The rising cost of living appears to be dragging down Canada’s birth rate, which recently hit its lowest level in recorded history.
Ipsos polling done exclusively for Global News found most Canadians are having fewer children than they would like because it’s too expensive to raise them.
The poll looked at responses from 1,001 Canadians between Feb. 16 and Feb. 20 on Canada’s falling fertility rate. Nearly half of respondents said they consider two the “ideal number of kids.”
But 65 per cent say they’re choosing to have smaller families because of financial concerns.
“Canadians’ anxieties are higher than we’ve measured since the 1980s,” said Ipsos vice-president of public affairs Sean Simpson. “It is no doubt having an impact on people’s attitudes and whether or not they feel that they can afford to have children.”
Sarah Brauner-Otto, director of McGill University’s Centre on Population Dynamics, said in an interview Wednesday that the data “seems like a big sign that something isn’t right.”
“There’s something about the way life is happening here in Canada that means people aren’t able to have the number of kids that they want to have.”
Last month, Statistics Canada revealed the country’s fertility rate dipped to its lowest point since it began collecting data more than a century ago.
The agency released its most recent numbers, showing the birth rate fell to 1.33 children per woman in 2022, well below the replacement level of around 2.1.
A report from the agency released last November estimates it costs almost $300,000 to raise a child from birth to 17 years old.
Brauner-Otto says parents have always worried about the cost of raising children, but the 2020s have brought more fear about the future.
“What has changed is the amount of instability and uncertainty that people are feeling about their economic prospects right now,” she said.
How the housing shortage delays parenthood
More than a quarter of people polled pointed specifically to the housing crisis as the reason for having fewer kids.
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“Housing affordability is a big contributor to the decrease in fertility that we are seeing,” Western University sociology professor Kate Choi told Global News.
Some of the country’s lowest fertility rates are in Canada’s most expensive cities, like Vancouver, where the birth rate is 1.1. children per woman.
“Canada is very similar to that of many developed countries. Where housing prices are really high, there tends to be lower fertility rates,” said Choi.
Every G7 country experienced a dip in fertility rates between 2021 and 2022, except for the United States.
Choi says it’s a trend that can be difficult to reverse.
“People will say, ‘Maybe this is not the best time to have children,'” Choi said. “And when fertility gets delayed and delayed and delayed, it often results in foregone fertility.”
What supports Canadians want to see
According to the Ipsos polling, most Canadians are concerned by the downward trajectory, with 67 per cent saying they’re worried “Canada will have a rapidly aging population that is difficult to support.”
The federal government has relied heavily on record immigration to maintain population growth. But a majority of Canadians want more incentives to encourage people to have more babies.
More than eight in 10 people would like to see increased supports for parents, including tax credits, legislation to make work more flexible and improving access to subsidized childcare.
Despite all provinces signing onto the Liberals’ $10-a-day childcare program in 2022, many families are still struggling to find spots.
“The message here is that there’s impetus to act, because if the birth rate declines much further, we’ll get to a point where we simply cannot compensate by immigration alone,” said Simpson.
According to the polling, most Canadians (61 per cent) also want the government to cover the costs of fertility tests and in vitro fertilization, as parents wait longer to start families.
The average age of a woman at childbirth has been steadily increasing over the past five decades. In 1976, it was 26.7 years old, while in 2022 that number was 31.6.
How changing attitudes affect birth rates
When it comes to public perceptions about Canada’s falling fertility rate, the polling shows a generational divide.
Nearly half of people (47 per cent) between the ages of 18 to 34 consider it a “good” thing Canadians are having fewer children because of concerns about climate change and overpopulation, while that number is significantly lower (28 per cent) for people over the age of 55.
Simpson says the polling reflects shifting cultural attitudes about the family structure.
“Canadians are a little less likely than maybe they were in previous generations to want to have children,” he said.
Most Canadians ranked having an enjoyable career or maintaining close friendships as “more important to leading a fulfilling life” than having children or getting married.
Brauner-Ottawa says “work-family conflict” can also delay parenthood or discourage it altogether.
“If it’s easier for you to have a fulfilling career and have a fulfilling life as a parent, then you’re more likely to do both of those things,” she said.
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