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Press Statement

Preasráiteas

31 May 2017

Vital Statistics Yearly Summary 2016

The number of births registered continues to fall, down 11,079 or 14.8% since 2010
  • Over 1 in 3 babies were born outside of marriage (36.5%) in 2016
  • The average age of first time mothers continues to rise, up 0.2 years to 30.9 years from 2015
  • Cancers and heart disease account for over 3 in 5 deaths (61%)
  • Four fifths of the deaths registered in 2016 were aged 65 years or over
  • Go to release: Vital Statistics Yearly Summary 2016

    The CSO today (31st May, 2017) released the Vital Statistics, Fourth Quarter and Yearly Summary 2016 reports.  Commenting on the report, Carol Anne Hennessy, Statistician said: “There were 63,897 births registered in 2016, some 2,012 (or 3.1%) fewer than 2015.  The 63,897 births represent an annual birth rate of 13.7 per 1,000 of population compared to 15.2 per 1,000 population in 2006. 

    The average age of first time mothers in 2016 was 30.9 years, up 0.2 years from 2015.  The average age of mothers at maternity for all births registered in 2016 was 32.7 years compared to 32.5 in 2015 and 31.0 years ten years earlier in 2006.   

    Over a third 23,348 (36.5%) babies were born outside of marriage/civil partnerships and of these 60.8% were to cohabitating parents.  A total of 1,098 teenagers had babies in 2016 and of these 20 were aged under 16 years.  There were 4,393 births to mothers aged 40 and over in 2016 and of these 295 were aged 45 and over.

    Births to mothers of Irish nationality accounted for over three-quarters (77.1%) of all births in 2016.  A further 2.3% of births were to mothers of UK nationality, with 1.8% born to mothers from EU15 countries excluding Ireland and the UK. 

    There were 30,390 deaths registered in 2016, of which 15,499 were male and 14,891 female.  This equates to a death rate of 6.5 per 1,000 population.  The 2016 figure is almost 10.6% higher than in 2006 when there were 27,479 deaths registered.

    An infant death is a death at ages under 1 year of a live born infant.  There were 208 infant deaths registered in 2016 giving an infant mortality rate of 3.3 deaths per 1,000 live births.  Ten years earlier in 2006, there were 237 infant deaths registered which equated to an infant mortality rate of 3.7 per 1,000 live births.  Neonatal deaths are deaths of infants at ages under 4 weeks.  There were 155 neonatal deaths registered in 2016, a neonatal mortality rate of 2.4 deaths per 1,000 live births.

    Almost 4 in 5 deaths were from either diseases of the circulatory system (9,206 or 30.3%), malignant neoplasm (9,023 or 29.7%), or diseases of the respiratory system (3,856 or 12.7%).  Deaths due to accidents, suicide and other external causes accounted for a further 1,344 or 4.4% of all deaths in 2016.

    The natural increase (births minus deaths) in 2016 was 33,507, which was 6.8% lower than the natural increase of 35,957 in 2015.

    There were 22,626 marriages registered in 2016, of which 1,056 were same-sex marriages.  The marriage rate in 2016 was 4.8 per 1,000 of population, the same rate as in 2015”.

     

    For further information contact:

    Carol Anne Hennessy (+353) 21 453 5307 or Marie Crowley (+353) 21 453 5016

    or email vitalstats@cso.ie

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