During the last half of the 20th century, birth rates for females ages 15 to 19 years old peaked in 1960 at 89 live births per 1,000 females. Since then, birth rates for 15- to 19-year-olds have decreased, reaching 43 births per 1,000 females in 2002. After significantly declining in the 1960s and early 1970s, birth rates for females 20 to 24 years old have declined modestly through 2002. Birth rates for older female groups, 30 to 34, 35 to 39, and 40 to 44 years old, increased between 1980 and 2002. With the exception of Asian or Pacific Islanders, birth rates for younger females (ages 15 to 24) have generally been higher for minority females as compared to White females. In 2002, there were 83 live births per 1,000 females for Hispanic females ages 15 to 19, 67 for Black females, and 54 for American Indian females, compared to 39 for White females, and 18 for Asian or Pacific Islander females of the same age group.