What the 2021 Census Says About Same-Sex Couples in Canada and Vancouver
The 2021 Census counted 95,435 same-gender couples in Canada, 1.1% of all couples. Another 32,205 couples included a transgender or non-binary partner, for a total of 127,640 couples, or 1.5%. In British Columbia, a detailed Statistics Canada table counts 14,375 same-gender couples, and 8,620 of them live in the Vancouver area.
What the census counted
Statistics Canada's release of July 13, 2022 says: "In the 2021 Census, couples could be classified according to their gender diversity status for the first time." The census counts married couples and common-law couples. Statistics Canada uses these groups:
- Same-gender couples: two men or two women, both cisgender. Statistics Canada says cisgender people are "those whose reported gender corresponds to their reported sex at birth."
- Transgender couples and non-binary couples: couples where at least one partner is transgender or non-binary.
- Different-gender couples: one man and one woman, both cisgender.
This article uses the census word "same-gender" when we quote the numbers, and the everyday phrase "same-sex couples" elsewhere.
The numbers for Canada
| Type of couple | Number | Share of all couples |
|---|---|---|
| All couples | 8,576,580 | 100% |
| Same-gender couples | 95,435 | 1.1% |
| of which two women | 46,780 | |
| of which two men | 48,655 | |
| Couples with a transgender or non-binary partner | 32,205 | 0.4% |
| of which transgender couples | 21,760 | |
| of which non-binary couples | 10,445 | |
| Same-gender, transgender or non-binary couples in total | 127,640 | 1.5% |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 2 of the 2022-07-13 release.
The numbers for BC and the Vancouver area
The summary release does not give a BC total, so we used the detailed Statistics Canada table 98-10-0136-01. "Vancouver area" here means the Vancouver census metropolitan area, the region Statistics Canada uses for the city and the communities around it. The percentages are our own division of the table's counts.
| Measure | British Columbia | Vancouver area |
|---|---|---|
| All couples | 1,190,935 | 615,345 |
| Same-gender couples | 14,375 (1.2%) | 8,620 (1.4%) |
| Two women | 6,865 | 3,565 |
| Two men | 7,505 | 5,055 |
| Same-gender couples who were married | 6,220 (43.3%) | 3,585 (41.6%) |
| Couples with a transgender or non-binary partner | 5,940 | 3,010 |
The Vancouver area held 8,620 of BC's 14,375 same-gender couples, which is 60.0%. Statistics Canada rounds every census count up or down to a multiple of 5 or 10, so totals and their parts may not match: two women (6,865) plus two men (7,505) gives 14,370, five less than the BC total. Statistics Canada explains that "totals and sub-totals are independently rounded." The same rounding is why the table shows 8,576,585 couples in Canada and the release shows 8,576,580. We use the release for Canada and the table for BC.
Marriage, children and age
The Statistics Canada release reports that "the share of same-gender couples that were married (37%) was less than half that of different-gender couples (78%)." In BC, our division of the table gives 43.3%.
Same-gender couples were less likely to have children at home: 15%, compared with 50% of different-gender couples. Among same-gender couples with children, "nearly four in five (79%) were couples with two women." Stepfamilies made up 39% of same-gender couples with children, compared with 12% of different-gender couples with children. The median age of same-gender couples was 44.0 years, compared with 52.4 years for different-gender couples.
Where couples live
Same-gender couples made up a larger share of couples in city centres. The release names "the downtowns of Toronto (8.6% of all couples), Vancouver (8.5%), Québec (6.8%) and Montréal (6.3%)." Among provinces, Quebec had the highest share of same-gender couples, at 1.4%.
Transgender and non-binary people
An earlier census release from April 27, 2022 counted 100,815 transgender and non-binary people aged 15 and older in Canada, 0.33% of that age group. That includes 59,460 transgender people and 41,355 non-binary people. In BC the share was 0.44%. Victoria had the highest share of any metropolitan area, at 0.75%. The Vancouver area was home to 10.8% of Canada's non-binary people and 53.1% of BC's.
