Births, Deaths and Stillbirths in 2005

Lowest ever number of deaths in 2005

The number of deaths in Ireland in 2005 was 28,260, the lowest number of deaths recorded in the history of the State. This was a decrease of 405 on the 2004 figure, which was the second lowest number ever recorded. See Table 1.4.

The number for 2005 is so low due to a combination of people's increasing life spans and the relatively high proportion of young people currently in the population.

The death rate fell to 6.8 deaths per 1,000 population in 2005, compared with 7.1 deaths per 1,000 population in 2004.

These figures are contained in the Central Statistics Office's Vital Statistics Annual report for 2005.

There have been substantial improvements in death rates among older people in the last decade. For example, the death rate for people aged between 65 and 74 has reduced from 32 deaths per 1,000 people in 1995, to 20 deaths per 1,000 people in 2005. Similarly, the death rate for people aged 75 to 84 has reduced from 83 deaths per 1,000 people in 1995 to 60 deaths per 1,000 people in 2005. See Table 3.13

Male mortality rates continue to be higher than female rates but the gap is narrowing. Male death rates aged 65 to 74 reduced by 40% from 1995 to 2005, compared to a 33% reduction in the corresponding female death rate. Similarly, male death rates aged 75 to 84 reduced by 30% from 1995 to 2005, compared to a 26% reduction in the corresponding female death rate.

Over 3 in every 4 deaths were from either diseases of the circulatory system (36%), cancer (27%), or diseases of the respiratory system (14%). There were 10,149 deaths due to circulatory diseases (which include heart disease and stroke), 7,749 deaths due to cancer, and 4,048 deaths due to respiratory diseases. See Table 3.21.

Men accounted for 55% of heart attack deaths, with 1,584 male deaths from heart attacks (acute myocardial infarction) and 1,289 female deaths. On the other hand, women accounted for 56% of stroke deaths, with 1,136 female deaths from stroke (cerebrovascular disease) and 901 male deaths.

The most common types of cancer deaths among men were cancers of the lung and larynx, killing 990 men, and prostate cancer, 548 men. The most common causes of cancer deaths among women were breast cancer, killing 696 women, and cancers of the lung and larynx, 662 women.

Deaths due to injury and poisoning amounted to 1,579 or over one in twenty (5.6%) of all deaths. Over 70% of these deaths were males.

Lowest teenage birth rate since 1996

There were 61,372 births in 2005, a decrease of 600 on the 2004 figure.

There were 2,406 births to teenage mothers. The resulting birth rate of 17 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 was the lowest teenage birth rate since 1996. The birth rate for women aged 20 to 24 was the lowest ever recorded, at 46 births per 1,000 women.

However, the birth rate for women aged 35 to 39 was the highest since 1982, at 88 births per 1,000 women, and the birth rate for women aged 40 to 44 was the highest since 1989, at 17 births per 1,000 women. See Table 2.1.

Over 1 in 5 (21%) of the births to women aged 35 to 39 were first births, and over 1 in 6 (18%) of births to women aged 40 to 44 were first births. See Table 2.9.

Almost 32% of births (or 19,501) in 2005 were outside marriage. For women having their first child, over 43% of births were outside marriage. This figure decreases to just over a quarter (27%) of second children born outside marriage, and almost one in five (19%) of third children are born outside marriage. See Tables 2.8, 2.9.

Vital Statistics Annual Report 2005 is priced at €12 and is available from the:

Central Statistics Office, Information Section, Skehard Road, Cork,

Government Publications Sales Office, Sun Alliance House, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2,

or through any bookseller.

For more information contact Joseph Keating (LoCall 1890 313 414 ext 5121).

Internet address: http://www.cso.ie

20 June 2008

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