The fertility rate in Canada continues to drop, and the country has reached a record low, according to new data from Statistics Canada.
The fertility rate represents the estimated average number of live births a woman is expected to have over the course of her reproductive life. In 2023, fertility rates in Canada reached a new low: 1.26 children per woman, the lowest since rates started declining 15 years ago.
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“Canada has now joined the group of ‘lowest-low’ fertility countries, including South Korea, Spain, Italy and Japan, with 1.3 children per woman or less,” reads the report.
In comparison, the US has a fertility rate of 1.62 per woman.
There were 351,477 babies born in Canada in 2023 — a number that remains almost unchanged compared to 2022.
Ten out of the 13 provinces and territories showed declining fertility rates, and BC had the lowest, at 1.00 children per woman.
Canada’s seeing more premature births
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Last year also saw an alarming trend: the highest number of premature births in 50 years.
Premature births, which occur at less than 37 weeks of gestation, have increased in the past 30 years from 7.% in 1993 to 8.3 in 2023, the highest rate seen in the past five decades.
“The increase in the rate of premature births could be related to the higher proportion of older mothers, as risk of a premature birth increases as the age of the mother increases,” states the report.
What’s behind Canada’s declining fertility rate?
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In 2023, StatsCan published a 2023 study on the impact of socioeconomic obstacles on Canadians aged 15 to 29. Compared to other age groups, this group faced “disproportionate challenges to their quality of life” and were “less satisfied and less hopeful about the future.”
To measure young Canadians’ quality of life, 85 indicators focused on prosperity, health, society, the environment, good governance, life satisfaction, and meaning and purpose. Among those aged 20 to 29, housing and affordability concerns are the main reasons influencing their decisions about having children.