STATS SHOW HUGE SURGE IN COMMON-LAW RELATIONSHIPS OVER MARRIAGE

OTTAWA, July 11, 2002 (LSN.ca) – Recent statistics have revealed that Canada is suffering tremendously from the revolution in attitudes towards sexual relationships.  A July 11 report entitled “Changing conjugal life in Canada” based on new data from the 2001 General Social Survey (GSS), showed that close to 1.2 million couples were living in a common-law relationship, up 20% from 1995.  The statistics reveal that while the vast majority (90%) of Canadian men and women aged 50 to 69 had started their conjugal life through marriage, younger generations are opting for common-law marriage particularly in Quebec.  More than 40% of men and women aged 30 to 39 in 2001 are expected to choose a common-law union as their first union; for those aged 20 to 29, the percentage is estimated to reach 53% for women.  However in the formerly Catholic province of Quebec (which at one time boasted the most healthy family status in Canada) among women aged 30 to 39, barely 26% are expected to choose marriage over common-law.  While all relationships – including marriage – among younger generations are less stable , common-law relationships are nevertheless at least twice as likely to end in separation. It is estimated that about 40% of men and women aged 30 to 39 in 2001 will see their unions end in separation or divorce, twice the proportion of those aged 60 to 69 (20%). “More than 30% of men and women aged 40 to 59 who started their conjugal relationships through marriage are expected to separate, whereas the proportion was more than twice as high among their counterparts who started their conjugal relationships through common-law,” says the report.  See the full report from Statistics Canada at:  https://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020711/d020711a.htm