Study: Fertility among visible minority women

1996 to 2001

Fertility during the late 1990s was higher for visible minority women in Canada than it was for other Canadian women, according to a new report. Still, fertility for these women declined between 1996 and 2001 and remained below what is known as the replacement level, 2.1 children per woman.

The report showed that the fertility of all Canadian women declined from 1996 to 2001, yet it dropped faster for visible minority women.

It found that in 1996, the total fertility rate among visible minority groups was 1.94 children per woman; by 2001, it had decreased to 1.70 per woman. Among Aboriginal women, the fertility rate edge down from 2.86 to 2.60 children per women, while in the rest of the population, it slipped from 1.63 to 1.51.

The study also found significant differences in fertility between specific visible minority groups. Korean, Chinese and Japanese women had lower total fertility rates than other visible minority groups. The fertility rates were also lower than for women in the rest of the population for both periods.

Conversely, Arabs/West Asians and South Asians averaged two or more children per woman in both 1996 and 2001, while Latin American, Black, Filipino and Southeast Asian women had a fertility rate closer to the average for all visible minority women.

Significant differences in fertility among various groups

Visible minority groups differed on the basis of several characteristics that can be related to fertility. For instance, the proportion of recent immigrants or the proportion of the married population varied widely from one group to another.

The report found that the demographic and socio-economic variables explained only part of the differences in fertility. When these characteristics were taken into account, differences in fertility did not entirely disappear.

Yet, when the study was controlled for several characteristics (period of immigration, generation of immigrant, marital status, parity, religious denomination, income, school attendance, highest level of schooling and place of residence), the fertility of 7 of the 10 major visible minority groups remained different from that of non-Aboriginal women in the rest of the population.

Three groups (Chinese, Korean and West Asian) had lower fertility, while the other four groups (Black, Filipino, Latin American and Arab) had higher fertility.

Thus, demographic and socio-economic characteristics accounted for only a part of the differentials in fertility between visible minority groups.

Growth in visible minority groups has far outpaced the rest of the population

The share of the population belonging to a visible minority group is rising, and this trend is likely to continue as immigration represents an increasing share of population growth.

Between 1996 and 2001, Canada's visible minority population increased 24.6% from 3.2 million to 4.0 million. This growth far outpaced the 1.3% growth in the rest of the Canadian population during the same period.

As a result, the proportion of the population that belonged to a visible minority group has also increased between 1996 and 2001, from 11.2% to 13.4%.

The three largest visible minority groups were Chinese, South Asians and Blacks. Combined, these groups represented about one-third of all visible minority people in 2001.

During 2000/2001, the 53,300 births from visible minority mothers represented 16.8% of all births in Canada, up from 14.2% during 1995/1996. These proportions were higher than the share of visible minorities in the total population in 1996 and 2001.

This implies that the contribution of visible minority groups to fertility at the national level is increasing. Barring a reversal of past trends, the growing share of the population who belong to a visible minority group appears to be one of the factors likely of putting some upward pressure on fertility at the national level.

Nonetheless, previous studies have shown that the fertility of new immigrants tends to converge rapidly with that of the Canadian population.

Overall, Canada's fertility remains low, and it is expected that by about 2030 deaths will outnumber births. A fertility level below 2.1 children per woman leads to population ageing. Population projections have shown that by around 2015, individuals aged 65 and over could outnumber the population of children under the age of 15.

Immigration from the Balkans

A second study in this report examines immigration to Canada from the Balkan countries since 1980.

Immigration from the Balkan countries accounted for a sizable proportion (21% to 28%) of the refugees admitted to Canada during the second half of the 1990s. Between 1994 and 2000, countries from the former Yugoslavia were the main source of refugee to Canada, surpassing Sri Lanka.

By 2001, 220,000 immigrants from the Balkans were enumerated in Canada. This figure results from a rapid growth between 1986 and 2001. During the same period, the immigrant population of European origin was declining in Canada.

The study also examined how the characteristics of the Balkan immigrant population compared with other immigrants to Canada and to the Canadian population as a whole.

Immigrants from the Balkans differed from the latter two populations in that they were more likely to settle in Ontario and were more likely to have a university degree. They were less well integrated into the job market than immigrants in general, even though they were on average better educated. This can be explained by the high proportion of recent immigrants among them.

The first part of the report also provides a comprehensive analytical review of the most recent demographic trends in Canada.

The Report on the Demographic Situation in Canada 2003 and 2004 (91-209-XIE, free) is now available from the Our Products and Services page of our website.

For more information, to obtain additional data, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-866-767-5611 or 613-951-2320; fax: 613-951-2307; demography@statcan.gc.ca), Demography Division.