Trends in solo living among young adults in Canada

Solo living among young adults has increased in recent decades. Past studies seldom examined the impact of geographic contexts on trends in solo living. We compared trends in solo living across Canadian communities along the rural/urban continuum and identified factors contributing to these trends. The percentage of Canadian young adults living alone increased between 1981 and 2021. The increase was larger in rural and small urban areas than in medium and large urban areas. Irrespective of community type, the decline in marriage rates was the most salient factor contributing to this trend. Rising shelter costs suppressed increases in the percentage of young adults living alone, but only in medium and large urban areas. These findings highlight the need to increase the supply of affordable housing earmarked for young adults in medium and large urban areas.