The given chart illustrates the proportion of first births among Australian women in different age groups in the years 1966, 1986, and 2006.
It is clear from the chart that the percentage of Australian women giving birth between the ages of 19 and 24 experienced a significant decline, while the age group of 30 to 34 showed a rapid increase.
In 1966, the percentage of women giving birth to their first child between the ages of 19 and 24 peaked at around 61%. Over the next twenty years, this percentage halved to approximately 34%, and it continued to decrease to slightly over 25% by 2006. Meanwhile, the proportion of first births among women aged 30-34 increased from about 12% to 18%, reaching a peak of 45% in 2006.
In 1966, the highest rate of childbearing was among women aged 19-24. By 1986, this had shifted to women between 25 and 30, and by 2006, the peak was seen in the age group of 30-34. The smallest percentage across all three periods was among women over 40.
