OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says the country’s fertility rate reached an all-time low of 1.33 children per woman in 2022.
The federal agency says that’s part of a downward trend that began in 2009.
Canada’s fertility rate fell sharply in 2020, then slightly increased the year after that before resuming its downward trend in 2022.
According to the report, other countries had a similar experience during those years.
The decline in the fertility rate between 2021 and 2022 is the largest observed since the baby bust in the early 1970s.
StatCan says it puts Canada in the middle of the pack of 10 high-income countries, which includes those in the G7.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2024.