Canadians are just not having babies the way they used to. Statistics Canada has released new numbers that show that Canada's birth rate has fallen to its lowest level ever recorded.

In 2002, 328,802 babies were born, down 1.5 per cent from the previous year, and down 25.4 per cent in the last 10 years alone. The rate dropped to 10.5 live births for every 1,000 population, "the lowest since vital statistics began to be produced nationally in 1921," the agency said Monday.

Ontario and Quebec were responsible for almost 4,400 fewer live births in 2002 -- a drop that had a huge impact on the overall decline. The only regions that were more fruitful over the previous year, were the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Alberta.

Demographic experts say the reasons for the drop-off are obvious: priorities have changed. The biggest change has come from the increasing number of women who are working longer before starting a family.

In the old days, young married couples had full families by the time they hit 30. These days, many are pushing 40 before they are pushing strollers for the first time -- if at all.

"We value the fact that women get an education, stay in school longer, establish careers -- all of that delays the decision to have children," says Alan Mirabelli, from the Vanier Institute of the Family in Ottawa.

What's more, more couples are having one-child families. Statistics Canada says the country's fertility rate, a measure that estimates the average number of children women aged 15 to 49 will have in their lifetime fell slightly to 1.50 per woman in 2002 from 1.51 per woman in 2001.

Dina, a web specialist, became a mother at 39, and says it was a calculated decision to stop at one. "We knew at the very beginning we wanted only one child," she says. "So now we have her, we're happy. We don't plan on having any more."

Trend researchers says inflexible corporate culture often makes it tough for women to juggle job and baby. 

"If corporate policies don't change and become more flexible in acknowledging that more and more women are in the labour force, and they're balancing family responsibilities and work responsibilities, there'll be less of a desire to have children," Mirabelli says.

The province of Quebec is an exception. It's actually reversing its low birthrate with inexpensive daycare (recently raised from $5 to $7 a day) and no sales tax on items such as baby products.

Other couples are choosing to skip parenthood altogether. Glen McMinn and his wife, both 38, struggled with their decision not to have children, deciding eventually that they didn't want to give up the freedom they already have.

Demographers say that's a growing trend, partly because children are no longer seen as society's safety net, the ones who took care of aging parents.