Canada witnessed a significant decline in the number of births last year, reaching a 17-year low. The drop in births was attributed to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and a decreasing fertility rate, as per recent data.
Statistics Canada’s report, released on Tuesday, revealed that there were 351,679 registered births in Canada in 2022, marking a five percent decrease from the previous year. This decline represents the sharpest drop since 2005 when Canada faced a similar situation, with 345,044 births recorded nationwide.
While all provinces and territories reported a decrease in births, Nova Scotia notably stood out with a 12.8 percent increase in live births. On the other hand, Nunavut experienced the most significant decrease, with births dropping by 11.8 percent compared to 2021.
Over the past several years, Canada, like many developed countries, has been observing a downward trend in birth rates. However, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly pronounced in affecting people’s plans to have children, according to Kate Choi, an associate professor of sociology at Western University. She emphasized that while fertility decline was already part of a larger trend, the extent of the decrease was more significant than expected in the absence of the pandemic.
Choi also pointed out that the high cost of living has exacerbated the decline in births, making it challenging for young adults to afford the lifestyle necessary to raise children. This situation has contributed to delayed and forgone fertility.
The declining birth rates are concerning for Canada, as they have the potential to worsen population aging issues. Canada is categorized as a low-fertility country, with its fertility rate declining over the past decade.
In 2021, the latest data from Statistics Canada reported a fertility rate of 1.44 children per woman for that year, which represented a slight increase following a steady decline since 2009. The fertility rate is an estimate of the average number of live births expected from a woman in her lifetime.
Factors such as lifestyle changes, work decisions, a shift towards smaller families, and women delaying childbirth until their 30s have contributed to the decrease in births, according to Mark Rosenberg, an expert in geography and professor emeritus at Queen’s University. Additionally, an increasing number of younger individuals are living in single-person households.
Despite the decline in births, Canada’s population has been growing at a “record-setting pace” due to a focus on increasing immigration. Meanwhile, Statistics Canada’s recent report also highlighted a rise in the proportion of babies born with low birth weight, which can lead to various health complications.
