An important demographic indicator is age at first birth. For the country as a whole the average age is 20-24 years. The data shows that the median age at first birth is 20 years, with small provincial variations, lowest in Huaphanh and Xaysomboun district (19 years) and highest in Vientiane Capital and Champasack (21 years). In rural areas with access to road, 28% start childbearing between age 15-19 compared to 31% in rural areas without access to road and 16% in urban areas. Very few women bore a child before the age of 15. The median age at first birth also remains slightly the same across ethnic groups (21 to 23 years old).