The chart presents data on the ages of Australian women in 1966, 1986 and 2006 at the time of their first childbirth.
Overall, Australian women had their first child at older ages, while in 1966, the majority were aged 19-24, by 2006, most first-time mothers were in the 25-34 age group. Additionally, those aged 40 and over were always the lowest proportion of women giving birth to their first child.
In 1966, the dominant age group for first-time mothers was 19-24 years old, with over 60%, followed by the 25-30 age group at around 36%. However, in 1986, the figure for the 19-24 age group dropped significantly, and by 2006, the proportion of first-time mothers in this range continued declining at roughly 28%. The under 19 age group, which was notably popular at the beginning of the period with 35%, witnessed a steady decrease over time and stopped at 13% in 2006. Conversely, the 25-30 age group which grew rapidly to 50%, became the most prominent age range in 1986 and remained strong in 2006, though it was surpassed by the 30-34 group.
In contrast, the 30-34 and 34-39 age groups, which were minority groups in 1966, saw substantial growth over the given period. The 30-34 group expanded quickly, becoming the most common by 2006. Similarly, the 34-39 age group saw a significant increase, rising nearly fourfold from 8% in 1966 to 30% in 2006. Meanwhile, the over 40 age group, which was nearly negligible in 1966, experienced a small but noteworthy rise at the final year.