The fertility rate of a country is the average number of children that women from that country will have throughout their reproductive years. In 1860, Canadian women of childbearing age would go on to have 5.7 children on average, however this number dropped significantly by 1925, where it was just 3.3. It then plateaued in the late 1920s, before dropping again, to 2.7 in 1940. Similarly to the United States, Canada experienced a large baby boom after the Second World War, rising to 3.9 in 1960, before declining again into the 1980s, and then plateauing between 1.5 and 1.7 until today. Canada's fertility rate is expected to be 1.5 children per woman in 2020.

Crude birth rates, age-specific fertility rates and total fertility rates (live births), 2000 to most recent year.

In Canada, the crude birth rate in 1860 was forty live births per thousand people, meaning that four percent of the population had been born in that year. From this point until the turn of the century, the crude birth rate decreases gradually, to just over thirty births per thousand. Over the next twenty years, this number hovers just below thirty, and thereafter it decreases much more rapidly than before, to 20.7 in 1940, before Canada's baby boom in the 1940s, 50s and 60s, where the birth rate increased to over 27. From the end of the baby boom until the late 1970s the population decreases rapidly again, before the rate of decline then slows. Since 1975, the crude birth rate of Canada will have dropped from 15.6, to it's lowest point in 2020, where it is expected to be just 10.5 births per thousand people.

Canada CA: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data was reported at 8.800 Ratio in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 9.000 Ratio for 2022. Canada CA: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 14.250 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 26.700 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 8.800 Ratio in 2023. Canada CA: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Canada – Table CA.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.;(1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision; (2) Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices; (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics; (4) United Nations Statistics Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years).;Weighted average;

In 2023, the crude birth rate in live births per 1,000 inhabitants in Canada amounted to 8.8. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by 17.9, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Canada CA: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data was reported at 1.260 Ratio in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.330 Ratio for 2022. Canada CA: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 1.680 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.811 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 1.260 Ratio in 2023. Canada CA: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Canada – Table CA.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Total fertility rate represents the number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her childbearing years and bear children in accordance with age-specific fertility rates of the specified year.;(1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision; (2) Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices; (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics.;Weighted average;Relevance to gender indicator: it can indicate the status of women within households and a woman’s decision about the number and spacing of children.

Number and percentage of live births, by month of birth, 1991 to most recent year.

Number and proportion of low birth weight babies (less than 2,500 grams and 500 grams to less than 2,500 grams), by sex.

Canada CA: Adolescent Fertility Rate: Births per 1000 Women Aged 15-19 data was reported at 4.805 Ratio in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.889 Ratio for 2022. Canada CA: Adolescent Fertility Rate: Births per 1000 Women Aged 15-19 data is updated yearly, averaging 23.756 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 54.573 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 4.805 Ratio in 2023. Canada CA: Adolescent Fertility Rate: Births per 1000 Women Aged 15-19 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Canada – Table CA.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Adolescent fertility rate is the number of births per 1,000 women ages 15-19.;United Nations Population Division, World Population Prospects.;Weighted average;This is the Sustainable Development Goal indicator 3.7.2 [https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

This publication is a compilation of historical data relating to selected birth and fertility data from 1921-1990 for Canada, the ten provinces, and two territories. Major topics included in this publication relate to: the numbers and rates of live births; total, general, and age-specific fertility rates; births and birth rates by age of mother and order of live birth; and birthweights of newborns. This publication contains the following sections: (a) a narrative description of the historical trends exhibited by Canada's birth and fertility rates, supplemented by charts on these topics; and (b) a set of statistical tables containing historical birth and fertility data since 1921. The statistical data in this publication, along with complete documentation, are available in machine readable form from the Canadian Centre for Health Information. This publication was compiled in the Health Status Section of the Canadian Centre for Health Information and is one of a series of historical publications relating to the vital statistics events of births, marriages, deaths, infant mortality and abortions. Access data here

Canada CA: Death Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data was reported at 8.100 Ratio in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 8.600 Ratio for 2022. Canada CA: Death Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 7.200 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.600 Ratio in 2022 and a record low of 6.900 Ratio in 1992. Canada CA: Death Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Canada – Table CA.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Crude death rate indicates the number of deaths occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.;(1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision; (2) Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices; (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics; (4) United Nations Statistics Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years).;Weighted average;

In 2023, the total fertility rate in children per woman in Canada was 1.26. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by 2.55, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Number and rate, birth related indicators (low and high birth weight, small and large for gestational age, pre-term births), by sex, three-year period, Canada, provinces, territories, health regions and peer groups.

Number of persons in low income, low income rate and average gap ratio by economic family type, annual.

Canada CA: Completeness of Birth Registration data was reported at 100.000 % in 2022. This stayed constant from the previous number of 100.000 % for 2017. Canada CA: Completeness of Birth Registration data is updated yearly, averaging 100.000 % from Dec 2011 (Median) to 2022, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 100.000 % in 2022 and a record low of 100.000 % in 2022. Canada CA: Completeness of Birth Registration data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Canada – Table CA.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Completeness of birth registration is the percentage of children under age 5 whose births were registered at the time of the survey. The numerator of completeness of birth registration includes children whose birth certificate was seen by the interviewer or whose mother or caretaker says the birth has been registered.;Household surveys such as Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. Largely compiled by UNICEF.;Weighted average;This is the Sustainable Development Goal indicator 16.9.1 [https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

Low birth weight babies (500 to less than 2,500 grams), by sex, five-year average, Canada and Inuit regions

Canada CA: Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data was reported at 1.055 Ratio in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.054 Ratio for 2022. Canada CA: Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data is updated yearly, averaging 1.054 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.062 Ratio in 1971 and a record low of 1.050 Ratio in 1988. Canada CA: Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Canada – Table CA.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Sex ratio at birth refers to male births per female births.;United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision.;Weighted average;

Number and rate, birth related indicators (low and high birth weight, small and large for gestational age and pre-term births), by sex, five-year period, Canada and Inuit regions.

This table contains 3006 series, with data for years 1997 - 2001 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (167 items: Canada; Health and Community Services Eastern Region; Newfoundland and Labrador; Health and Community Services St. John's Region; Newfoundland and Labrador; Newfoundland and Labrador ...), Sex (3 items: Both sexes; Females; Males ...), Characteristics (6 items: Number of low birth weight babies; Low 95% confidence interval; number of low birth weight babies; High 95% confidence interval; number of low birth weight babies; Proportion of low birth weight babies ...).

This table contains 13770 series, with data for years 2000/2002 - 2010/2012 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (153 items: Canada; Newfoundland and Labrador; Census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations, Newfoundland and Labrador; Census metropolitan areas, Newfoundland and Labrador; ...); Sex (3 items: Both sexes; Males; Females); Indicators (5 items: Low birth weight (less than 2,500 grams); Small for gestational age; Pre-term births; High birth weight (4,500 grams or more); ...); Characteristics (6 items: Number; Low 95% confidence interval, number; High 95% confidence interval, number; Percent; ...).