Canadian women are having fewer children than ever, even though surveys show women want more of them.
Canada’s total fertility rate fell to a record low of 1.25 children per woman in 2024, well below the replacement rate of 2.1. Meanwhile, a 2025 survey found that women considered 2 children their ideal family size, on average. More than half of women aged 40 to 44 said they had fewer children than they wanted.
That gap has implications beyond the falling birth rate and dashed hopes—an aging population means fewer young workers entering the labour force and raises concerns about the long-term financing of public health care….