What the numbers mean when you plan
The census counts couples. Here is what we take from those counts for ring planning, and no more:
- Many couples have not married. In BC, 43.3% of same-gender couples were married in 2021. The census does not say why, and some of the other couples may marry later. Our wedding ring guide for same-sex couples answers the common first questions.
- Two men is the larger group in BC. The table counts 7,505 couples of two men and 6,865 couples of two women. Our pages on men's engagement rings and men's wedding bands cover widths, metals and how to pair two bands.
- Some couples include a transgender or non-binary partner. In BC, 5,940 couples included a transgender or non-binary partner. Our gender-neutral engagement rings page covers width, profile, finish and metal for any partner.
Wedding bands for two
Key Takeaways
- The 2021 Census counted 95,435 same-gender couples in Canada (1.1% of couples) and 32,205 couples with a transgender or non-binary partner.
- BC had 14,375 same-gender couples, and 8,620 of them lived in the Vancouver area.
- Across Canada, 37% of same-gender couples were married, compared with 78% of different-gender couples. In BC the figure was 43.3%.
- Same-gender couples made up 8.5% of couples in downtown Vancouver.
- Use the census as background: it counts couples, and each couple's ring choices are their own.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many same-sex couples live in British Columbia?
The 2021 Census counted 14,375 same-gender couples in British Columbia, out of 1,190,935 couples in the whole province. That is 1.2% of BC couples, by our own division of the counts in Statistics Canada table 98-10-0136-01. The count of same-sex couples in BC includes 6,865 couples of two women and 7,505 couples of two men, and in all of them both partners are cisgender. The census counts a further 5,940 BC couples that include a transgender or non-binary partner, and Statistics Canada reports those couples in a separate group. The census uses the word same-gender, and this article also uses the everyday phrase same-sex couple for the same group. If you want to check the figures yourself, open table 98-10-0136-01 on the Statistics Canada website and choose British Columbia as the place.
How many same-sex couples live in the Vancouver area?
The 2021 Census counted 8,620 same-gender couples in the Vancouver census metropolitan area, which is the region Statistics Canada uses for the city and the communities around it. That is 1.4% of the 615,345 couples in the area, by our own division of the counts in table 98-10-0136-01. Same-sex couples in the Vancouver area include 3,565 couples of two women and 5,055 couples of two men. The Vancouver area holds 8,620 of BC's 14,375 same-gender couples, which works out to 60.0% of the provincial total. In downtown Vancouver alone, Statistics Canada reports that same-gender couples made up 8.5% of all couples, far above the provincial share. Remember that these figures come from the 2021 Census, so check for newer census results before you use them in a plan or a report.
What share of same-sex couples in Canada are married?
In the 2021 Census, 37% of same-gender couples in Canada were married, compared with 78% of different-gender couples. Statistics Canada reported these two figures in its release of July 13, 2022, which was the first census release to group couples by gender diversity status. The married share of same-sex couples was higher in British Columbia, where our division of table 98-10-0136-01 gives 6,220 married couples out of 14,375, or 43.3%, and 41.6% in the Vancouver area. The remaining couples were living common law, which is the census term for a couple who live together without being married. The census does not ask couples why they chose marriage or common law, so these numbers cannot tell you the reasons. If you are thinking about marriage in BC, the provincial licence costs $100 and only one partner needs to apply in person.
Are there more male or female same-sex couples in Canada?
Canada had more couples of two men than couples of two women in the 2021 Census, with 48,655 male couples and 46,780 female couples. The gap was 1,875 couples across the whole country. In British Columbia the gap between male and female same-sex couples was 640, with 7,505 couples of two men and 6,865 couples of two women. The Vancouver area showed the widest gap of the three, with 5,055 couples of two men and 3,565 couples of two women. The pattern changes when children are counted, because 79% of same-gender couples with children were couples of two women. These counts include only couples where both partners are cisgender, and Statistics Canada counts couples with a transgender or non-binary partner in a separate group, so add both groups if you need every couple.
