StatCan: Birthrates at their lowest since 2006

Statistics Canada figures released on Wednesday show that Canada's birthrate in 2020 was at its lowest since 2006.

The report found that 2020 saw 13,000 fewer births than in 2019.

Across Canada and excluding the Yukon for lack of data, Canada saw just 358,604 births.

Births have been decreasing nationally since 2016, with 2020 seeing the single greatest decline from a previous year.

"With the onset of the pandemic, decreased international migration because of travel restrictions may have led to fewer births to newcomer parents," StatCan said. "In addition, other social and economic factors from the COVID-19 pandemic (school and daycare closures, job losses, and financial uncertainty) may have led some families to delay having children, which could reduce the number of births later in the year."

"Notably, a similar decline in births from 2019 to 2020 was also observed in several other countries. For example, the United States reported a 4.0% decrease in births, while a 3.9% decrease was reported for England and Wales. France saw a 2.0% decrease in births from 2019 to 2020," the report says.

Statistics Canada does note that "for 2020, in an effort to be more timely, the duration of data collection has been shortened compared with previous years. The 2020 data are therefore considered preliminary. Data will be revised with subsequent releases."