101 Interesting Facts About Canada ~ Average Household Size

According to  the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD):

1. Canada had the 7th highest female employment rate in 2009, at 69.1%, compared with an OECD average of 59.6%. 

2. Canada’s fertility rate is 1.66 children per women, which is just below the OECD average of 1.74, and well below the population replacement rate (2.1). 

3. Canada has the 11th highest child poverty rate among OECD countries, at 14.8%, which is above the OECD average of 12.7% 

4. The size of the average household in Canada is 2.5, just below the OECD average of 2.6 persons per household. 

5. Canada performs well in PISA’s reading literacy scale among 15 year olds, and had the 3rd highest score among OECD countries in 2009, at 524 points.

More things they have to say if you are interested:

Canada could step up its efforts to provide more support to parents with young children Across a set of key family indicators Canada scores around the OECD average. Fertility rates (1.7 children per women), gender pay gaps (20% at median earnings) and child poverty (at almost 15%) are close to the OECD average Female employment is higher than most OECD countries and children’s educational achievement as measured by PISA reading literacy values is amongst the highest in the OECD. However, at around 40% of children under 6, enrolment in formal childcare lags behind OECD standards. Canada is a federal country and each province has different policies in this area. Of the Provinces, Québec arguably has the most comprehensive mix of family-friendly policies, including childcare and out-of-schoolhours care supports, in-work benefits for sole-parents and couples with kids, and paternity leave. Employment is key to reducing poverty. In Canada, poverty rates among household with children are higher than OECD averages if both parents are not in work: 85% of jobless households with children is poor compared with 53% across the OECD. Poverty risks for one-earner families with children are lower, but still substantial at 29% compared to an OECD average of 18%. Sole-parent employment rates are high in Canada: 80% in 2008 compared with 75% across the OECD. Nevertheless, poverty risks for sole parents remain high: 42% compared to an OECD average of 31%.

Further strengthening investment in formal childcare would both reduce costs of childcare to parents and increase the quality of service, with its positive effects on child development. Affordability and quality in childcare overall in Canada is an issue. For example, after childcare costs in a typical family with two working parents who earn a total of 200% of average household earning with two young children in Ontario, just below 40% of gross earnings is effectively available for consumption; for a similar typical OECD family this just below 50%. More recently Ontario has introduced policies to reduce childcare costs for low income families. Particularly vulnerable are sole parents, whose childcare costs are amongst the highest in the OECD. Recent OECD work shows that in Canada full-time maternal employment in the first 6 months of a child's life is not negatively associated with children’s cognitive or behavioural development. Furthermore, for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, including many children in sole-parent and/or low-income families, parental employment combined with high-quality childcare may have positive effects. Child and family outcomes in Canada could be improved, if affordable and quality assured childcare services during the early years and throughout compulsory school where more widely available.