In 2022, 54,483 babies were born in Ireland, marking a 10.1% decrease (6,092 fewer births) compared to 2021, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
At the same time, the number of deaths rose by 2.8%, reaching 35,804.
CSO data shows that Ireland’s annual birth rate dropped to 10.5 per 1,000 people in 2022, down from 15.6 per 1,000 a decade earlier. The fertility rate for the year stood at 1.53 children per woman, significantly below the replacement level of 2.1, which is considered necessary for a population to sustain itself without migration. This continues a 50-year decline in fertility rates, which were 1.98 in 2012 and 3.88 in 1972.
Births to mothers of Irish nationality accounted for 75.6% of the total in 2022, slightly lower than 77.7% in 2021, but nearly the same as 75.9% in 2012.
The average age of mothers giving birth continues to rise, despite a minor decrease in 2022. The average age was 33.2 years, compared to 33.3 years in 2021, 29.7 years in 1992, and 29.1 years in 1972.
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