Canada's total fertility rate reaches a new low in 2024
Canada's total fertility rate (TFR) was 1.25 children per woman in 2024, a record low.
The record low in 2024 marks the continuation of a general decrease in the fertility rate since 2009, though at a slower pace of annual decline (-1.6%) than what occurred in 2022 (-6.9%) and 2023 (-5.2%).
The term "ultra-low fertility" is commonly used to describe TFRs below 1.30 children per woman. Canada entered this group for the first time in 2023, with a TFR of 1.27. In recent years, the number of countries with "ultra-low fertility" has grown. By 2024, several countries were part of this group, including Switzerland (1.29), Canada (1.25), Luxembourg (1.25), Finland (1.25), Italy (1.18), Japan (1.15), Singapore (0.97) and South Korea (0.75). Although 2024 data for Spain are not yet available, the country reported a TFR of 1.12 in 2023.
Among the provinces and territories in Canada, nine had record-low TFRs in 2024: Nova Scotia (1.08), Prince Edward Island (1.10), Ontario (1.21), Quebec (1.34), the Northwest Territories (1.39), Alberta (1.41), Manitoba (1.50), Saskatchewan (1.58) and Nunavut (2.34). Overall, British Columbia had the lowest TFR at 1.02 children per woman—up slightly from its record low in 2023 (1.00).
The average age of childbearing in Canada has been increasing without interruption for nearly five decades. In 2024, the average age of mothers at the birth of their child reached a record high of 31.8 years, up from 26.7 years in 1976.
Olivia and Noah remain Canada's most popular baby names in 2024
For the fourth consecutive year, Olivia and Noah ranked as the most popular baby names in 2024.
The 10 most popular boy names in 2024 were largely unchanged from 2023. In both years, the top-ranked Noah was followed by Liam, Theodore, Leo, William, Oliver and Lucas. James ranked eighth in 2024, marking its return to the top 10 for the first time since 2020. Rounding out the list were Benjamin and Thomas.
In contrast, the top 10 baby girl names saw more change from 2023 to 2024. Charlotte rose to the second spot in 2024, unseating Emma, while Ava and Lily returned to the top 10, replacing Mila and Alice.
Note to readers
Data sources
Fertility indicators are based on data from the Canadian Vital Statistics - Birth database and the Demographic Estimates Program.
The total fertility rate of Switzerland in 2024 was sourced from the Federal Statistical Office (https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/en/home/statistics/population/births-deaths.html). The total fertility rate of Luxembourg in 2024 was sourced from STATEC (https://lustat.statec.lu/?lc=en&tm=DF_B2207&pg=0&snb=1). The total fertility rate of Finland in 2024 was sourced from Statistics Finland (https://stat.fi/en/statistics/synt#keyfigures). The total fertility rate of Italy in 2024 was sourced from ISTAT (https://www.istat.it/en/press-release/demographic-indicators-year-2024). The total fertility rate of Japan in 2024 was sourced from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/database/db-hw/populate/index.html). The total fertility rate of Singapore in 2024 was sourced from the Department of Statistics Singapore, Births and Fertility Rates (https://tablebuilder.singstat.gov.sg/table/TS/M810091). The total fertility rate of South Korea in 2024 was sourced from Korean Statistical Information Service (https://kosis.kr/eng/). The total fertility rate of Spain in 2023 was sourced from Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (https://www.ine.es/dyngs/Prensa/en/EDES_EMN2023.htm).
Baby names indicators are based on data from the Canadian Vital Statistics - Birth database (CVSB) by Statistics Canada and the List of Baby Names (available in French only) by Retraite Québec. For Quebec, the database includes all infants who were eligible for family benefits.
Definitions
The total fertility rate (TFR) is an estimate of the average number of live births a woman can be expected to have in her lifetime, based on the age-specific fertility rates of a given year. The TFR is the sum of age-specific fertility rates for a given year, divided by 1,000.
The average age of childbearing refers to the average (or mean) age of mothers at the birth of their child for a given year. The age of a mother is considered her age attained at her last birthday preceding delivery. Average age is calculated by summing the single-age fertility rates that have been multiplied by the mid-year age and then dividing this sum by the total fertility rate. Births for which the age of the mother is unknown were prorated using the observed distribution.
Baby name refers to the name which appears first in the full given name recorded in the data source. Missing first names, those composed of a single letter and those with a frequency less than 5 are excluded. In the source data, names are presented in a format in which an accented letter is replaced with the unaccented version of the letter. First names which include a hyphen are kept in full.
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 (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).