Breastfeeding practices by province and territory (Percent)
Related tables: Pregnancy and births.
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | ||||
| Breastfeeding initiation | ||||
| Canada | 87.5 | 87.2 | 88.4 | 90.3 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 61.1 | 63.4 | 54.3 | 59.3 |
| Prince Edward Island | 73.6 | 75.7 | 91.8 | 59.4E |
| Nova Scotia | 76.7 | 77.7 | 80.2 | 86.7 |
| New Brunswick | 84.3 | 80.0 | 69.5 | 78.5 |
| Quebec | 81.8 | 83.8 | 88.7 | 89.9 |
| Ontario | 87.8 | 89.6 | 87.1 | 90.4 |
| Manitoba | 87.1 | 90.9 | 94.4 | 91.1 |
| Saskatchewan | 90.3 | 89.8 | 85.3 | 86.0 |
| Alberta | 92.4 | 89.5 | 93.3 | 91.3 |
| British Columbia | 97.3 | 89.0 | 94.2 | 97.2 |
| Yukon | 100.0 | 93.8 | 93.0 | 99.2 |
| Northwest Territories | 86.4 | 92.3 | 97.7 | 92.5 |
| Nunavut | 72.9 | 59.2E | 73.0 | 85.4 |
| Exclusive breastfeeding | ||||
| Canada | 24.4 | 27.7 | 27.8 | 24.2 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 16.0E | 18.2E | F | 17.1E |
| Prince Edward Island | 23.9E | 18.4E | F | F |
| Nova Scotia | 13.1E | 22.9E | 26.5E | 20.1E |
| New Brunswick | 15.3E | 20.7E | 20.9E | 27.3E |
| Quebec | 19.0 | 21.6 | 22.6 | 16.1 |
| Ontario | 23.1 | 28.9 | 27.3 | 22.4 |
| Manitoba | 30.7E | 28.5E | 37.0 | 21.9E |
| Saskatchewan | 31.9 | 33.8 | 25.8 | 36.6 |
| Alberta | 29.7 | 29.6 | 27.1 | 27.8 |
| British Columbia | 33.6 | 35.6 | 41.4 | 40.3 |
| Yukon | F | 44.6E | F | 46.0E |
| Northwest Territories | 35.8E | 33.1E | F | F |
| Nunavut | 29.3E | F | 28.5E | F |
| E : use with caution. F : too unreliable to be published. Notes: Based on information provided by women aged 15 to 55 who had a baby in the last 5 years. Breastfeeding initiation refers to mothers who breastfed or tried to breastfeed their last child even if only for a short time. Exclusive breastfeeding refers to an infant receiving only breast milk, without any additional liquid (even water) or solid food for at least 6 months. Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM table 105-0501 and Catalogue no. 82-221-X. Last modified: 2013-06-17. | ||||
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