The table below provides information on marriage status and age from 1960 to 2000 in Australia. Summarize the information on marriage status and age from 1960 to 2000 in Australia.

The table illustrates data on marriage types and the average

age

Use synonyms

of brides and grooms in Australia from 1960 to 2000.

Overall

Linking Words

, religious

marriages

Use synonyms

were

initially

Linking Words

more common, but civil

marriages

Use synonyms

steadily increased and became the predominant type by 2000. Meanwhile, the average

age

Use synonyms

of both brides and grooms rose consistently throughout the period. In 1960, religious

marriages

Use synonyms

accounted for 25,000, and

this

Linking Words

number grew moderately, peaking at 50,000 in 1980.

However

Linking Words

, it

then

Linking Words

declined sharply to 32,000 in 1990 before rising slightly to 34,000 in 2000.

In contrast

Linking Words

, civil

marriages

Use synonyms

started at just 8,000 in 1960 but increased steadily each decade, reaching 23,000 in 1990. By 2000, their number had nearly doubled to 40,000, making them the most common form of marriage. Regarding

age

Use synonyms

, brides and grooms married at an average

age

Use synonyms

of 21 and 24, respectively, in 1960. These figures increased gradually, reaching 27 and 30 by 1990, before peaking at 30 and 32 in 2000.