Teen Pregnancy Trend in British Columbia (1991-2023)

Over the past three decades, British Columbia has seen a dramatic and sustained drop in teen pregnancy rates. In 1991, nearly 6% of all live births in the province were to teenage mothers. Fast forward to 2023, and that figure has dropped to just 0.8% — marking an 86% reduction in the teen birth rate.

Teen Births in B.C.: A Clear Downward Trend

In 1991, there were 2,707 births to teen mothers in British Columbia out of 45,614 total births, yielding a teen birth rate of 5.9%. That rate stayed above 5% through the 1990s but began to steadily decline in the early 2000s.

By 2015, the percentage of teen births had dropped to 1.8%, and by 2023, it reached a new low of 0.8%, with only 323 births to teen mothers out of more than 41,000 total births.

How B.C. Compares to National Averages

While Canada’s national teen birth rate was 1.3% in 2023, B.C. is well below that at 0.8%, placing it among the provinces with the lowest teen pregnancy rates in the country.

This shows that B.C.’s strategies could serve as a model for other provinces aiming to reduce teen pregnancies.

Number of Live Births to Teen Mothers in British Columbia (19 Years or Younger):

Year	Total number of live births in province	Number of live births to teen mothers in province	Percentage of live births
1991	45,614	2,707	5.9%
1992	46,158	2,642	5.7%
1993	46,041	2,538	5.5%
1994	46,998	2,615	5.6%
1995	46,819	2,624	5.6%
1996	46,141	2,369	5.1%
1997	44,595	2,233	5.0%
1998	43,076	2,104	4.9%
1999	41,939	2,036	4.9%
2000	40,670	1,848	4.5%
2001	40,576	1,782	4.4%
2002	40,069	1,616	4.0%
2003	40,499	1,482	3.7%
2004	40,512	1,426	3.5%
2005	40,857	1,340	3.3%
2006	41,756	1,474	3.5%
2007	43,654	1,476	3.4%
2008	44,281	1,485	3.4%
2009	44,999	1,447	3.2%
2010	43,812	1,327	3.0%
2011	44,125	1,172	2.7%
2012	44,052	1,082	2.5%
2013	43,786	1,021	2.3%
2014	44,380	913	2.1%
2015	44,300	812	1.8%
2016	45,269	687	1.5%
2017	44,648	625	1.4%
2018	43,594	502	1.2%
2019	43,490	499	1.1%
2020	42,255	469	1.1%
2021	44,050	389	0.9%
2022	41,833	376	0.9%
2023	41,268	323	0.8%

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