Quebec's fertility rate just hit a record low but the population is still growing fast

Quebec just released its latest demographic report, and it paints a clear picture: more people are living in the province, but fewer babies are being born here than ever before.

According to new data from the Institut de la statistique du Québec, the province added 155,300 people in 2024, bringing the population to 9.11 million as of January 1, 2025. However, almost all that growth came from immigration — not births.

In fact, Quebec's fertility rate hit a historic low last year, falling to 1.33 children per woman. That's the lowest the province has ever recorded, even lower than the previous record of 1.36 back in 1987. Only 77,400 babies were born in 2024. Meanwhile, an estimated 78,800 people died in 2024, meaning deaths officially outnumbered births.

So where did the growth come from? Migration. Quebec welcomed over 158,000 newcomers, including 103,700 non-permanent residents. That number consists mostly of temporary foreign workers, asylum seekers, and international students.

As of the start of 2025, there are 617,000 non-permanent residents living in Quebec. Temporary foreign workers make up the biggest group, but the province also has the highest number of asylum seekers in the country, accounting for about 40% of Canada's total.

Quebec also saw fewer people moving to other provinces in 2024. The difference between those who left and those who moved in was just 1,900 people, one of the smallest gaps in years.

One number that went unchanged in Quebec was average life expectancy, which now sits at 82.7 years.

So even with fewer babies being born and deaths on the rise, Quebec's population is still growing (for now), thanks mostly to immigration.

You can check out the full demographic report at statistique.quebec.ca.

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