The table illustrates the data regarding the total number of offspring born to Australian women aged 40-44 years, as recorded in different years starting from 1981.
At a glance, it is evident that there has been a significant decrease in the number of children born to women in the given age group over the years. Additionally, the highest number of children was recorded in the earliest year, and the lowest in the most recent year.
In 1981, women in the specified age bracket had an average of 3.2 children, the highest number recorded in the table. This figure gradually decreased over the years, falling to 2.8 in 1986 and 2.6 in 1991. By 1996, the average number of children born to women in this age group had dropped to 2.5.
The downward trend continued into the new millennium, with the average number of children per woman falling to 2.3 in 2001. By 2006, the figure had dropped further to 2.1 children per woman. The most recent data, collected in 2011, shows the lowest figure of all, with women in the 40-44 age group having an average of just 2.0 children.
