It started one evening with what seemed like a simple question:
“How many mid-life solos are there in Canada, really?”
Surely, I thought, that should be easy enough to find.
So, happily I went digging — and quickly found myself in a frustratingly so data desert.
The Elusive Numbers for Solos
My first stop was the obvious one: Stats Can.
Unfortunately, their most recent census was in 2021 (almost five years ago now). Not exactly fresh data, especially considering the global chaos that was 2020.
Even so, I dove in. But as I expected, the numbers felt shaky — especially when it came to those one-person households. Being solo is fluid. People couple up, separate, move in together, move out again. Adult children come and go. It’s less a fixed identity and more a rhythm of life.
What further complicates it, is that not all solo individuals (i.e. without a romantic attachment) live by themselves, and not all people who live alone are unattached romantically. This was going to be tougher than I thought!
For now, I guess a solo lifestyle would have to, for the most part, mean you were living alone and unattached, though I was immediately uncomfortable with the category.
However, using government stats was going to force me into this box for at least the beginning of my article.
Solo-dwelling households are on the rise — steadily and significantly.
Who Counts as “Mid-Life,” Anyway?
Before I could even get to the “how many,” I had to figure out who counts as mid-life. Definitions were vague and unhelpful, some based on age, some based on lifestyle and attitude.
Different organizations set wildly different age brackets:
- 40–65, according to some
- 35–70, according to others
But can we really call a 35-year-old “middle-aged”? Really??
Most 30-somethings I know (including my own millennial kids) are still stabilizing careers and finding their adult footing.
New Age Groups
So, after much hair-pulling and a few double doubles, here’s my proposed age chart:
| Stage | Age Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Young Adult | 18–30 | Building independence, career, and identity |
| Adult | 30–50 | Creating stability and direction |
| Middle Age | 50–70 | Redefining purpose, freedom, and contribution |
| Seniors | 70+ | Better defined by frailty than by age |
My blog focuses on 50 and 60-year-olds, but I hope the 40-somethings peeking ahead find something useful too.
What the Numbers (Sort Of) Say About Solos
After cross-referencing multiple sources, here’s what I learned about solo dwellers in Canada:
- Single-person households are now the largest household type, about 30% of adults.
- Canada actually has the lowest solo rate among G7 countries, while globally, the average is closer to 40%.
- Quebec has the highest number of one-person households, likely tied to lower housing costs and certain provincial rebates.
- Nunavut has the lowest.
Living Situations
- 56% of single people live in apartments (21% own them).
- 26% live in single detached homes (85% own them).
- 18% live in townhomes, mobile homes, garden suites, etc.
Gender and the Invisible Labour Gap
After 50, women outnumber men in onely households.
Men tend to re-partner faster after a divorce or loss — often because co-living feels easier and ‘ they like a warm, loving home’ where a woman handles the invisible load: social coordination, home management and emotional labour.
For women, that same deal isn’t as appealing anymore.
Many women are steadfastly committed to remaining living on their own. They say it is to preserve their often newly acquired independence and their much valued inner peace.
Solo Travel on the Rise
Mid-life singles are travelling on their own more than ever, and the solo travel industry is projected to grow sharply by 2030.
What have been the biggest deterrents historically?
- Expense (the solo supplement—100% or more of the cost, so unfair)
- Safety
- Eating Alone
“Hail to the demise of the solo supplement, if it ever comes.”
Thankfully, more travel companies are offering single-friendly pricing and small group options. But we’re still far from mainstream representation — you just have to look at the travel brochures, often overwhelmingly filled with smiling couples.
It’s hard for a person who is unaccompanied to see him or herself on this trip when the brochures don’t even consider that somebody might be joining them who is travelling alone.
If you’d like to explore solo travel more, check out this Canadian website and blog called Solo Traveler World. It is filled with plenty of advice, tips and travel industry knowledge that will help you to gain confidence and get excited about getting out there and travelling on your own.
I can’t vouch for the trips as I have just learned about them recently, but boy oh boy, is their website rich with travel information. Enjoy the perusal of all they have to offer!
The Changing Story of Stigma for Solos
The old view that mid-life singles are “less successful, less desirable, in all aspects of life” is beginning to fade but there is much more work to be done. Individuals in this societal subgroup should increasingly be recognized as part of a diverse, modern way of living.
My advice: If you’re constantly excluded or single-shamed by those around you, it might be time to find a new social set. You don’t need to go through life feeling “less than”. There are plenty of people who will make you feel valued and that you belong, despite you not living with another person or being romantically involved. Seek those people out. Don’t continue to surround yourself with those who will shamelessly offer you half a membership to belonging.
You don’t need to “fix” your situation. You’re not broken.
