2.3 Maternal Age
Table 2.3: Trends in Maternal Age Groups, All Confinements, 1985-2004|
Maternal Age Groups (years)
|
1985
n= 60,468 |
1990
n= 66,004 |
1995
n= 62,734 |
2000
n= 61,562 |
2001
n= 61,064 |
2002
n=61,964 |
2003
n= 62,305 |
2004
n= 62,348 |
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
|
< 20 |
4.4
|
4.3
|
3.5
|
3.3
|
3.2
|
3.1
|
2.9
|
2.8
|
|
20-24 |
23.1
|
18.3
|
15.7
|
12.4
|
12.4
|
12.1
|
11.9
|
11.3
|
|
25-29 |
40.2
|
37.6
|
33.6
|
30.7
|
28.9
|
37.2
|
26.6
|
25.8
|
|
30-34 |
24.4
|
29.0
|
32.7
|
34.6
|
36.0
|
37.1
|
37.6
|
37.6
|
|
35-39 |
6.9
|
9.3
|
12.5
|
16.2
|
16.4
|
17.3
|
17.6
|
18.8
|
|
40+ |
0.9
|
1.3
|
2.1
|
2.9
|
3.1
|
3.2
|
3.4
|
3.6
|
|
Mean Age (overall) |
27.5
|
28.2
|
29.1
|
29.9
|
30.0
|
30.2
|
30.3
|
31.0
|
|
- primiparae (yrs) |
25.4
|
26.2
|
27.2
|
28.2
|
28.3
|
28.6
|
28.7
|
29.4
|
|
Median Age (overall) |
27.0
|
28.0
|
29.0
|
30.0
|
30.0
|
30.0
|
31.0
|
31.0
|
|
- primiparae (yrs) |
25.0
|
26.0
|
27.0
|
28.0
|
29.0
|
29.0
|
29.0
|
30.0
|
- The mean maternal age has risen from 27.5 years in 1985 to 31.0 years in 2004.
- The median maternal age (the age below which 50% of women give birth) has risen from 27.0 years in 1985 to 31.0 years in 2004
- The mean age of women having their first baby has risen from 25.4 years in 1985 to 29.4 years in 2004. The median age for first births has increased from 25.0 years in 1985 to 30.0 years in 2004.
- There has been an obvious trend to delayed childbearing over the past 20 years.
- The age distribution of women giving birth for the first time has changed from positively skewed to negatively skewed over the last 20 years. The median age is now older than the mean.