Fertility Differentials among First and Second Generations of Canadians

Alain P. Belanger, Statistics Canada
Stephane Gilbert, Statistics Canada

Canada’s total fertility rate is declining, and in 1999 it reached an all-time low of 1.52 children per woman. Already net migration represents a larger share (60 %) of total growth than natural increase and foreign-born population represented 18 % of the total in 1996. Previous analysis has shown important fertility differentials between foreign-born and Canadian born as well as between foreign-born groups. Oldest waves of immigrants, had lower fertility rates than Canadian-born women, while more recent immigrants, originating mostly from Asia, presented higher fertility rates than Canadian-born. Questions remain, however, whether foreign-born fertility differentials persist among their children. The 2001 census offers the first opportunity to measure fertility differentials of second generations of Canadians. Using the own-children method and data from the 2001 Census on place of birth and place of birth of parents, this paper looks at fertility differentials for several groups of foreign-born and their descendants by country of origins.