Canadian Fertility rates lower than U.S. (General).

OTTAWA -- Decreasing fertility rates among Canadian women in their 20s accounts for a widening fertility gap between Canada and the United States, according to Statistics Canada.

If fertility remains at current levels, the number of deaths in Canada will outweigh the number of births on an annual basis within 20 to 25 years, the agency reports. About 337,200 babies were born in Canada in 1999, according to a comparative study of recent trends in Canadian and American fertility, 1980-1999.

Canadian fertility hit a record low that year of 1.52 children per woman, compared with the American rate of 2.08. About 60% of the difference in the rates is a result of the declining fertility of Canadian women aged 20 to 29, StatsCan said. Another one-third of the gap is the result of consistently high fertility levels among American females aged 15 to 19.

While higher fertility among American minorities has always been a factor in the U.S. rate, it does not explain the difference between the two countries, the report said. The group with the lowest U.S. rate--white, non-Hispanic women--had 1.58 children per woman, still higher than the overall Canadian rate.

The tendency to delay starting families may be one reason for the Canadian decline, the report said. As well, Canadian women use more effective contraceptive methods than American women. In Canada, 86% of women aged 15 to 19 who use contraceptives use a pharmaceutical method, primarily the pill, and 14% use a natural or barrier method, mainly the condom, compared with 58% using the pill, and 42% using a barrier in the U.S. Free, universal health care in Canada may also make a difference, the report said. It also notes Americans marry earlier and more often.

Because of low birth rates, migration has already become the main contributor to population growth in Canada, the report said.