Commentary
Canada’s families have been shrinking for decades, and we did not arrive at a historic low fertility rate overnight. When birth rates decline year after year, as has been the case in Canada, they reveal something deeper about our society.
As new Cardus research has shown, the decline in fertility is not simply about people wanting fewer children, but Canadians struggling to have the children they say they would like to have. This reflects a complex interplay between economic and social realities. As Canadians consider future family life, they worry about affordability, stable housing, finances, and the tensions between having children and achieving other life goals. These challenges not only affect fertility rates but also the well-being of parents and would-be parents….