Disentangling the Quebec fertility paradox: The recent evolution of fertility within marriage and consensual union in Quebec and Ontario

Abstract

This article analyzes the relation between conjugal status and fertility in Quebec. We use data from three censuses to estimate a series of fertility measures within marriage and within cohabitation. We use a comparative approach and look at the relationship between conjugal status and fertility within groups defined by language, place of birth, and place of residence. Results show that childbearing within cohabitation is typical of French-speaking Quebeckers, and that in this group, fertility is now mainly concentrated among cohabiting couples. Given that fertility is now currently slightly higher in Quebec than in Ontario, cohabitation cannot be deemed the cause of low fertility.