Less babies are being born in Canada than ever before.
A recent study from Stats Canada says the total fertility rate (TFR) in Canada was 1.33 children per woman in 2022.
British Columbia is the lowest in Canada, hovering just above 1.1.
Nationally, a decline has been observed over the last 15 years, but it has sped up since the pandemic.
The TFR dip from 2021 to 2022 was -7.4%, which Stats Canada said is the largest decrease since Baby Bust in the early 70’s.
Quebec and Nova Scotia were the only provinces that did not record all-time low fertility rates in 2022.
While birth rates are declining, the average age people are having kids at is increasing.
In 2022, the average mother was 31.6 years old at childbirth – nearly five years older than what was typical in the late 70s.
The average age of a man at fatherhood was 34.4 years old, up from 30.1 in 1974.
On average, new fathers are 2.8 years older than new mothers.
Canada, however, is not alone in seeing a declining birth rate.
Other comparable countries are also seeing severe declines, though Canada tied South Korea for the largest “absolute decrease in TFR” between 2019 and 2022, -0.14, and the second largest percentage decrease in the same period of time, -9.7%. (South Korea recorded -15.3%).
Despite the sharp decline, Canada’s TFR is fairly average on the comparable global scale.
83.4 women per 1000 aged 30-34 had a child in BC in 2022, the most of any age range.
55.6 women per 1000 had a baby between the ages of 35-39, 50.0 per 1000 had a baby between 25-29.
17.4% of women aged 50 or over in Canada have no biological children, up from 14.1% in 1990.
You can find Stats Canada’s full report here.
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