Report: Canada's median age rises to 39.5

OTTAWA, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- The median age for Canadian citizens nudged up 0.2 years to 39.5 years on an annual basis as of July, the Statistics Canada reported from Ottawa Friday.

"Fertility rates persistently below the generation replacement level, and an increasing life expectancy are the main factors explaining the aging process of the Canadian population," the report said.

The median age of Canada's working-age population was 40.5 years, up from 38.4 years in 1999. Those 65 and over accounted for a record 13.9 percent of the population of 33.7 million, while children under 15 constituted 16.6 percent, StatsCan said.

Comparing data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Canada's median age was similar to that of France and Germany, each reporting 39.7 percent of the working-age population in the 45 to 64 age group.

By region, the territory of Nunavut had the lowest median age of 24.2 years, while the province of Newfoundland and Labrador had the highest, at 42.9 years, the report showed.