Except that the U.S. fertility rate rose slightly to 167 Except for the G7, fertility rates have all declined. Canada's fertility rate has fallen one of the most among high-income countries.
Here comes the latest statistic: Canada's fertility rate in 2022 is 74%, the largest drop since the 70s. Canada's fertility rate has fallen to its lowest point in more than a century, with only 1 child per woman33 children.
According to the statistics office, the fertility rate in 2022 decreased by 7 compared to 20214%, which is a decline of 7 from 1971 to 1972The biggest drop since 6%. The decline in 1971-72 came after Canada legalized birth control pills and abortion in 1969. Chart: Canadian Fertility Rate, 1921 to 2022 **Statistics Canada Social Contexts Affecting Fertility 1929 - 1939 Great Depression 1939 - 1945 World War II 1960
The use of birth control pills to control hormone levels was legalized in 1969
Contraception and decriminalization of abortion 2020.
The global coronavirus pandemic
In terms of provinces, the highest fertility rate is in Saskatchewan (169), Quebec (149) and Alberta (145), the lowest is British Columbia (111), Nova Scotia (118) and Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island, both of which have fertility rates of 122。
The decline pattern from 2020 to 2022 is similar to that in many other countries, suggesting that the global pandemic may have temporarily disrupted fertility around the world, according to the statistics office.
In that year, the fertility rate rose slightly to 167 Except for the G7, fertility rates have all declined. Canada's fertility rate has fallen one of the most among high-income countries. Although the fertility rate has declined, Canada's fertility rate in 2022 is still higher than that of South Korea (0.).78), Spain (116), Italy (124) and Japan (126）。As for countries with higher fertility rates, France (1.)8), the United Kingdom (152) and Germany (146）。
Childbearing age is delayed
The average age of mothers at childbearing has also changed significantly. The average age of women at childbearing in 1976 was 267 years old, 31 in 20226 years old.
Given the public health crisis and economic and social shocks caused by the coronavirus pandemic, some people may change their reproductive choices as they cope with this period of uncertainty, the Bureau said. DSEC also added that at the beginning of the epidemic, women of appropriate age either postponed or gave up their birth plans due to illness, and couples living in two places had difficulty planning to get pregnant.
I really can't afford it! Canadian mom regrets not having a baby In the face of soaring prices, a Canadian mother posted a complaint: If I could choose again, I wouldn't have had a baby. Marianne Larson, a 50-year-old mother who has done everything she can to save money as the cost of living soars year after year, has not only changed the way she lights up, bought a hybrid car, bought bargains, but also tracked her household expenses "down to the finest of the eye." However, this does not seem to be enough to dispel her concerns about the basic necessities**.
Larson said that no matter what she did, she still couldn't keep up with the food.
Larson has tried using meal box delivery services, discounting purchases, limiting food to essentials and changing diets, but still, she says, "It's getting harder and harder now." ”
On Facebook, the Kelowna resident of British Columbia, Canada, shared a photo of the food she delivered home from Walmart**. In the middle is a cardboard box that can be placed on the stove, which contains mainly non-perishable food items. She said it cost $90.
She wrote on Facebook: Now it's starting to exhaust me. This has become ridiculous.
Since she shopped almost exclusively at Walmart, Larson was able to look back at her shopping history. In 2022, she said, she spent about $85 a week to support herself and her teenage sons.
She still orders the same items, and her eldest son has moved out of the house, but the cost of groceries has increased to 150 yuan a week.
She said, you multiply that number by 12 months, that's a lot of money, right? So I would say that I will spend about 1,000 to 1,200 yuan extra next year on average. In addition to marshmallows, candy and fast food noodles, Larson said a year ago she bought a week's worth of food for 40 yuan cheaper than she does now.
Since sharing her experience online, her post had received more than 550 comments as of Wednesday afternoon. Hundreds of comments came from people who admitted they were also feeling the pressure of food costs.
A netizen wrote: I earn a good salary, the rent is reasonable, I don't have a car, but I still barely make ends meet.
Another wrote: Things have become ridiculously expensive, and no matter what type of food we buy, **by a large margin**.
Others criticized Larson for not buying foods like chips, biscuits and chocolate milk. But she said, "something like this can make me eat for six months." ”
Others defended Larson, saying they could understand.
One wrote: I noticed that my elderly parents bought a lot of cereals and sometimes ate cereals and snacks for breakfast. A box of cereal porridge is certainly more hunger-resistant than a combination of raspberries, strawberries or grapes. Because of her medical diagnosis, Larson says she sticks to a vegetarian diet, which has helped her health a lot. But finding protein-rich foods becomes a task, as many meat substitutes are expensive.
"I hardly buy this kind of food anymore," she said. Over the next three months, I would start struggling more and eat a little less. Unfortunately, I had no choice.
Larson isn't optimistic that the cost of living will improve over time, which she believes will have an impact on the mental and physical health of Canadians.
She told Daily Hive that when she became an adult, as a paramedic, she thought she could afford a house. But an injury disrupted her plans and ended her career.
After all the financial pressures over the years and watching her eldest son struggle to make ends meet by working three jobs, she has even advised her son not to have children in the future.
"I hope my children don't have any more children of their own," she said. I begged them, and I didn't care if I became a grandmother.
She said I love my sons and the kids don't feel like they're unwelcome. When my eldest son once realized how expensive it was to live alone, he said: Mom, I don't blame you for not wanting children.