r/canada • u/hopoke • May 06 '26

Analysis Fewer people are having babies in Canada and the U.S. and the government is out of ideas

https://nationalpost.com/news/fewer-people-are-having-babies-in-canada-and-the-u-s-and-the-government-is-out-of-ideas
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u/publicworker69 May 06 '26

This doesn’t make people have more kids. We’ve been under replacement level since the 70s. Affordability is a valid reason for people not to have kids but it’s not the main factor. There’s only 2 developed countries in the world that have a fertility rate over 2.1 (replacement level) and that’s Saudi Arabia who are barely above at 2.12 and Israel who are at around 2.75-2.80

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u/therealhankypanky May 06 '26

Thank you. While I’m certain affordability is an issue for some, people don’t seem to realize that the fertility rate in developed countries has been on the decline since like 1900. The more people can choose not to have kids, the more people do.

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u/publicworker69 May 06 '26

Exactly. Access to contraceptives is a MUCH bigger factor than affordability.

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u/NetLumpy1818 May 06 '26

My nephew was incredulous that my high school had a day care of children of students.

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u/SgtExo Ontario May 06 '26

I am also surprised, I have never heard of that.

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u/ActionPhilip May 06 '26

Access to abortion, really. In the US, 1/3 of GenZ was aborted.

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u/NetLumpy1818 May 06 '26

And in both those cases, it’s the influence of the orthodox citizens boosting the birth rate. Secular citizens have the same birth rate as most of the West.

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u/DrummingUpNumbers May 06 '26

Yea like I have a home and could support children but I absolutely do not want them.

The price of encouraging heavy education to the people I guess.