost of housing and other spendings, living under the same roof makes life more affordable.
A new government study takes a look at intergenerational living, and it shows that Filipinos in Canada are among the highest proportions of people living in this type of arrangement.
Released on August 14, 2025, the Statistics Canada study was prepared by Nora Galbraith and Nadine Laflamme, and titled “Adulting together: Parents and adult children who co-reside”.
Utilizing data from the 2021 Census, the authors noted that living in an intergenerational household was most prevalent for Somali persons, of whom two-fifths (38.5 percent) lived in this arrangement.
“Persons reporting Afghan, Sri Lankan, Tamil, Lebanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Pakistani, Jamaican or Hong Konger ethnic or cultural origins also ranked among the top-ten highest proportions of living in an intergenerational household,” the study stated.
The paper revealed that 30.7 percent of Filipinos in Canada lived in an intergenerational household in 2021.
The said proportion placed Filipinos in sixth spot among the top 10, after people of Somali, Afghan (34.7 percent), Sri Lankan (33.6 percent), Tamil (33 percent), and Lebanese (32.2 percent) heritage.
Following Filipinos in seventh to 10th spots are Vietnamese (30.3 percent), Pakistani (29.7 percent), Jamaican (29.7 percent), and Hong Kong (28.9 percent) people.
The Statistics Canada study stated that like multigenerational households or those composed of three or more generations of the same family, intergenerational households may be formed as a “strategy by parents and their adult children to share resources, manage expenses and provide mutual support”.
“This may be a temporary arrangement during certain stages of life or a more permanent one, whether by choice or necessity.”
Across the board, there were 7.1 million people living in intergenerational households in Canada in 2021.
This proportion represents one in five people or 19.5 percent of people in the whole country.
There are benefits to living in an intergenerational household.
One example cited by the study is of young adults pursuing post-secondary studies, wherein “living in the parental home can offer considerable cost savings”.
In particular, nearly half (47.5 percent) of persons aged 20 to 34 who were attending school lived with their parents in 2021.
Living under the same roof also benefits parents, especially in their latter years.
“In later life, sharing a home with one’s adult child may permit parents to access informal care and support that facilitate remaining in a private residence,” the Statistics Canada study noted.
Authors Nora Galbraith and Nadine Laflamme also prepared a separate study that looked at multigenerational households, where three or more generations of the same family live together.
Likewise released on August 14, 2025, the study is titled “Unpacking Canada’s multigenerational households: A look at the people who call them home”.
The paper noted that 2.4 million people in Canada lived in a multigenerational household, representing 6.5 percent of all persons living in a private household in 2021.
The study also stated that over half (52.7 people) of people living in multigenerational households in 2021 were racialized, and two-fifths (40.5 percent) were born outside Canada.
Among racialized people living in multigenerational households, Filipinos are the third highest at 13.5 percent.
South Asians (20.4 percent) topped the list, with Southeast Asian people (13.6 percent) coming in second.
Chinese people are fourth after Filipinos, with 12.9 percent.
As with intergenerational households, living in multigenerational homes makes economic sense.
“When asked about the factors that led them to live in a multigenerational household, most people place financial considerations at the top of their list,” the study noted.
Moreover, “Particularly for younger adults who may be facing challenging circumstances such as unemployment, underemployment, housing supply shortages, or relationship dissolution, sharing a home with older relatives can provide a protective effect against poverty and ease financial pressures via resource pooling.”
Companionship and emotional support are also a big thing.
“Living with others can improve mental health for some individuals by reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation,” the study noted.
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