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Births and fertility continuing an upward trend
In 2007, a total of 367,864 births were registered in
Canada, the largest number since 1995 (378,016).
Births continued an upward trend that began in 2002. From 2006 to 2007,
the annual birth increase was 3.7%, the highest growth since 1989.
There was a noticeable increase in the total fertility rate, or the
average number of children per woman, which rose from 1.59 in 2006 to 1.66 in 2007.
The recent increase in births could be explained partly by a rise in
fertility rates, predominantly by women aged 30 to 34 and
by the fact that many women from the echo generation had entered their childbearing
years.
In 2007, 49% of total births were from mothers aged 30 to 44,
which was 4% more births than in 2006.
Women postponing childbearing
The period between 1987 and 2007 saw an overall
decline in the fertility rate of Canadian women in their twenties, while that
of women in their thirties increased steadily.
In 2007, for a second consecutive year, the age-specific fertility
rate of women aged 30 to 34 was higher than women aged 25 to 29,
widening the gap between these two age groups.
Births are up in almost every part of Canada
From 2006 to 2007, the number of births rose in all provinces
and territories except Prince Edward Island and Yukon.
In 2007, four provinces accounted for 83% of the total increase
in births. Alberta was the largest contributor with almost 30% of the
total increase, followed by Ontario (21%), Quebec (18%) and British Columbia
(14%).
Stillbirths and stillbirth rate trends
The number of stillbirths (or fetal deaths) in Canada was 2,637 in 2007,
an increase of 16% from 2006.
From 2006 to 2007, the stillbirth rate went up from 6.4 per 1,000 total
births (live births and stillbirths) to 7.1.