Fertility rate continues to drop sharply in Ireland

The number of registered births in Q2 2024 decreased by 93, or 0.7%, to 13,354 births when compared with Q2 2023, CSO data shows.

There were 8,804 deaths registered in the same period, which was 55 more deaths (0.6%) when compared with the same period in 2023.

In Q2 this year, the fertility rate for Ireland was 1.5, which was below the replacement level of 2.1.

In Q2 2014, ten years ago, the rate stood at 1.9.

The average age of all mothers in Q2 2024 was 33.2 – down from the 33.3 recorded in Q2 2023.

Just under two in five (39.9%) of births registered were outside marriage or civil partnership in Q2 this year.

Natural increase down 3.2%

The natural increase (births minus deaths) was 4,550 in Q2 2024, which was down by 3.2% when compared with the same period in 2023.

There was an 11.4% increase in respiratory-related deaths in Q2 2024 in comparison with Q2 2023 (1,115 compared with 1,001).

CSO statistician Seán O’Connor said that the 13,354 births registered in Q2 represented a birth rate of 9.9 per 1,000 population.

Ten years earlier, in Q2 2014, the annual birth rate was 14.2 per 1,000 population.

There were 8,804 registered deaths in Ireland in Q2 2024, of which 4,615 were males and 4,189 were females.

Nearly two out of every three deaths (5,774 out of 8,804) registered in Q2 were to those 75 and over.

Those aged up to 34 accounted for 186 of the 8,804 registered deaths in Q2 (2.1%).

Of these deaths, more than 60% were male (117), while the remaining 69 were female.

There were 57 infant deaths (under age one) registered in Q2, giving an infant mortality rate of 4.3 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Neonatal deaths under four weeks amounted to 37 in Q2.

The neonatal mortality rate per 1,000 live births was 2.8 in Q2 2024.

In Q2 2014 this was 2.5.

Causes of death

More than half of registered deaths in Q2 2024 were from either malignant neoplasms (2,587 or 29.4%) or diseases of the circulatory system (2,402 or 27.3%).

Deaths due to accidents, suicide and other external causes accounted for a further 353 or 4.0% of death registrations.

Of these 353 deaths, 85 or 24.1% were classed as intentional self-harm.

However, since all deaths due to external causes are reported to the Coroner's Office for further investigation, this figure will likely under-represent the number of deaths due to accidents, suicide, or other external causes of mortality.

Just over nine out of every ten deaths due to malignant neoplasms registered in Q2 occurred to those 55 and over, while nearly two out of every three (66.7%) registered deaths due to transport accidents occurred to those under 55.

For those aged under 55, malignant neoplasms (222), external causes of injury and poisoning (175), and diseases of the circulatory system (104) accounted for 67.8% of the registered deaths for this age group.

For those aged 55 and over, malignant neoplasms (2.365), diseases of the circulatory system (2,298), and diseases of the respiratory system (1,089) were the three most common causes of death, accounting for seven out of ten deaths.

Deaths due to COVID-19 decreased by 61.7% from Q2 2023 to Q2 2024 (196 v 75), while deaths due to pneumonia rose from 209 to 245 (17.2%).

Marriages

There were 5,359 marriages registered in Q2, down from 5,560 in Q2 2023, of which 176 were same-sex marriages.

The marriage rate in Q2 was 4.0 marriages per 1,000 population.