Fertility in Alberta (Canada) in a Context of Rapid Economic Growth, 1997-2007

Frank Trovato, University of Alberta

By the early 1970s all Canadian provinces had reached sub-replacement fertility below 2.1 children per woman. In recent years Alberta province has shown unexpected increases in fertility. Its Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has been increasing while in most other parts of Canada rates remain at around 1.5 children per woman. By 2007, the TFR in Alberta had risen to almost 1.9. In this study I examine the contemporary and historical pattern of fertility in Alberta, noting similarities and differences with the other provinces and the county as a whole. I also look at macrostructural correlates of overall and parity specific fertility in Alberta between 1997 and 2007, a period of unprecedented economic expansion. I argue that a rise in economic prosperity may underlie the recent birth surge in Alberta. Economic buoyancy during a period of unprecedented growth may have created a favorable context for fertility increase.