Vital Statistics Second Quarter 2005

Births, Deaths and Marriages in Quarter 2 2005

Number of Marriages continues to rise

There were 5,130 marriages registered in Quarter 2 2005, 411(8.7%) more than in Quarter 2 2004, and 1,477(40.4%) more than in Quarter 2 1996.

The number of births registered within marriage over the same period has also increased, but not by as much as the increase in marriages. There were 10,496 births registered within marriage in Quarter 2 2005, 12.5% more than in Quarter 2 1996, when 9,331 births within marriage were registered.

There were 4,810 births registered outside marriage in Quarter 2 2005, 69.1% more than in Quarter 2 1996 when 2,844 births outside marriage were registered. Nearly one-third of births (31.4%) in Quarter 2 2005 were outside marriage.

These figures are contained in the Central Statistics Office's Vital Statistics Second Quarter 2005 report.

In total there were 15,306 births registered in Quarter 2 2005, a decrease of 229 on the Quarter 2 2004 figure. This corresponds to a birth rate of 14.8 per 1,000 population.

The average age of mothers for births registered in Quarter 2 2005 was 31.1 years, an increase of 0.3 years on Quarter 2 2004. For mothers having their first child, the average age was 28.7 years, 0.3 years higher than the corresponding Quarter 2 2004 figure.

The average age of mothers has risen by over a year in the last decade. In Quarter 2 1996 the average age of mothers was 30.0 years, 1.1 years less than the most recent figure. See Table 1 of report.

The oldest mothers were in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, with an average age of 33.1 years. The youngest mothers were in Limerick City, with an average age of 28.8 years. See Table 4 of report.

Almost two in five (38.8%) births were to first time mothers. See Table 3 of report.

The report also shows that 7,349 deaths were registered in quarter 2 2005, 468 more than quarter 2 2004. This works out as a death rate of 7.1 per 1,000 population.

Almost 4 in every 5 deaths were from either diseases of the circulatory system (37%), cancer (27%), or diseases of the respiratory system (15%). There were 2,743 deaths due to circulatory diseases (which include heart disease and stroke), 1,994 deaths due to cancer, and 1,110 deaths due to respiratory diseases. See Table 8 of report.

The natural increase (births minus deaths) for quarter 2 2005 was 7,957, which is 697 less than in quarter 2 2004, and 81% higher than the natural increase of 4,385 recorded in quarter 2 1996.

Vital Statistics Second Quarter 2005 is priced at €6.00 and is available on our website www.cso.ie

Hard copies 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: www.cso.ie

14 December 2005

- ENDS -