Since 2009, Canada has been experiencing a decline in fertility, which accelerated in 2017. In addition, the country saw unprecedented annual population growth from 2022 to 2024 on account of strong international migration. In this context, the study "The contribution of foreign-born mothers to Canadian births from 1997 to 2024" sheds new light on the contribution of foreign-born women (i.e., those born outside Canada) to births in Canada over the period from 1997 to 2024 using vital statistics data on births.
In 2024, more than two in five newborns (42.3%) had a foreign-born mother, a proportion that nearly doubled in just over 25 years. Also, nearly three in five babies (57.0%) born to mothers over the age of 40 years had a foreign-born mother in 2024. In contrast, among babies born to mothers aged 19 years and younger, just over 1 in 10 (12.8%) had a foreign-born mother.
Among all births in Canada, the proportion attributable to mothers born in India increased nearly fivefold from 1997 to 2024, rising from 2.1% to 10.3%. As a result, India was the leading country of origin for new foreign-born mothers in 2024, followed by the Philippines (3.1% of all births) and China (2.0% of all births).
In 2024, Ontario and British Columbia (48.7% each) had the highest proportion of births to foreign-born mothers, while the lowest proportion was observed in the Atlantic provinces (23.6%).
From 1997 to 2024, the largest increases in the number of births to foreign-born mothers were observed in Saskatchewan (+437%), the Atlantic provinces (+298%), Alberta (+264%) and Manitoba (+206%).
According to the 2021 Census of Population, the adjusted proportion of foreign-born women among women of childbearing age was estimated at 32.3%. This is slightly lower than the proportion of births to foreign-born mothers that year (33.0%), a trend that has been observed in the last five censuses of population. This suggests that foreign-born women are overrepresented among mothers who give birth in Canada compared with their proportion of the Canadian population.
From 2022 to 2024, 96% to 98% of Canada's annual population growth was due to international migration (new immigrants and non-permanent residents), while the remainder was due to natural increase (births minus deaths). However, without the contribution of foreign-born individuals to births and deaths, the natural increase in Canada would have been negative since 2022.
Note to readers
The study "The contribution of foreign-born mothers to Canadian births from 1997 to 2024" referenced in this release is based on data from the Canadian Vital Statistics - Birth Database (CVSB).
The CVSB is an administrative survey that collects demographic information annually from all provincial and territorial vital statistics registries on all live births in Canada. The 2024 data are considered preliminary.
The geographic distribution of live births is based on the mother's usual place of residence.
The mother is the person who gives birth to the child. In certain jurisdictions, information on the mother or father could contain information on the other parent, which in some cases is another woman or man. Statistics Canada is unable to identify or quantify these cases.
Calculations of natural increase by foreign origin are based on these data as well as death data from the Canadian Vital Statistics - Death Database (CVSD). The CVSB is an administrative survey that collects demographic and medical (cause of death) information annually and monthly from all provincial and territorial vital statistics registries on all deaths in Canada. The 2023 data are considered preliminary.
Data from the Canadian Census of Population for the years 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021 were used to calculate the proportion of the population aged 15 to 49 years who were female (at birth) and born in another country. Statistics Canada conducts the Census of Population every five years to paint a statistical portrait of the country and its population on a given day. A sample of 25% of Canadian households receives a long-form questionnaire that includes questions on place of birth. All other households receive a short-form questionnaire.
Definitions
A foreign-born individual is an individual who reports having a country of birth other than Canada, including immigrants, non-permanent residents and non-immigrants born outside Canada.
A live birth is the complete expulsion or extraction of a product of conception from its mother, regardless of the duration of the pregnancy, which, after such separation, breathes or shows any other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached.
The natural increase is the variation in the size of a population between two dates resulting from the difference between the number of births and deaths.
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).