The bar chart compares the proportions of Australians from five different age groups who attended three types of music events – classical, opera, and popular – in 2006.
Overall, popular music was by far the most attended genre, especially among younger age groups, whereas opera and classical concerts was considerably more popular among middle-aged and older adults.
Starting with popular music, attendance was staggeringly higher among younger Australians, with 38% of those aged 15-24 attending such events, a significant contrast to only 5% among the oldest group. The figure for those from the 35-44 age bracket stood at 33%, closely followed by 27% among the people aged 25-34, more than double that of the 45-54 age range, at 13%.
In contrast, opera music was considerably more popular among middle-aged and older adults compared to younger individuals in Australia. Opera attracted the highest proportion of attendees aged 35-44, at 25%, which was nearly double the figure for the youngest group, at 13%. Attendance remained relatively consistent among people over 45, with 15% and 15% for the 45-54 and 55+ categories respectively, slightly higher than the figure for people falling into the 25-34 age bracket (14%).
A similar trend is evident in classical music concerts, recording the lowest attendance figures across all age groups, except the oldest people. The share of attendees aged 15-24 and 35-44 stood at 11%, compared to only 8% among individuals within the 25-34 and 55+ demographics, slightly lower than those in the 45-54 age set, at 10%.