New data from Statistics Canada shows the fertility rate in Canada has hit an all-time low.
The agency found that Canada’s fertility rate had dropped to 1.26 births per woman in 2023, which falls beneath the previous low of 1.33 births in 2022.
British Columbia had the lowest rate in Canada at one birth per woman.
A StatCan study released last year found several factors have been affecting family planning for young adults, including the high cost of living.
“I think it will have longer-term implications,” Don Kerr, a demographer with King’s College, told Global News.
Get weekly health news
“The size of our family networks is going to get smaller and smaller. That has consequences because people rely on family in a lot ways — economically, emotionally — and it becomes particularly important as we grow older as well.”
- Ontario now second province to lower colorectal cancer screening age to 45
- Calgary, Lethbridge supervised consumption sites close, province shifts to treatment
- Alberta expands accessible parking permit system to cover those with vision loss
- Canada approves 1st generic semaglutide shot for weight loss
The latest drop means Canada has joined a group of countries, including Italy and Japan, with a fertility rate below 1.3.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.