Low Fertility and Contraceptive Sterilization: The Canadian Case

Abstract

This article presents fertility variations among the Canadian regions and analyses the paths leading to the choice of contraceptive sterilization. Based on data from the 2001 General Social Survey, the research shows that while every region has adopted a low fertility regime, substantial differences are observed among women aged 40-49 in 2001: Quebec couples had fewer children; among those in stable unions, Quebec couples were also more likely to choose contraceptive sterilization, while this was not the case among those couples where at least one of the spouses was in a second union; moreover, couples in such unions were less likely to have a common child in Québec than in other regions. In the end, if regional differences in the choice of sterilization persist, they are not large, and this choice is driven by fertility decisions everywhere.