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Thursday, September 26, 2002

Births

2000

Canada's fertility rate fell to a record low in 2000 in the wake of the tenth straight annual decline in the number of births.

A total of 327,882 babies were born in 2000, the lowest number since 1946. This was down 2.8% from 337,249 in 1999. The number of live births fell in all provinces and territories except the Northwest Territories, where it rose 2.1%.

Combined with a larger population, this left the fertility rate - an estimate of the average number of children women aged 15 to 49 will have in their lifetime - at a record low of 1.49. Fertility rates fell for women in all age groups under 35.

Births1
  1999 2000 1999 to 2000
    % change
Canada2 337,249 327,882 -2.8
Newfoundland and Labrador 5,055 4,869 -3.7
Prince Edward Island 1,515 1,441 -4.9
Nova Scotia 9,575 9,116 -4.8
New Brunswick 7,615 7,347 -3.5
Quebec 73,596 72,007 -2.2
Ontario 131,080 127,408 -2.8
Manitoba 14,315 14,090 -1.6
Saskatchewan 12,604 12,140 -3.7
Alberta 38,171 37,006 -3.1
British Columbia 41,939 40,672 -3.0
Yukon 383 370 -3.4
Northwest Territories3 659 673 2.1
Nunavut3 737 727 -1.4
1Excludes births to non-residents of Canada and stillbirths.
2Canada total includes births with unknown province/territory of residence of mother.
3For 1999 and 2000, data for Nunavut are excluded from the Northwest Territories.

The largest annual decrease in the fertility rate occurred among female teenagers. The fertility rate fell from 18.9 births for every 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 in 1999 to a new low of 17.3.

Although fertility rates among women aged 35 and older increased from 1999 to 2000, the levels were not large enough to offset the decreases in fertility rates among younger women.

For general information or to order custom tabulations, contact Client Custom Services (613-951-1746; hd-ds@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Patricia Tully (613-951-1759; patricia.tully@statcan.gc.ca), Health Statistics Division.


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Date Modified: 2002-09-26 Important Notices