Canadian Megatrends, November 2014
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Released: 2014-11-13
How many children are there in a 'typical' Canadian family? That really depends on the era, as the number of children per woman has changed significantly since Confederation.
The November 2014 edition of Canadian Megatrends, Statistics Canada's new series about the trends that have shaped the country's society and economy, examines changing fertility rates and childbearing patterns for Canadian women.
For example, in 1851, the estimated total fertility rate was close to seven children per woman. This rate has decreased over time; by 2011, it had reached 1.61 children per woman.
Changing, too, has been the age at which women have their first child, with the average age of first-time mothers increasing since the mid-1960s.
These demographic patterns are the result of a host of economic, social and historical factors. They also provide insight into the dynamics of population growth and the age structure of Canadian society, as well as family formation and household composition.
The article "Fertility: Fewer children, older moms," part of Canadian Megatrends (Catalogue number11-630-X), is now available from The Daily module of our website.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@canada.ca).
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