In the ten years from 2013 to 2023, Ireland has seen a 20pc fall in the number of births and a 20pc rise in the number of deaths, according to the CSO’s Vital Statistics Annual Report 2023.

The report says Ireland’s total period fertility rate for 2023 stood at 1.5, which is below the rate of 2.1 needed to replace the population; in 2013 the rate stood at 1.9.
It was last at 2.1 in the year 2010.

There were 43 fewer births in Ireland in 2023 compared with 2022, but over the last decade, there has been a fall of over a fifth when compared with 2013.

The average of mothers continues to increase, rising to 33.2 years. Ten years ago, it was 32.2.

Another sign of the changing demographic patterns is that a record number of babies were born to women aged 45 years and over in 2023.

There were 408 babies born to women aged over 45 in 2023, up 80.5% compared to 2013.

Births by women aged over 40 increased by over 25% in the same ten year period.