One half of recent immigrants are 25 to 44 years of age, and 15 per cent are children under 15. Six out of seven persons who immigrated between 1991 and 1996 reported being able to conduct a conversation in English or French. For two-thirds of the most recent immigrants the language most often spoken at home is neither English nor French, but a foreign language. The level of education of recent immigrants in Toronto is slightly lower than that of the Canadian-born. Even so, recent immigrants contribute disproportionately to the number of physical scientists and engineers.
Adults pursue studies at a high rate.
Very few recent immigrants, including seniors, live alone. Recent immigrant families are also somewhat larger than Canadian-born families. Households of immigrants who landed during the 1990s account for somewhat more than one-half of these recent immigrant households and 12 per cent of all households. Family households larger than a nuclear family are rather common among recent immigrants. One in four households of recent immigrants, and only one in sixteen households in which all adult members are Canadian-born are of this type.