Québec, April 17, 2024. – In 2022, the total fertility rate was 1.39 children per man compared to 1.49 children per woman in Québec. The fertility of men therefore follows the same trend as that of women, albeit at a slightly lower level. For both men and women, the rate in 2022 was the lowest since 2002. Male fertility has been following a general downward trend since the recent high of nearly 1.65 in 2008 and 2009.
These results come from the bulletin La fécondité masculine au Québec de 1976 à 2022 published today by the Institut de la statistique du Québec, which was released along with initial data on births and male fertility in Québec. These new data will allow us to monitor trends in the fertility of men in parallel with that of women and will give us a more complete picture of reproductive behaviours in Québec.
Total fertility rate of men and women, Québec, 1976-2022
Note
Data for 2022 are preliminary.
Source
Institut de la statistique du Québec.
Paternal age increased to 33.8 years in 2022
Like women, men are having children at increasingly older ages. In 2022, paternal mean age at childbirth was 33.8 years, up from 30.3 years in 1976. Over this period, the difference between paternal and maternal mean age at childbirth has remained around 3 years, which is consistent with the average age gap within couples.
The factors behind the postponement of births among women—which include longer studies, career development, and waiting to be financially secure—can also play a role among men. Note that the postponement of births to later ages tends to limit the number of children that people are likely to have in their lifetime.
Paternal and maternal mean age at childbirth, Québec, 1976–2022
Note
Data for 2022 are preliminary.
Source
Institut de la statistique du Québec.
Fertility declined in almost all age groups in 2022
In 2022, male fertility was concentrated among men aged 30 to 34, whereas in 1976, men aged 25–29 had the highest fertility rates.
Fertility has been decreasing among men in their twenties over the past decades, but it has also declined among older men in the past few years. Men aged 50 and over are the exception, although few of them tend to have children at that age. The fertility of men aged 35 and over increased significantly in the 2000s after a long period of relative stability.
The older the father, the wider the age gap between parents
When we look at the age difference between the parents of babies born in 2022, we notice that when fathers are under the age of 30, both parents are about the same age on average, but past the age of 30, the age gap between parents widens as the father’s age increases. This is not surprising, as the age of mothers tends to stabilize around 37 on average due to biological limitations.
Fertility is not the same as fecundity
Fertility reflects a population’s reproductive behaviour and refers to the number of children born to a given number of men or women of childbearing age, whereas fecundity refers to the capacity to reproduce. It’s the opposite in French, as fertility translates to fécondité and fecundity translates to fertilité.
For 25 years, the Institut de la statistique du Québec has been producing, analyzing, and disseminating official, objective and high-quality statistical information on various aspects of Québec society. It is responsible for conducting all statistical surveys of general interest. The relevance of its work makes it a strategic ally for decision makers and an essential source of information for all those wishing to learn more about Québec.