Delayed childbearing in Canada: trends and factors

"Using period and cohort birth order statistics, an overview of the phenomenon of delayed childbearing in Canada is presented. Data employed in the period analysis were mainly from the years 1944 to 1985, while women born between the years 1935 and 1960 were the subjects of the cohort analysis. An examination of selected indices, namely, age-specific first-birth fertility rates, median ages of women at first-order birth and cumulative first-order birth rates shows that there is an overall trend for women to postpone the initiation of childbearing until late twenties or early thirties.... The results indicate that work experience, education, occupation and year of marriage are important variables influencing age at first birth and first-birth interval." (SUMMARY IN FRE AND ITA)