Source-check feature · demography · 2026-08-24
Canada recorded more deaths than births in Q1 2026 — what the StatCan numbers actually say
The Instagram Reel is pointing at a real demographic crossover: in Statistics Canada’s Q1 2026 natural-increase table, Canada recorded 90,173 births and 90,328 deaths. That is a small national natural decrease of 155 people before migration is counted. The bigger story is provincial: Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and B.C. all had more deaths than births in that quarter.
Captured Instagram Reel DcRdGyuN2GQ · duration about 60.0 seconds · uploader shown by extractor: Monique_leal86 / independent_journalism_.
The verified statistic
Statistics Canada table 17-10-0059-01 shows Canada recorded 90,173 births and 90,328 deaths in Q1 2026, a natural decrease of 155 people.
Quebec recorded 18,550 births and 21,350 deaths in Q1 2026, a natural decrease of 2,800 people, the largest raw provincial gap in the selected table. Newfoundland and Labrador recorded 865 births and 1,806 deaths in Q1 2026, meaning deaths were a little more than twice births and natural change was -941. British Columbia recorded 11,138 births and 11,313 deaths in Q1 2026, a natural decrease of 175; table 13-10-0418-01 shows B.C. had the lowest 2024 total fertility rate among provinces at 1.02.
| Geography | Births | Deaths | Births minus deaths | Death/birth ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quebec | 18,550 | 21,350 | -2,800 | 1.15 |
| Nova Scotia | 1,995 | 3,067 | -1,072 | 1.54 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 865 | 1,806 | -941 | 2.09 |
| New Brunswick | 1,659 | 2,506 | -847 | 1.51 |
| British Columbia | 11,138 | 11,313 | -175 | 1.02 |
| Canada | 90,173 | 90,328 | -155 | 1.0 |
| Ontario | 35,004 | 33,985 | 1,019 | 0.97 |
| Alberta | 12,857 | 9,289 | 3,568 | 0.72 |
Related story 1: record-low fertility
Statistics Canada table 13-10-0418-01 shows Canada’s 2024 total fertility rate was 1.25 children per female, far below the rough replacement benchmark of 2.1. That helps explain why natural increase is weakening: even before debating causes, Canada is far below the rough 2.1 replacement benchmark often used in demographic reporting.
| Geography | 2024 total fertility rate |
|---|---|
| British Columbia | 1.02 |
| Nova Scotia | 1.08 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 1.12 |
| Ontario | 1.21 |
| Canada | 1.25 |
| New Brunswick | 1.26 |
| Quebec | 1.34 |
| Alberta | 1.41 |
| Manitoba | 1.5 |
| Saskatchewan | 1.58 |
Related story 2: B.C. is part of the same pattern
B.C. is not the dramatic outlier in raw numbers, but it matters for local readers: the province had 175 more deaths than births in Q1 2026 and the lowest 2024 total fertility rate among provinces in the StatCan table, at 1.02.
Related story 3: migration can hide natural decrease
Population totals can still rise or fall for reasons beyond births and deaths: immigration, non-permanent residents, emigration and interprovincial movement can offset or deepen natural decrease. That is why “more deaths than births” is a natural-change statistic, not the whole population story.
Related story 4: Atlantic Canada and Quebec show sharper pressure
Newfoundland and Labrador had more than twice as many deaths as births in Q1 2026. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick also showed large natural decreases. Quebec had the largest raw provincial gap among the selected provinces, with 2,800 more deaths than births.
Transcript excerpt
[0.00-4.84] So right now, Canada's population is in a major decline, which means we're not
[4.84-9.00] having enough children and deaths are exceeding births. So according to this
[9.00-15.12] article, July 18th in the Toronto Star, Toronto's Baby Fest, Canada's infertility
[15.12-20.88] rate has reached 1.25 per women well below the replacement rate of 2.1 needed to
[20.88-25.68] sustain our population. Canada now has more death than birth and one province
[25.68-30.96] just broke the record. That province is Newfoundland and Labrador. The second
[30.96-38.04] one is Quebec. Now, which two provinces are the most vaccinated with the
[38.04-42.84] COVID-19 vaccine? Well, you guessed it. Number one, Newfoundland and Labrador
[42.84-50.40] with 96% and the second one would be you guessed it, Quebec. So these are the two
[50.40-55.24] provinces that are experiencing more deaths, fewer births, and the most
[55.24-60.40] vaccinated provinces against COVID-19.
Source package
Source note · Claim table · Captured MP4 · Transcript · Frame sheet · Computed StatCan summary · StatCan natural-increase CSV · StatCan fertility CSV
