Fertility and wanted fertility in Ireland
Ireland: Fertility and wanted fertility was 1.47 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
1.47
Change on year
down 2.0%
World rank
157th
of 215 countries
All-time high
4.07
in 1964
All-time low
1.47
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Fertility and wanted fertility in Ireland, 1960–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, fertility and wanted fertility in Ireland stood at 1.47. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility and wanted fertility in Ireland peaked at 4.07 in 1964 and was at its lowest, 1.47, in 2024.
Ireland ranks 157th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Fertility and wanted fertility in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 3.78 | — |
| 1961 | 3.78 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 3.92 | +3.7% |
| 1963 | 4.01 | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 4.07 | +1.5% |
| 1965 | 4.04 | -0.7% |
| 1966 | 3.94 | -2.5% |
| 1967 | 3.84 | -2.5% |
| 1968 | 3.77 | -1.8% |
| 1969 | 3.83 | +1.6% |
| 1970 | 3.85 | +0.5% |
| 1971 | 3.93 | +2.1% |
| 1972 | 3.84 | -2.3% |
| 1973 | 3.71 | -3.4% |
| 1974 | 3.59 | -3.2% |
| 1975 | 3.37 | -6.1% |
| 1976 | 3.29 | -2.4% |
| 1977 | 3.24 | -1.5% |
| 1978 | 3.21 | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 3.21 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 3.21 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 3.05 | -5.0% |
| 1982 | 2.94 | -3.6% |
| 1983 | 2.74 | -6.8% |
| 1984 | 2.58 | -5.8% |
| 1985 | 2.48 | -3.9% |
| 1986 | 2.44 | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 2.32 | -4.9% |
| 1988 | 2.17 | -6.5% |
| 1989 | 2.08 | -4.1% |
| 1990 | 2.11 | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 2.08 | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 1.99 | -4.3% |
| 1993 | 1.9 | -4.5% |
| 1994 | 1.85 | -2.6% |
| 1995 | 1.84 | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 1.88 | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 1.93 | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 1.94 | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 1.9 | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 1.89 | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 1.94 | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 1.97 | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 1.96 | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 1.93 | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 1.86 | -3.6% |
| 2006 | 1.91 | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 2.01 | +5.2% |
| 2008 | 2.06 | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 2.06 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 2.05 | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 2.03 | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 1.98 | -2.5% |
| 2013 | 1.93 | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 1.89 | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 1.85 | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 1.81 | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 1.76 | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 1.74 | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 1.69 | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 1.6 | -5.3% |
| 2021 | 1.72 | +7.5% |
| 2022 | 1.51 | -12.2% |
| 2023 | 1.5 | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 1.47 | -2.0% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 1.47 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.45, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 1.47 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.44, 1.0× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.9 | 3.77 | 4.07 | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.52 | 3.21 | 3.93 | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.6 | 2.08 | 3.21 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.94 | 1.84 | 2.11 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.96 | 1.86 | 2.06 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.87 | 1.69 | 2.05 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.56 | 1.47 | 1.72 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More population data for Ireland
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.68 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1157 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,725 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.5372 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.1844 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.455 (2100)
- Population density 76.73 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 217,052 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility and wanted fertility in Ireland?
- Fertility and wanted fertility in Ireland was 1.47 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility and wanted fertility recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 4.07 in 1964.
- What is the lowest fertility and wanted fertility recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.47 in 2024.
- How does Ireland rank for fertility and wanted fertility?
- Ireland ranks 157th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fertility and wanted fertility rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility and wanted fertility. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).