The bar chart compares the percentages of Australians in five age groups who attended three types of music events, namely classical, opera and popular music, in 2006.
Overall, popular music events were the most widely attended among younger age groups, whereas opera was relatively more popular among middle-aged and older people. Classical music attracted the lowest or near-lowest proportions across all age groups, while attendance at popular events declined markedly with age.
Among those aged 15-24, **38% attended popular music events**, compared with 13% for opera and 11% for classical music. Popular music remained the most popular choice among 25-34-year-olds, although its attendance rate fell to 27%, while the figures for opera and classical music stood at 14% and 8%, respectively. For the 35-44 age group, popular music was again the leading category at 33%, followed by opera at 25% and classical music at 11%.
The pattern was different among older people. For those aged 45-54, opera had the highest attendance rate at 15%, narrowly ahead of classical music at 10%, while popular music accounted for 13%. Among people aged 55 and over, **opera remained at 15%**, making it the most attended type, whereas classical music stood at 8% and popular music dropped to just 5%.
In summary, the figures suggest a clear age-related shift in musical preferences, with popular music losing much of its appeal as age increased, while opera maintained relatively stable attendance among older groups.**