Thursday December 28, 2023 | VICTORIA, BC [Updated January 5, 2024]
by Mary P Brooke, editor | Island Social Trends
CLICK HERE FOR: MOST POPULAR BIRTH NAMES IN 2023 & BC LOTTERY CORPORATION NAME BETS
It was not surprising that the number of births in BC declined during the most-impacted year of 2020 through 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
That trend may yet be seen to continue by the time the 2023 birth count is tallied, compounded by the impacts of the increased and onerous cost of living for many households.
Up to December 18 of this year 2023, there had been 37,650 babies registered as born in BC.
Around that same point in 2022 (on December 8) BC Health had reported 37,801 babies had been born in BC year-to-date (to December 8) and had reached 41,833 by year-end.
The 2022 BC tally of 41,833 was below the 42,783 babies born in BC the previous year in 2021, and also below 42,413 born in BC in 2020.
| Year | Births in BC |
| 2023 | 36,702 (to Dec 1, 2023) | 37,650 (to Dec 18, 2023) |
| 2022 | 41,833 |
| 2021 | 42,783 |
| 2020 | 42,413 |
| 2019 | 43,878 |
| 2018 | 44,050 |
| 2017 | 45,045 |
| Source: BC Vital Statistics |
In pre-pandemic years, the number of babies born in BC was higher: 43,878 in 2019, 44,050 in 2018, and 45,045 in 2017. In those years the economy was relatively stable if not fully robust.
The BC Health Ministry said this week that they expect to see “nearly 40,000” babies born in 2024.
Role of in-migration and immigration:
Meanwhile, in-migration to BC has been on the upswing from other parts of Canada and around the world.
In 2021 and 2022 the population increase in BC has been referred to by Premier Eby as 250,000 and recently the Minister of Education and Child Care mentioned 325,000 as the population increase over three years.
Government has said in the past few years that natural replacement of the population is expected to reach net zero by 2030 and the overall population is aging. Immigration of new residents is a government policy to help support the economy.
Case in point, the natural population change in the second quarter of 2023 contributed to a net loss of 646 individuals in BC with 10,151 births and 10,797 deaths recorded; instead it was net international and interprovincial migration that was the primary source of population growth.
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===== ABOUT ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS:
Island Social Trends is a professional news service that covers news of the west shore, south Vancouver Island, BC and national issues.
Island Social Trends launched entirely online at islandsocialtrends.ca in mid-2020, in the footsteps of its predecessor publications MapleLine Magazine (2008-2010), Sooke Voice News (2011-2013) and West Shore Voice News (2014-2020). The new Island Social Trends print edition will launch in 2024.
Editor and publisher: Mary P Brooke, B.Sc. | ARCHIVES: HEALTH | VANCOUVER ISLAND
Island Social Trends posts daily on X/Twitter @IslandSocTrends for a regional, BC and national audience.