A profile of midwifery in Canada
Midwife supply and births with midwifery care (2024), and sexual and reproductive healthcare services (2026), by province and territory
Citation
Canadian Association of Midwives. A profile of midwifery in Canada. August 2026.
Sources
Total births: Statistics Canada. Table 13-10-0428-01 Live births and fetal deaths (stillbirths), by type of birth (single or multiple). DOI: https://doi.org/10.25318/1310042801-eng
Population: Statistics Canada. Table 17-10-0009-01 Population estimates, quarterly. July 1, 2024, estimate. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25318/1710000901-eng
Births with midwifery care and number of midwives: Canadian Association of Midwives. National midwifery data survey for the period of 2024.
Sexual and reproductive healthcare services: Canadian Association of Midwives. National midwifery data survey for the period of 2026.
Definitions
Midwife supply and practising midwives: Consistent with the Canadian Institute for Health Information's approach to health workforce reporting, this profile distinguishes supply from workforce. Midwife supply includes midwives authorized to practise in a jurisdiction during the reporting year, whether registered with a regulatory authority or practising within an exemption clause that recognizes Indigenous midwifery, excluding students. Practising midwives (workforce) are those reported as providing midwifery care during the year. Where possible, totals exclude transient midwives.
Births with midwifery care: Births where a midwife was involved in the client's care at any point during pregnancy, labour and birth, or the postnatal period. This includes midwifery-led care as well as shared or consultative care for part of the perinatal period. A birth with midwifery care does not necessarily mean a midwife attended the birth itself.
Midwives per 100,000 population: Number of practising midwives divided by the Statistics Canada population estimate for July 1, 2024, per 100,000 people.
Independent authority: Midwives provide the care within their own authority, without physician involvement.
Delegated authority: Midwives provide the care only under delegation from another authorized healthcare provider.
Contraception: Data reflect prescribing and administering in the postpartum period. In some jurisdictions, midwives also provide contraceptive care beyond postpartum to the broader population.
STBBI (sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection) treatment populations: Perinatal clients only; perinatal clients and partners; broader population or across the life course.
Tracked immunizations: Tdap, influenza, COVID-19, RSV, rotavirus, varicella (chicken pox), MMR, and hepatitis B, administered during pregnancy, postpartum, or the neonatal period; includes immunization products such as RSV monoclonal antibody.
Data years: Midwifery care data reflect the 2024 reporting period; sexual and reproductive healthcare data reflect regulatory status and reported practice as of August 2026.
Jurisdiction notes
British Columbia: STBBI treatment requires additional certification.
Québec: Births with midwifery care do not include Cree Territories and Nunavik.
Nova Scotia: The province funds 16 full-time equivalent midwifery positions. The count of 23 practising midwives includes casually funded midwives. Medication abortion is excluded from midwifery practice by regulator policy.
Ontario: Midwives manage and treat spontaneous abortion, including missed abortion. Prescription for elective abortion requires delegation.
Prince Edward Island: Medication abortion prescribing is limited to misoprostol.
Saskatchewan: Births with midwifery care exclude federal program data.
Interpretation
Capturing the midwifery workforce: Many midwives practise part-time or hold casual positions, and a jurisdiction's count can be larger than its number of funded full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. These figures describe how many midwives are registered and practising and do not measure funded positions, hours of care, or service capacity.
Comparing jurisdictions: Differences between jurisdictions may reflect variations in data definitions, reporting cycles, and collection practices rather than true differences in midwifery involvement. Compare jurisdictions with caution.
Reporting cycles and definitions: Provinces and territories use different annual reporting cycles (calendar year, fiscal year, or other 12-month periods that may not align with the January to December 2024 period). Births with midwifery care reflect the most comprehensive figure reported by each jurisdiction. Some jurisdictions report midwife-led births and births with midwifery care separately (BC, QC, NB, ON, PEI, SK, YT), and the births with midwifery care figure is shown. Others report a single figure, where that figure captures only midwife-led births.
