Number of live births in Canada
Canada: Number of live births was 351,880 births in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
351,880 births
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
9th
of 34 countries
All-time high
464,449 births
in 1959
All-time low
154,861 births
in 1925
Years of data
103
1921–2023
Number of live births in Canada, 1921–2023
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births.
Analysis
In 2023, number of live births in Canada stood at 351,880 births.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 7.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of live births in Canada peaked at 464,449 births in 1959 and was at its lowest, 154,861 births, in 1925.
Canada ranks 9th of 34 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 103 years of available data.
Number of live births in Canada, year by year
| Year | births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 168,979 births | — |
| 1922 | 164,194 births | -2.8% |
| 1923 | 156,897 births | -4.4% |
| 1924 | 157,595 births | +0.4% |
| 1925 | 154,861 births | -1.7% |
| 1926 | 232,750 births | +50.3% |
| 1927 | 234,227 births | +0.6% |
| 1928 | 236,757 births | +1.1% |
| 1929 | 235,415 births | -0.6% |
| 1930 | 243,495 births | +3.4% |
| 1931 | 240,473 births | -1.2% |
| 1932 | 235,666 births | -2.0% |
| 1933 | 222,868 births | -5.4% |
| 1934 | 221,303 births | -0.7% |
| 1935 | 221,451 births | +0.1% |
| 1936 | 220,371 births | -0.5% |
| 1937 | 220,235 births | -0.1% |
| 1938 | 229,446 births | +4.2% |
| 1939 | 229,468 births | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 244,316 births | +6.5% |
| 1941 | 255,317 births | +4.5% |
| 1942 | 272,313 births | +6.7% |
| 1943 | 283,580 births | +4.1% |
| 1944 | 284,220 births | +0.2% |
| 1945 | 288,730 births | +1.6% |
| 1946 | 330,732 births | +14.5% |
| 1947 | 359,094 births | +8.6% |
| 1948 | 347,307 births | -3.3% |
| 1949 | 353,858 births | +1.9% |
| 1950 | 357,907 births | +1.1% |
| 1951 | 368,363 births | +2.9% |
| 1952 | 389,966 births | +5.9% |
| 1953 | 404,028 births | +3.6% |
| 1954 | 421,489 births | +4.3% |
| 1955 | 426,924 births | +1.3% |
| 1956 | 436,198 births | +2.2% |
| 1957 | 453,778 births | +4.0% |
| 1958 | 455,303 births | +0.3% |
| 1959 | 464,449 births | +2.0% |
| 1960 | 463,378 births | -0.2% |
| 1961 | 460,109 births | -0.7% |
| 1962 | 454,629 births | -1.2% |
| 1963 | 450,324 births | -0.9% |
| 1964 | 438,235 births | -2.7% |
| 1965 | 403,855 births | -7.8% |
| 1966 | 373,626 births | -7.5% |
| 1967 | 358,050 births | -4.2% |
| 1968 | 351,490 births | -1.8% |
| 1969 | 356,647 births | +1.5% |
| 1970 | 359,449 births | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 349,420 births | -2.8% |
| 1972 | 334,421 births | -4.3% |
| 1973 | 331,467 births | -0.9% |
| 1974 | 335,409 births | +1.2% |
| 1975 | 348,110 births | +3.8% |
| 1976 | 348,857 births | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 351,799 births | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 348,885 births | -0.8% |
| 1979 | 355,894 births | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 360,377 births | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 361,216 births | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 363,899 births | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 364,750 births | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 368,468 births | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 367,226 births | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 364,813 births | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 361,973 births | -0.8% |
| 1988 | 369,308 births | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 384,899 births | +4.2% |
| 1990 | 397,882 births | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 403,820 births | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 399,105 births | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 389,035 births | -2.5% |
| 1994 | 386,245 births | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 378,685 births | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 366,835 births | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 349,545 births | -4.7% |
| 1998 | 342,965 births | -1.9% |
| 1999 | 337,825 births | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 328,595 births | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 334,615 births | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 329,890 births | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 336,355 births | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 339,015 births | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 345,365 births | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 357,920 births | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 370,365 births | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 381,860 births | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 384,650 births | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 379,195 births | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 379,245 births | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 383,100 births | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 381,050 births | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 384,575 births | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 382,980 births | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 384,025 births | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 377,625 births | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 374,620 births | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 372,980 births | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 360,800 births | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 370,155 births | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 351,675 births | -5.0% |
| 2023 | 351,880 births | +0.1% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 351,880 births is above the median for high income countries, which is 98,451 births, 3.6× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Number of live births in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | +50.3% | 154,861 births | 232,750 births |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 193,519 births | 154,861 births | 236,757 births | 9 |
| 1930s | 228,478 births | 220,235 births | 243,495 births | 10 |
| 1940s | 301,947 births | 244,316 births | 359,094 births | 10 |
| 1950s | 417,840 births | 357,907 births | 464,449 births | 10 |
| 1960s | 411,034 births | 351,490 births | 463,378 births | 10 |
| 1970s | 346,371 births | 331,467 births | 359,449 births | 10 |
| 1980s | 366,693 births | 360,377 births | 384,899 births | 10 |
| 1990s | 375,194 births | 337,825 births | 403,820 births | 10 |
| 2000s | 350,863 births | 328,595 births | 384,650 births | 10 |
| 2010s | 379,940 births | 372,980 births | 384,575 births | 10 |
| 2020s | 358,628 births | 351,675 births | 370,155 births | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More population data for Canada
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2634 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.3% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 2.33 million people (2100)
- Population density 6.1 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.3% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.3863 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.7644 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of live births in Canada?
- Number of live births in Canada was 351,880 births in 2023, according to Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of live births recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 464,449 births in 1959.
- What is the lowest number of live births recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 154,861 births in 1925.
- How does Canada rank for number of live births?
- Canada ranks 9th out of 34 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of live births rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of live births. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 103 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total number of live births recorded in a given year.