Half the children born outside wedlock in the third quarter of last year were to cohabiting couples, new figures show.
The data, published today by the Central Statistics Office, shows that, out of 6,226 births registered as outside of marriage in quarter three of 2008, 3,204 were to cohabiting couples.
Births outside wedlock represented 33 per cent of all births, while children born to cohabiting couples represented 17 per cent of all births.
Data shows that marriage, on average, provides children with far more stability than cohabitation. According to the British Millennium Cohort Study, only 10pc of married couples will have broken up by the time their child is five, compared with 25pc of cohabiting couples.
Only 35pc of British children born into a cohabiting union will live with both parents throughout their childhood, compared with 70pc born to married couples.
In addition, the average length in Britain of a marriage that ends in divorce is 11.5 years compared with just two years for a live-in relationship. Irish data also shows that only 25 per cent of cohabiting couples are still cohabiting after seven years. The result have either broken up or married.
There were 18,792 births registered in quarter 3 of 2008, an increase of just over one per cent in the number of births registered in the corresponding quarter of 2007. This is lower than the level of increase which had been recorded in recent quarters. In the second quarter of 2008 the annual increase recorded was 11 per cent.
Births in the third quarter of 2008 represented a relatively high annual birth rate of 17.0 per 1,000 population. Galway City and Cork City recorded the lowest birth rate of 13.1 per 1,000 population , while the highest birth rate was recorded in County Meath at 22.2 per 1,000 population.
Of the 18,792 births, 42 per cent were to first time mothers, and just under one third to second time mothers. The average age of mothers was 31.1 years, ranging from 29.0 years in Limerick City to 33.1 years in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown. The average age of mothers having their first child was 28.8 years.
The natural increase in the population (births minus deaths) for quarter 3 2008 was 11,963, representing a rate of 10.8 per 1,000 population. This rate was lowest in County Mayo (4.1 per 1,000 population) and highest in Fingal (18.5 per 1,000 population).
There were 8,765 marriages registered in Quarter 3 2008, traditionally the most popular quarter in which to get married. This represents an annual rate of 7.9 per 1,000 population.
