Thousands of new child-care spaces were created in Metro Vancouver between 2019 and 2023, thanks to provincial and federal funding, however the ratio of spaces to the number of children still falls below the national average, according to a new report from the Lower Mainland’s regional government.

In 2023, there were, on average, 25.1 spaces per 100 children under the age of 12, up from 2019 when there were 18.6, according to the report. That compares with the national average of 29 spaces.

The findings are part of a series of surveys done every four years since 2011 by Metro Vancouver.

The latest data was shared Friday at Metro Vancouver’s regional planning committee.

Since the last Survey of Licensed Child-Care Space and Policies in 2019, there has been a “substantial” increase of 35 per cent in child-care spaces available in Metro Vancouver, according to the report.

The total number of spaces in the Vancouver region rose from 60,970 in 2019 to 81,264 in 2023, according to the report.