The chart compares the percentage of women having their first child across five age groups: under 19, 19 – 24, 25 – 30, 30 – 34, 34 – 39 and above 40 in 1966, 1986 and 2006.
Overall, while the percentage of women aged 25 to 30 fluctuated during the period, those of women over 40 underwent only minor changes. Moreover, those less than 19 and 19 – 24 exhibited a decline in their number, whereas the 30 – 34 and 34 – 39 age groups showed the contrast trend.
In 1966, having the first child was most common among the 19 – 24 age brackets, accounting for about 60% of all age groups, although this number decreased dramatically to about 28% in 2006. Similarly, those under 19 recorded a significant number at around 35% in 1966, before experiencing a positive improvement and reaching over 10% in the next 40 decades. In addition, by 2006, women tended to have their first child at the age 30 – 34, despite standing at over 10% in 1966 and soaring then. In the same way, more women aged 34 – 39 had their first child by 2006, at 30%, in comparison to about 8% in 1966.
Turning to other groups, the figure of the 25 – 40 age bracket began at nearly 35% in 1966, making them the second most prevalent group. This statistic rose significantly to 50%, indicating the highest number in 1986 before dropping slightly to approximately 40% by 2006. By contrast, those aged over 40 remained holding the smallest group throughout, at over 5%.