Canada’s fertility rate remained at a record low in 2025, while the average age of mothers at childbirth continued to climb, according to new data. The latest figures from Statistics Canada found women had an average of 1.26 children, unchanged from the all-time low reached in 2024, while most provinces and territories recorded what the national agency called “all-time low” fertility rates. The longer-term decline has been underway for years, raising questions about the changing circumstances in which Canadians are deciding whether and when to have children. How the trend started Maria Porcellato, CEO of the Alberta-based EndoDiagnosis, said in an interview with CTVNews.ca the trend reflects changes that have been building for decades, including working conditions, the cost of living, lifestyle choices and delays in childbearing. “These fertility rates have been declining for decades, and there are things that have changed over that time,” she said. Canada’s fertility rate began its general decline in 2009, according to Statistics Canada. The decrease became sharper between 2017 and 2023, with data showing an average annual decline of four per cent, excluding 2021, when an increase was recorded. The rate slightly fell by 0.8 per cent in 2024 before it remained unchanged last year. The total fertility rate estimates the number of children a woman would have over her lifetime if the age-specific birth rates observed in a given year remained constant. It is a statistical measure, rather than a prediction of how many children women today will ultimately have. The long-term decline is not unique to Canada. Among 20 selected high-income countries, Canada had the seventh-lowest fertility rate in 2025. The United States had the highest rate at 1.57 children per woman, followed by Iceland and France, both at 1.56. South Korea had the lowest, at 0.80. Canada’s rate was closer to the middle of the group for many years, but began shifting toward countries with the lowest rates in 2018. More women are having children later The average age of mothers at childbirth reached 31.9 years in 2025, another record high. In 1976, the average was 26.7. Porcellato said delaying childbearing can make conception more difficult, while conditions such as endometriosis and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) can further complicate reproductive health. “Many women carry these,” she said, referring to gynecological conditions, adding that endometriosis, a chronic condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body, affects as many as one in four women. Endometriosis can cause pain and, in some cases, fertility problems. Meanwhile, PMOS is a hormonal and metabolic condition that can interfere with ovulation. Porcellato argued that earlier recognition and management of these conditions could help women make more informed decisions about their reproductive health. “If we are not, as a medical system, practising preventative health, and detecting these diseases early in a woman’s life, and we’re letting them progress,” she said, “these diseases go from simple to complex.” Money, lifestyle and stress under scrutiny Financial pressures are also influencing family-planning decisions, with Toronto-based financial writer Renee Sylvestre-Williams noting in a previous interview with CTV News that the rising cost of living can push having children and fertility down the list of priorities. Porcellato also pointed out that lifestyle choices can affect reproductive health. “Dietary choices, exercise, sleep habits, and a sedentary lifestyle ... can have a huge impact on our fertility,” she said, adding chronic stress may influence cortisol levels and metabolic processes, including insulin resistance. She said that women juggling work, family responsibilities and caregiving can face sustained pressures that affect their health. With files from CTV News’ National Correspondent Michael Serapio
