Number of children aged 19 and younger

Individuals aged 19 and younger are estimated to account for 19.8% of Canada's population in 2025, totaling 8.2 million people. The demographic's share has continued a multi-decade decline, with successive generations less populous than their predecessors due to consistently low birth rates and the aging of the baby boomer cohort. Despite a marginal increase of only 0.1% between 2020 and 2025, the cohort's growth rate remains significantly below the national pace. The dynamic has contributed to a rising median age and shifted policy priorities toward senior care and long-term support.

Over the five years to 2025, the decline in the population share of youth has been shaped primarily by lower birth rates, which have remained stable at around 1.6 births per woman since 2013. This fertility level is below the replacement rate and mirrors patterns observed in other developed economies. As a result, the youth population has stagnated, even as absolute numbers increased slightly due to demographic momentum from prior decades. Immigration policy has offered some mitigation, as arrivals of families with children have partially offset natural decrease. Nevertheless, the combination of fewer births and the advanced age of baby boomers has meant continued shrinkage in the youth population's proportion of the total. Regional differences in fertility and migration persist, with higher youth shares in provinces with greater immigration flows or younger populations.

From 2020 to 2025, ongoing macro trends such as urbanization, changing family structures and economic challenges have reinforced slow growth in the youth segment. Labor force participation among young people has been constrained by high youth unemployment rates, limiting disposable income and impacting long-term consumer demand. The demographic structure also influences education, health and public policy; fewer youth mean reduced strain on early childhood infrastructure but may signal long-term population and economic challenges. In response, policy has increasingly focused on attracting young workers and improving youth retention in communities facing population decline.