Fertility rate, total in Ireland
Ireland: Fertility rate, total was 1.5 births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Fertility rate, total in Ireland, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 1.5 births per woman for fertility rate, total in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 54 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.6% on the previous year and down 22.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in Ireland peaked at 3.93 births per woman in 1971 and was at its lowest, 1.5 births per woman, in 2023.
Ireland ranks 155th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.52 births per woman | 3.21 births per woman | 3.93 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.6 births per woman | 2.08 births per woman | 3.21 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.94 births per woman | 1.84 births per woman | 2.11 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.96 births per woman | 1.86 births per woman | 2.06 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.88 births per woman | 1.71 births per woman | 2.05 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.61 births per woman | 1.5 births per woman | 1.78 births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 153 Saint Kitts and Nevis 1.5 births per woman compare
- 154 French Polynesia 1.5 births per woman compare
- 155 Argentina 1.5 births per woman compare
- 155 Australia 1.5 births per woman compare
- 155 Denmark 1.5 births per woman compare
- 155 North Macedonia 1.5 births per woman compare
More population data for Ireland
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.455 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 217,052 (2100)
- Population density 76.73 (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.455 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.1844 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.5372 Percent per annum (2030)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,725 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 0.5372 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility 1.47 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum 124,730 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in Ireland?
- Fertility rate, total in Ireland was 1.5 births per woman in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 3.93 births per woman in 1971.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5 births per woman in 2023.
- How does Ireland rank for fertility rate, total?
- Ireland ranks 155th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Fertility rate, total (births per woman). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release