Canadian Association of Midwives. A profile of midwifery in Canada. August 2026.
Sources
Total births: Statistics Canada. Table 13-10-0428-01 Live births and fetal deaths (stillbirths), by type of birth (single or multiple). DOI: https://doi.org/10.25318/1310042801-eng
Population: Statistics Canada. Table 17-10-0009-01 Population estimates, quarterly. July 1, 2024, estimate. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25318/1710000901-eng
Births with midwifery care and number of midwives: Canadian Association of Midwives. National midwifery data survey for the period of 2024.
Sexual and reproductive healthcare services: Canadian Association of Midwives. National midwifery data survey for the period of 2026.
Definitions
Midwife supply and practising midwives: Consistent with the Canadian Institute for Health Information's approach to health workforce reporting, this profile distinguishes supply from workforce. Midwife supply includes midwives authorized to practise in a jurisdiction during the reporting year, whether registered with a regulatory authority or practising within an exemption clause that recognizes Indigenous midwifery, excluding students. Practising midwives (workforce) are those reported as providing midwifery care during the year. Where possible, totals exclude transient midwives.
Births with midwifery care: Births where a midwife was involved in the client's care at any point during pregnancy, labour and birth, or the postnatal period. This includes midwifery-led care as well as shared or consultative care for part of the perinatal period. A birth with midwifery care does not necessarily mean a midwife attended the birth itself.
Midwives per 100,000 population: Number of practising midwives divided by the Statistics Canada population estimate for July 1, 2024, per 100,000 people.
Independent authority: Midwives provide the care within their own authority, without physician involvement.
Delegated authority: Midwives provide the care only under delegation from another authorized healthcare provider.
Contraception: Data reflect prescribing and administering in the postpartum period. In some jurisdictions, midwives also provide contraceptive care beyond postpartum to the broader population.
STBBI (sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection) treatment populations: Perinatal clients only; perinatal clients and partners; broader population or across the life course.
Tracked immunizations: Tdap, influenza, COVID-19, RSV, rotavirus, varicella (chicken pox), MMR, and hepatitis B, administered during pregnancy, postpartum, or the neonatal period; includes immunization products such as RSV monoclonal antibody.
Data years: Midwifery care data reflect the 2024 reporting period; sexual and reproductive healthcare data reflect regulatory status and reported practice as of August 2026.
Jurisdiction notes
British Columbia: STBBI treatment requires additional certification.
Québec: Births with midwifery care do not include Cree Territories and Nunavik.
Nova Scotia: The province funds 16 full-time equivalent midwifery positions. The count of 23 practising midwives includes casually funded midwives. Medication abortion is excluded from midwifery practice by regulator policy.
Ontario: Midwives manage and treat spontaneous abortion, including missed abortion. Prescription for elective abortion requires delegation.
Prince Edward Island: Medication abortion prescribing is limited to misoprostol.
Saskatchewan: Births with midwifery care exclude federal program data.
Interpretation
Capturing the midwifery workforce: Many midwives practise part-time or hold casual positions, and a jurisdiction's count can be larger than its number of funded full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. These figures describe how many midwives are registered and practising and do not measure funded positions, hours of care, or service capacity.
Comparing jurisdictions: Differences between jurisdictions may reflect variations in data definitions, reporting cycles, and collection practices rather than true differences in midwifery involvement. Compare jurisdictions with caution.
Reporting cycles and definitions: Provinces and territories use different annual reporting cycles (calendar year, fiscal year, or other 12-month periods that may not align with the January to December 2024 period). Births with midwifery care reflect the most comprehensive figure reported by each jurisdiction. Some jurisdictions report midwife-led births and births with midwifery care separately (BC, QC, NB, ON, PEI, SK, YT), and the births with midwifery care figure is shown. Others report a single figure, where that figure captures only midwife-led births.