How many same-sex couples in Canada have children?
In the 2021 Census, 15% of same-gender couples in Canada had children living at home, compared with 50% of different-gender couples. Statistics Canada reported these figures in its release of July 13, 2022. Among same-sex couples with children in Canada, nearly four in five, or 79%, were couples of two women, and the rest were couples of two men. Stepfamilies made up 39% of same-gender couples with children, compared with 12% of different-gender couples with children. In British Columbia, the detailed table counts 1,925 same-gender couples with children out of 14,375 same-gender couples in total. These figures count only children who live in the home, so a couple whose children have grown up and moved out is counted as a couple without children at home.
Which part of Canada has the highest share of same-sex couples?
Among Canada's provinces, Quebec had the highest share of same-gender couples in the 2021 Census, at 1.4% of all couples in the province. City centres had much higher shares than any province. Statistics Canada reported that same-gender couples made up 8.6% of couples in downtown Toronto, 8.5% in downtown Vancouver, 6.8% in downtown Québec and 6.3% in downtown Montréal. Each of these downtown shares of same-sex couples is more than five times the national share of 1.1%. For couples with a transgender or non-binary partner, the same release names Victoria at 0.8%, and Halifax and Fredericton at 0.7%, as places where these couples were more common than the national share of 0.4%. When you compare places, always check whether a figure covers a downtown, a whole metropolitan area or a province, because the three can give different answers.
How many transgender and non-binary people live in Canada?
The 2021 Census counted 100,815 transgender and non-binary people aged 15 and older in Canada, which is 0.33% of the population in that age group. Statistics Canada released this count on April 27, 2022, and said Canada is the first country to collect and publish data on gender diversity from a national census. The total number of transgender and non-binary people in Canada includes 59,460 transgender people, of whom 31,555 were women and 27,905 were men, plus 41,355 non-binary people. British Columbia's share was 0.44%, and Victoria had the highest share of any metropolitan area in Canada, at 0.75%. The Vancouver area was home to 10.8% of Canada's non-binary people and 53.1% of BC's non-binary people. If you are buying rings for a partner, our gender-neutral engagement ring page covers width, profile, finish and metal.
What is the median age of same-sex couples in Canada?
The median age of same-gender couples in Canada was 44.0 years in the 2021 Census, compared with 52.4 years for different-gender couples. A median is the middle value, so half of the same-gender couples were younger than 44.0 and half were older. Statistics Canada reported the median age of same-sex couples in its release of July 13, 2022, alongside the figures for other kinds of couples. The same release gives a median age of 52.8 years for transgender couples and 32.0 years for non-binary couples, which is the youngest of the four groups. The census reports these ages without explaining the differences, so treat them as a description of 2021 and nothing more. If you are marrying later in life and want a band for daily wear, ask your jeweller about a comfort-fit band, which has a rounded inside edge.
Sources
- Statistics Canada, note on random rounding of 2021 Census values, page modified 2024-10-25. Accessed 2026-10-18.
- Statistics Canada, The Daily, State of the union: Canada leads the G7 with nearly one-quarter of couples living common law, driven by Quebec, 2022-07-13. Accessed 2026-10-18.
- Statistics Canada, Table 2: Number and distribution of couples according to their gender diversity status, Canada, 2021, 2022-07-13. Accessed 2026-10-18.
- Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0136-01, Gender diversity status of couple family, type of union and presence of children: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations, 2022-07-13. Accessed 2026-10-18.
- Statistics Canada, The Daily, Canada is the first country to provide census data on transgender and non-binary people, 2022-04-27. Accessed 2026-10-18.
Visit Vanhess
If you are planning rings, our guide to whether both partners get engagement rings is a good next read. Every Vanhess ring is made to order in any size and width. Visit us at Coquitlam Centre or call 604-653-6449.
