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Canada’s total fertility rate sits at a historic low of 1.25 children per woman, which firmly places the country in the “ultra-low fertility” category. The crude birth rate is approximately 9.94 births per 1,000 people. [1, 2, 3]

Key Birth & Fertility Statistics

• Total Fertility Rate (TFR): 1.25 children per woman. (For context, a TFR of 2.1 is generally required for a population to replace itself without immigration). [1, 2]
• Average Childbearing Age: 31.8 years for first-time mothers. [1]
• Foreign-born Mothers: Over 42% of all newborns in Canada have a foreign-born mother, a stabilizing factor for the country’s birth rates. [1]

Provincial BreakdownFertility rates vary significantly across the country, with coastal and western provinces seeing the lowest numbers: [1, 2, 3, 4]British Columbia: 1.02 children per woman (lowest nationally)Nova Scotia: 1.08 children per womanQuebec: 1.34 children per womanNunavut: 2.34 children per woman (highest nationally) [1]Contributing FactorsExperts attribute the steady decline in Canadian birth rates to several socioeconomic factors, including: [1, 2]Delayed Motherhood: Women are having their first child later in life, often prioritizing advanced education and labor market participation. [1, 2]Rising Cost of Living: Housing instability and general economic pressures have led many individuals and couples to postpone or forgo having children. [1]Voluntary Childlessness: A growing proportion of Canadians are choosing to remain childless. [1]For detailed interactive data and regional breakdowns, you can explore the Statistics Canada Fertility Indicators Dashboard. [1, 2, 3]