30-somethings responsible for highest spike in births in 7 years

Canada recorded its highest number of births and its highest total fertility rate in seven years in 2005, thanks mostly to women in their 30s.

But the total fertility rate is still far below replacement level and less than half of what it was 60 years ago, says aStatistics Canada report released Friday.

Canada's total fertility rate in 2005 was 1.54 children per woman, an increase from 1.53 in the previous year and the highest rate since 1998.

But that is still well below what is known as replacement-level fertility, which is 2.1 children per woman, andfar behind 3.6 in 1947.

In total, 342,176 babies were born in 2005, up 1.5 per cent from the previous year and more than double the 0.6 per cent increase in 2004.

The number of births dropped to a 55-year low in 2000, but has risen every year since (except for 2002), largely becauseof babies born to parents belonging to the echo generation (the children of baby boomers) who had entered their prime childbearing years.