Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in Canada
Canada: Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) was 1.26 births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.26 births per woman
Change on year
down 5.3%
World rank
192nd
of 215 countries
All-time high
2.26 births per woman
in 1970
All-time low
1.26 births per woman
in 2023
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Fertility rate, total in Canada, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
Canada recorded 1.26 births per woman for fertility rate, total in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 54 years on record.
That represents a change of down 5.3% on the previous year and down 21.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in Canada peaked at 2.26 births per woman in 1970 and was at its lowest, 1.26 births per woman, in 2023.
That places Canada 192nd out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in Canada, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.26 births per woman | — |
| 1971 | 2.14 births per woman | -5.2% |
| 1972 | 1.98 births per woman | -7.5% |
| 1973 | 1.89 births per woman | -4.5% |
| 1974 | 1.84 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 1975 | 1.82 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1976 | 1.8 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1977 | 1.78 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1978 | 1.77 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1979 | 1.75 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1980 | 1.74 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 1.7 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 1982 | 1.69 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 1.68 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 1.65 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 1985 | 1.67 births per woman | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 1.68 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 1.68 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 1.68 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 1.77 births per woman | +5.4% |
| 1990 | 1.83 births per woman | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 1.72 births per woman | -6.0% |
| 1992 | 1.71 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 1.69 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 1.69 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 1.67 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 1.63 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1997 | 1.57 births per woman | -3.7% |
| 1998 | 1.56 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 1.55 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 1.51 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 1.54 births per woman | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 1.52 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 1.55 births per woman | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 1.56 births per woman | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 1.58 births per woman | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 1.63 births per woman | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 1.67 births per woman | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 1.7 births per woman | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 1.69 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 1.65 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 1.63 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 1.63 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.61 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 1.61 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1.6 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 1.59 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 1.55 births per woman | -2.5% |
| 2018 | 1.51 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 1.47 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 1.41 births per woman | -4.1% |
| 2021 | 1.44 births per woman | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 1.33 births per woman | -7.6% |
| 2023 | 1.26 births per woman | -5.3% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 1.26 births per woman is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.49 births per woman, 85% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.9 births per woman | 1.75 births per woman | 2.26 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.69 births per woman | 1.65 births per woman | 1.77 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.66 births per woman | 1.55 births per woman | 1.83 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.59 births per woman | 1.51 births per woman | 1.7 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.58 births per woman | 1.47 births per woman | 1.65 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.36 births per woman | 1.26 births per woman | 1.44 births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More population data for Canada
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.13 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2634 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 45,891 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.7644 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.3863 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.327 (2100)
- Population density 6.1 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 2.33 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in Canada?
- Fertility rate, total in Canada was 1.26 births per woman in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 2.26 births per woman in 1970.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.26 births per woman in 2023.
- How does Canada rank for fertility rate, total?
- Canada ranks 192nd out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Fertility rate, total (births per woman). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release