State Births Down 18% in Decade to 54,125 in 2025; Fertility Rate Falls to 1.5
The State saw an 18% drop in registered births over the last decade, from 65,909 in 2015 to 54,125 in 2025, with the fertility rate falling to 1.5. The average age of first-time mothers rose to 31.8 years. Deaths increased to 35,587, with infant and neonatal mortality rates declining.
The number of registered births in the State decreased by almost 18 per cent over the last decade, from 65,909 in 2015 to 54,125 in 2025, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO). This represents an annual birth rate drop from 14.1 to 9.9 per 1,000 population. The fertility rate also sharply declined from 1.9 in 2015 to 1.5 in 2025; a rate of 2.1 is generally considered necessary for population replacement.
The average age of first-time mothers increased by 1.1 years, from 30.7 in 2015 to 31.8 in 2025. The overall average age of mothers giving birth last year was 33.3 years.
In 2025, 35,587 deaths were registered, an increase of 414 from the previous year. The annual death rate was 6.5 per 1,000 population. Over a third (36.4 per cent) of deaths were among those aged 85 and over, with 83 per cent among those 65 and over. Main causes included malignant neoplasms (29.8 per cent) and circulatory system diseases (26.9 per cent).
There were 161 infant deaths (under one year) in 2025, resulting in an infant mortality rate of three per 1,000 live births, down from 3.6 in 2024. Neonatal deaths (under four weeks) totaled 124, with a rate of 2.3 per 1,000 live births, down from 2.7 in 2024. Additionally, 19,898 marriages were registered, including 624 same-sex marriages, with a marriage rate of 3.6 per 1,000 population.