The natural rate of population, that is births over deaths, has dropped in half in just 10 years, according to new CSO data.

This is despite the overall population steadily increasing during the same period.

Last year births exceeded deaths by 18,889. This compares with a figure of 38,367 ten years previously.

The slowing rate of increase has occurred consistently since 2014, except for 2021 when the rate of natural increase rose from 4.8 per 1000 to 5.0, primarily because a lot of people delayed having children the previous year when the Covid pandemic began.

In 2014, the usual resident population was estimated at 4,645,400. In 2024, this had risen to 5,380,300, chiefly through immigration.

The combination of natural increase and positive net migration led to a population increase of 98,700 (+1.9%) in the year to April 2024. This was the largest population gain since 2008 when the population increased by 109,200.