Data to keep in the diaper bag

There’s no topic that we won’t cover here at Statistics Canada, including diapers. They’re expensive, and Canadian families need so many of them!

According to the 2021 Census of Population, there were over 1.8 million little ones who were 0 to 4 years old in Canada, representing 4.95% of the population—that’s nearly 1 in 20 Canadians. A large proportion of this age group needs diapers, especially so for newborns.

Among the provinces and territories, this age group was most represented in Nunavut (11.9%), followed by the Northwest Territories (6.88%) and Manitoba (5.99%). Conversely, it was lowest in Newfoundland and Labrador (3.72%), followed by Nova Scotia and New Brunswick (4.16% each).

Along with most household expenditures, diapers certainly haven’t escaped inflation. Prices for other personal care supplies and equipment, a category that includes diapers, as well as portable hair dryers, feminine hygiene products, razor blades and shaving cream, rose 10.2% in December 2022 on a year-over-year basis.

There were over $159.7 million in nationwide retail sales of disposable infant diapers in the third quarter (July to September) of 2022. They accounted for nearly two-thirds (64.4%) of retail sales of infant care products, a subclass category that also includes car seats, strollers, walkers, baby monitors and baby shampoo. 

Another option is cloth diapers, which can not only cut costs over the long haul, but also help the environment. In 2016, diapers and pet waste accounted for 6% of the approximately 34 million tonnes of residual municipal solid waste in Canada, according to an Environment and Climate Change Canada study.

There were $730,000 in retail sales of cloth diapers in the third quarter of 2022, down 71.9% from the $2.6 million in sales in the third quarter of 2019. Conversely, sales of disposable infant diapers were up by 1.9% during the same period.

What about those who don’t want to toss soiled inserts from cloth diapers into the washing machine? In June 2022, there were 285 business locations nationwide in the linen and uniform supply industry, which includes diaper supply and laundering services.

Most of these were in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. So, before you consider cloth, check if there’s a diaper service near you.

In the meantime, don’t forget to pack extra diapers, wipes and outfits in the diaper bag. We don’t track the stats, but it’s safe to assume 100% of parents and caregivers do not like being out of these supplies!