Average Age of Mothers in Newfoundland and Labrador at Birth (1991-2023)

The age at which women in Newfoundland are having children has shifted significantly over the last three decades. From 1991 to 2023, there has been a clear trend away from teenage motherhood toward childbirth later in life, mirroring national patterns in Canada. This evolution in maternal age reflects broader societal changes in education, career planning, access to contraception, and healthcare.

Sharp Decline in Teen Births in Newfoundland

In 1991, births to mothers aged 15–19 accounted for 11.3% of all live births in Newfoundland. By 2023, that number dropped dramatically to just 2.3%. Births among mothers under 15 also virtually disappeared, remaining consistently near 0% throughout the entire period. This decline highlights the success of youth education programs and improved reproductive healthcare access.

Fewer Births Among Women in Their Early 20s

Similarly, births among women aged 20–24 dropped from 27.7% in 1991 to only 12.5% in 2023. While this group once made up the second-largest cohort of new mothers, it has been surpassed by women in their late 20s and early 30s.

Peak Birth Rates Shift to Older Age Groups

Women aged 25–29 remained the leading age group for childbirth in Newfoundland, but their share declined slightly—from 34.8% in 1991 to 29.3% in 2023. In contrast, the 30–34 age group saw a dramatic rise in its share of births, from just 19.9% in 1991 to 35% in 2023—making it the largest age group for childbirth today.

More Mothers in Their Late 30s and 40s

The percentage of births to women aged 35–39 rose from 5.4% in 1991 to 17.3% in 2023, more than tripling over the period. Births to mothers aged 40–44 also increased, reaching 3.4% in 2023. Even women aged 45–49 contributed marginally to birth rates in recent years, highlighting improved maternal health and fertility treatments.

Percentage of Births by Age of Mother in Newfoundland and Labrador:

Age of mother	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
under 15 years	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0	0	0.1	0	0.1	0.2	0	0	0	0.1	0	0.2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.1	0
15 to 19 years	11.3	11.1	10.2	9.6	9.5	9.2	9.1	8.5	8.1	8	7.3	6.4	6.5	6.5	5.7	6.1	6	6.3	6	6.6	5.5	4.8	5	4.8	3.4	3.8	3.6	3.3	3	2.4	2.4	2.1	2.3
20 to 24 years	27.7	26.9	26	26	25.7	23.8	22.7	23	21.8	22.1	20.8	21.3	20.8	20.3	19.1	20.2	19.9	20.9	18.7	19	18.3	18	17.6	17.4	17.3	16	15.9	15.7	14.8	15.1	14.4	12.8	12.5
25 to 29 years	34.8	35.2	36.4	35	34.2	33.7	33.8	32.3	32.6	32.6	31.9	31.3	30.7	30	30.8	30	30.3	29.3	30.4	30	30	30.2	30.1	30.3	30.6	30.4	29.4	29.9	30.4	29.1	29.7	28.5	29.3
30 to 34 years	19.9	20.8	21	23.2	23.7	25.6	25.8	27	27.1	27.5	28.4	28.4	29.4	30.7	30.1	29.4	30	29.7	30.7	29.8	30.2	31.1	31.7	32.1	32.7	33.1	33.2	33	33.7	33.8	34	35.3	35
35 to 39 years	5.4	5.2	5.7	5.4	6.1	6.8	7.5	7.9	9	9	10.2	11.1	11.3	10.5	12.5	12.7	12	12.1	12.4	12.4	13.7	13.5	13.2	13.3	14	14.2	15.2	15.6	15.6	16.8	17.2	18.3	17.3
40 to 44 years	0.7	0.6	0.7	0.6	0.5	0.7	0.9	1.1	1.3	0.7	1.3	1.5	1.3	1.9	1.6	1.4	1.5	1.7	1.7	2	2	2.2	2.3	2	1.9	2.4	2.7	2.4	2.5	2.8	2.3	2.9	3.4
45 to 49 years	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.1	0	0	0	0.1	0	0.1	0.1	0	0.1	0.2	0	0	0.1	0	0.2	0	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0	0	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1

Source:

Source Name:	Statistics Canada. Table 13-10-0416-01. Live births, by age of mother.
Source Link:	https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/cv.action?pid=1310041601
Release Date:	2024-09-25