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Research Guides

SOC303H1F: Family Demography

About the General Social Survey (GSS)

Cycle 25 of the General Social Survey (GSS) is the fifth cycle to collect detailed information on family life in Canada. The previous GSS cycles that collected family data were Cycles 5, 10, 15 and 20. Cycle 25 covers much the same content as previous cycles on families. Topics include family origin of parents, leaving the parental home, conjugal history of respondent (marriages, common-law unions, separations and divorces), children of respondent (birth, adopted, step), maternity and parental leaves, child care arrangements, (re)partnering and fertility intentions, child custody and financial support arrangements for children and ex-spouse after a union break-up, and work history. Like other GSS cycles, cycle 25 also gathered data on the respondent's main activity, education, and other socio-demographic characteristics. The target population for cycle 25 is all persons 15 years of age and older in Canada, excluding residents of the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, and full-time residents of institutions.

2006 Census public-use microdata file (PUMF)

General social survey on family (cycle 25), 2011, "PUMF"