FIRST READING: Canada’s birth rate has dropped off a cliff (and it’s likely because nobody can afford housing)
nationalpost.com
More than a third of young people say they are foregoing children because they can't afford a proper home for them

Statistics Canada confirmed last week that 351,679 babies were born in 2022 — the lowest number of live births since 345,044 births were recorded in 2005.

The disparity is all the more notable given that Canada had just 32 million people in 2005, as compared to the 40 million it counted by the end of 2022. In 2005, it was already at historic lows for Canada to have a fertility rate of 1.57 births per woman. But given the 2022 figures, that fertility rate has now sunk to 1.33.

…

Of Canadians in their 20s, Statistics Canada found that 38 per cent of them “did not believe they could afford to have a child in the next three years” — with about that same number (32 per cent) saying they doubted they’d be able to find “suitable housing” in which to care for a baby.

…

A January survey by the Angus Reid Group asked women to list the ideal size of their family against its actual size, and concluded that the average Canadian woman reached the end of their childbearing years with 0.5 fewer children than they would have wanted

“In Canada, unlike many other countries, fertility rates and desires rise with income: richer Canadians have more children,” it read.

  • sbv@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
    14·
    1 year ago

    I’ve raised two, and they are rising their own.

    Costs have increased significantly in the past few decades.

    If an extra 500+ a month isn’t enough, then you are overspending for no good reason!

    The only after school care available in my community costs around $400/mo. I’m in a rural area, so it’s probably higher in cities.

    Daycare may be cheaper now due to the $10/day thing, but I’m not sure how many spots are available.

    Swimming lessons are $200-300. Sports typically run for a season, but they start around $200. We’ve got our kids in “cheap” sports, but even then, costs add up.

    • Showroom7561
      315·
      1 year ago

      I know not everyone wants to hear it, but having a child requires sacrifice.

      If it’s more affordable/practical to have one parent stay at home with the child, while the other works, then that’s what needs to be done. There’s no shame with one parent watching their own kid while their partner works, then their partner can care for the child while the other goes to their job.

      These are things that need to be planned and discussed BEFORE having a child. It’s all part of the deal.

      Sports have always been expensive, and prohibitive to the point of discriminating against low-income families. This is not a childcare issue, but an issue with how sports and services are being delivered. I went through the same with gymnastics for our daughter, and various activities for our son, so I completely understand how unfair that is.