Single-child families becoming the norm

Birth rate declines for women aged 20 to 24

For the third year in a row, birth rates have declined. Couples are no longer having the typical 2.5 children. According to an article in the National Post, single-child families are becoming increasingly common. Also, people are having children later in life. Studies have shown that women between the ages of 35 and 39 are having more births than women from 20 to 24.

The “white picket fence and 2.5 children” that long signalled the domestic dream isn’t just outdated because our architectural tastes have evolved. According to new figures from Statistics Canada, women, on average, haven’t had families that large since 1968 — nor do they appear to be headed that way any time soon.

On Tuesday, the agency reported that the total fertility rate in Canada has declined for a third year in a row, falling to just 1.61 children per woman in 2011. And while that represents an increase over a decade earlier, when the rate plummeted to a historic low of 1.51, it’s nonetheless consistent with the long-term trend.

In fact, Statistics Canada shows we haven’t met the population replacement level of roughly 2.1 children per woman since 1971.

Full article available here.