Canada: Young Canadians are postponing or reconsidering starting families due to the housing crisis. Rising rents and scarce availability have made larger, family-suitable apartments unaffordable for many. A CBC News analysis found that less than one per cent of rentals are both vacant and affordable. Only 0.5 per cent of multi-bedroom rentals are accessible for median-income families.
Consequently, Canada’s total fertility rate fell to a record low of 1.33 children per woman in 2022. Statistics Canada reported 38 per cent of adults aged 20 to 29 believe they can’t afford to have children within three years. An Abacus Data and Canadian Real Estate Association study showed 55 per cent of Canadians aged 18 to 34 are delaying or deciding against having children due to housing costs.