The rate of births outside marriage continues to increase, the latest Vital Statisics report shows.

The report, published yesterday by the Central Statistics Office, showed there were 6,406 births registered as outside marriage in the first quarter of this year, which marked an increase of 0.6pc the first quarter of last year and an increase of 2.7pc on the first quarter of 2008.

Births outside marriage accounted for 36.5pc of all births. Twenty one percent of all births, 3,685 in total, were to parents living at the same address.  

The highest percentage of births outside marriage was in Limerick City at 58.1pc, while the lowest percentage of births outside marriage/civil partnership was in Leitrim at 21.9pc.

Both Waterford City (52.1) and Cork City (50.8) had higher than average rates of unmarried births.

In Dublin City, there were 849 births outside marriage, or 44.9pc of all births. Of these, 382, 20.2pc ,were to cohabiting parents.

Nine years earlier, in the first quarter of 2004, 5,181 births were registered outside marriage or 33.2pc of all births.

The average age of mothers at maternity outside of marriage was 29 years. This ranged from 31 years in Galway County to 27 years in Longford.

The number of marriages registered during the quarter was 3,642, equivalent to an annual marriage rate of 3.2 per 1,000 population, 0.7 above the corresponding quarter of 2012.  

The total for the first quarter of 2013 is 32.2pc higher than in the first quarter of 2004 when 2,755 marriages were registered.

The figures also showed a slowdown in the overall birth rate. There were 17,563 births, which represents an annual birth rate of 15.3 per 1,000 of the population, 1.6 below the first quarter of last year.

Two children were born to civil partners.