Fertility Assimilation of Canadian Immigrant Households

Abstract

This paper explores the fertility decisions of Canadian immigrants using the 20 percent sample of the Canadian Census of Population for the years 1991 through 2006. We focus on those migrating as children, to assess the process of assimilation in terms of fertility. Our analysis shows that the sharp discontinuities by age at migration that are typically observed regarding the effect of assimilation on education or labor market outcomes are not present in fertility outcomes. Rather, there is an inverted U shape relationship between age of migration and immigrant fertility, with those migrating in their late teens having the highest fertility rates when compared to the Canadian born. We find that this pattern occurs for all countries of origin, although at different paces. Further, language acquisition does not seem to be the key mechanism though which age at immigration affects fertility – fertility behaviour of immigrants with an official mother tongue also differs from that of natives. School integration, however, could be a channel through which age at immigration affects fertility.