Living Apart Together in Canada: A National Portrait
Date
2015-08-04
Authors
Chai, Lei
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Abstract
Living apart together (LATs) refers to individuals (couples) who are in intimate relationships and do not share the same household. Over the last two decades, LATs have become a new emerging family form in Western societies. Previous research on LATs is generally limited to small-scale surveys and qualitative studies. There are virtually no national studies on this topic using representative data. In this study, I document the incidence and trends of LATs, and provide a national profile of the individual-level characteristics that are associated with those who live in LAT relationships, as well as examine how people from a LAT union differ from those who are married, cohabiting or single. Data from the Canadian General Social Survey (Cycle 25), conducted by Statistics Canada in 2011 is used. The regression results show that LATs are not an alternative to co-residential relationships nor to singlehood. The rate of LATs is associated with age, presence of children, income, main activity, education, place of residence, religiosity and religious affiliation. The implications of these finding are discussed in the context of future families.
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Keywords
LATs, living arrangement