The provided line graph illustrates the variation in the UK fertility rates in 6 distinct age sections between 1973 and 2008.
Overall, 4 out of 6 age groups saw the decline in birth rates. While the highest figure was recorded for women aged 25 to 29, the rate for the 40 and over age group remained the lowest throughout the period.
In 1973, women at the ages of between 25 and 29 had the natality of 140. This number fluctuated in the next 35 years before ending with approximately 120 per 1000 people by 2008. The 40-plus age group maintained the below-average birth rate, beginning with 20 in 1973 and dropping to about half of that in 2008. In the same period, fertility rates for women aged from 20 to 25 and those under 20 also witnessed a decrease, from more than 120 births per 1000 females to less than 100 and from 60 to roughly 40, respectively.
The 2 remaining age categories followed an opposite trend. The birth rate of females at the age of 30 to 35 gradually increased from under 80 in 1973 to more than 80 by the end of the period. The figure for those aged 35 to 39 experienced a more noticeable growth, starting at 40 in 1973 and reaching more than 60 in the end.