Solo Happiness and Freedom
Research keeps confirming what many of us know intuitively:
- Single older women who live alone report the highest happiness levels of any demographic.
- Single person dwellers tend to have higher education levels.
- Solo men over 40 are happier than younger single men.
- Singles and couples have comparable ranges of happiness with the exception of the short time right before/after marriage and also the time before/after divorce.
- Those who already have a lower desire for a housemate/partner appear to have more positive well-being outcomes within their solo living arrangement vs. those wishing for/seeking but not able to realize the desire to live with others. It is the contentment vs. low level anxiousness about not achieving one’s goals that makes the difference.
UK researcher Paul Dolan even found that childless women over 40 are the happiest subgroup of all. If you’d like to read more on this click here.
What’s Still Missing
However, even with all these findings, the data still leaves gaps.
Where are the stats on:
- How single/living alone individuals spend their time?
- How strongly are solos attached to their social relationships vs. those that live with others?
- How they contribute to community and society?
- How public policy supports (or ignores) them?
- How many are living solo by choice, and how many are living solo due to circumstances?
- How the lack of societal support and equal acceptance in social spheres may be the contributing negative factor to the wellbeing of those living alone as opposed to the actual act of living alone? And even so, despite the lower support and the stigmatizing, why are solos still doing remarkable well?
Unseen in Policy and Law Around Solos
American social scientist and original leading expert on solos, Dr. Bella DePaulo, notes there are over 1,000 U.S. laws that favour couples.
I couldn’t find comparable data for Canada other than hearing financial experts in Canada repeatedly state that the laws are unfavourable for people that are living alone — the imbalance is obvious.
First, when I die, my CPP and OAS stop completely. Couples get to pass their survivor benefits to each other. Well, I may have somebody very close to me too, who will be missing my financial contributions to help them on their way. Just because we aren’t married, doesn’t mean we don’t have significant relationships and aren’t deeply connected to others. We aren’t irrelevant.
Let’s face it, who knows how many marriages are no longer “romantic” in nature and the partners are now just sharing resources but not much else. A marriage certificate shouldn’t be the main factor between haves and have nots.
In our society currently, if you have pair bonded publicly, you matter. If you haven’t, you’re treated differently.
My CPP and OAS payments get put back into the universal pot for all. It almost makes one want to consider proposing to someone close to them, not for romantic love, but for financial reasons.
History tells us that people marry for many reasons. Even a B.C. judge just recently decided in a court case that romantic love is not a requirement for marriage. How many married people have been separated for years, they’re actually estranged, and still benefit from their legal paperwork?
They still share work benefits, and would receive survivor benefits or company pensions, even though they have not even been in each other’s lives for years. They can share cell phone plans, commercial memberships, family discounts but a single person can’t pick a best friend and do the same.
A second benefit is huge, it’s the Income splitting option when doing income tax. It lets couples with unequal earnings pay less tax than solos — despite already sharing living costs and having a lower cost of living than a solo with an equitable salary. They get a double win, solos are left to wonder why they are less valued in society.
There’s currently a movement afoot to change this policy. Right now it is starting with the 65+ age group, but hey it’s a start. If it’s before Dec.28/25 when you read this, sign the petition going to government today to show how many citizens wish to allow solos more equal tax laws. Click here to sign.
A third example occurred during the 2020 lockdowns in Ontario, which proved how easily solos were overlooked — left completely isolated for 5 months until “social bubbles” were finally allowed during the second lockdown. Imagine that! Nobody to share all of the thoughts, challenges, stresses and concerns we had during one of the scariest times in recent history.
We had nobody to come help take of us when we did get sick, often very sick, pre-vaccine. Hopefully, lessons learned will point the compass in new directions moving forward.
It’s time we start questioning these inequities that are built in to societal norms based on historical structures that no longer adhere to such rigid frameworks.
If you’d like to learn more about the unique challenges for solos I will direct you to my resources page, drawing attention to both Dr. Bella De Paulo’s and Dr. Peter McGraw’s work.
A Call to Action
We need more data, more stories, and more visibility for solo Canadians at mid-life.
We are not fringe. We are a force.
We just haven’t been counted properly yet.
If you’re solo — add your voice.
- Create solo-positive content.
- Advocate for solo-friendly policies and workplaces.
- Share your stories.
- Ask for the design of products or services that reflect solo lifestyles.
Together, we can normalize solo living — and celebrate it.
Uncounted, yet everywhere.
That’s us. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.
Maybe I’ll be there to shake your hand
Maybe I’ll be there to share the land
That they’ll be givin’ away
When we all live together, we’re talkin’ ’bout together, nowThe Guess Who
Check out my article on The Amazing Power of Friendship Over 50
Leave a Reply