Surge in Birth Tourism to Canada: A Niche but Growing Segment of Medical and Citizenship-Driven Travel

As 2025 draws to a close, Canada is experiencing a notable post-pandemic rebound in birth tourism—the practice of non-resident women traveling to the country primarily to give birth and secure Canadian citizenship for their child under the principle of jus soli (birthright citizenship). Recent data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) highlights a clear surge, with non-resident self-pay births recovering to pre-pandemic levels and sparking renewed political and public debate.

Key Statistics on the Surge

• Non-resident births (including those on visitor visas, often linked to birth tourism) reached 5,430 in the 2024-25 fiscal year—more than double the pandemic-era average of around 2,339 annually.
• This represents 1.5% of all hospital births in Canada for both 2023-24 and 2024-25, up from a low of 0.7% during the height of COVID-19 restrictions (2020-22) and matching pre-pandemic peaks of 1.6% in 2019-20.
• Despite a 31% drop in international student visas and a 21% decline in temporary foreign worker permits in 2024-25, non-resident births increased by about 4% year-over-year, suggesting a potential concentration among short-term visitors.
• Historical context: A 2022 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) study estimated that short-term visitors accounted for ~70% of non-resident births (excluding Quebec) from 2007-18.
• Regional hotspots: Ontario leads (often doubling Quebec’s numbers), with concentrated activity in hospitals like North York General (Toronto) seeing a 44% increase over pre-pandemic levels. Trends are rising in most provinces except British Columbia, where Richmond Hospital—once the epicenter with up to 24% non-resident births—has seen declines due to reduced arrivals from China.
• Top 10 hospitals account for ~33% of non-resident births; the top 25 for ~60%. Common nationalities served include Chinese, South Asian, Filipino, and others.

These figures are derived from CIHI’s more reliable hospital billing data (“non-resident self-pay”), which contrasts with lower Statistics Canada estimates based on self-reported maternal residence.

Motivations and Economic Impact on Tourism

Birth tourism blends medical travel with long-term citizenship benefits. Parents seek:

• Automatic Canadian citizenship for the child (passport, education, healthcare access).
• Future family sponsorship potential when the child turns 19.
• High-quality maternity care in a safe environment.

Organized services—maternity agencies, “birth hotels,” and packages from countries like China, India, Nigeria, and the Middle East—facilitate the process, often costing families CAD 10,000–50,000+ (including travel, accommodation, and hospital fees of ~CAD 9,800–15,000 per delivery).

From a tourism perspective:

• This niche generates localized economic activity in accommodations, transportation, and postnatal services, particularly in urban centers like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.
• Some agencies report 12–20% year-over-year inquiry growth post-COVID, contributing ancillary spending (e.g., one Mumbai-based agency facilitated CAD 2.1 million in Vancouver spending in mid-2024).
• However, it’s a tiny fraction of Canada’s overall tourism industry (which welcomed ~22 million international visitors in 2024, per preliminary estimates). Birth tourists represent a specialized, high-spending but controversial sub-segment.

Challenges and Broader Implications

While non-residents typically self-pay (reducing direct taxpayer burden on delivery costs), concerns include:

• Strain on maternity wards and healthcare resources amid national staffing shortages.
• Ethical debates over “devaluing” citizenship and potential displacement of residents.
• Public opinion: Recent polls show ~57–64% of Canadians favor restrictions, amid broader immigration fatigue.

Politically, a proposed amendment to end unrestricted birthright citizenship (requiring one parent to be a citizen/permanent resident) was rejected in 2025 during Bill C-3 deliberations. Canada remains one of ~30 countries with unconditional jus soli, unlike Australia or Ireland, which have tightened rules.

Outlook for 2026

With easing travel and persistent global interest in Canadian passports, birth tourism is likely to stabilize or grow modestly unless policy changes occur (e.g., stricter visa scrutiny for pregnant travelers or Citizenship Act amendments). For the tourism sector, it remains a double-edged niche: boosting specific local economies while fueling debates over medical tourism ethics.

As Canada balances hospitality with system integrity, this trend underscores the intersection of travel, healthcare, and immigration in modern tourism landscapes.