The chart illustrates the distribution of Australian women giving birth to their first child across five age groups in 1966, 1986, and 2006.
Overall, there was a clear trend of women delaying childbirth over the 40-year period. While the birth rate for women under 19 and those aged 19-24 decreased consistently, the proportion of women aged 30-34 and 34-39 saw a significant increase. Nevertheless, women over 40 consistently remained the smallest group.
In 1966, the proportion of women aged 19-24 reached its peak at approximately 62%. However, by 1986, this figure had dropped sharply to around 36%, and it continued to fall below 30% by 2006. Similarly, the percentage of women under 19 giving birth for the first time declined steadily, from nearly 35% in 1966 to 20% in 1986, and further down to approximately 12% in 2006. In contrast, the birth rate for women aged 25-30 reached its highest point at 50% in 1986, but by 2006, it had fallen back to around 38%, similar to the percentage in 1966.
Meanwhile, the proportion of women aged 30-34 and 34-39 consistently increased. The former rose from about 13% in 1966 to 45% in 2006, overtaking all other age groups in the final year. Similarly, the percentage of women aged 34-39 increased steadily from nearly 10% to 30%. In comparison, women over 40 represented the smallest proportion throughout the period, fluctuating below 10%.
