Birth rate in Ireland
Ireland: Birth rate was 10.25 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
10.25 births per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
164th
of 236 countries
All-time high
23.23 births per 1,000 people
in 1952
All-time low
10.25 births per 1,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Birth rate in Ireland, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 10.25 births per 1,000 people for birth rate in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.6% on the previous year and down 31.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate in Ireland peaked at 23.23 births per 1,000 people in 1952 and was at its lowest, 10.25 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.
Ireland ranks 164th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Birth rate in Ireland, year by year
| Year | births per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 22.98 births per 1,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 23.15 births per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1952 | 23.23 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1953 | 22.91 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 1954 | 22.31 births per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1955 | 21.48 births per 1,000 people | -3.7% |
| 1956 | 21.34 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1957 | 21.65 births per 1,000 people | +1.4% |
| 1958 | 21.18 births per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 1959 | 21.55 births per 1,000 people | +1.8% |
| 1960 | 21.84 births per 1,000 people | +1.4% |
| 1961 | 21.24 births per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 1962 | 21.71 births per 1,000 people | +2.2% |
| 1963 | 22.11 births per 1,000 people | +1.8% |
| 1964 | 22.28 births per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 21.99 births per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1966 | 21.39 births per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 1967 | 20.95 births per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 1968 | 20.81 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1969 | 21.37 births per 1,000 people | +2.7% |
| 1970 | 21.77 births per 1,000 people | +1.9% |
| 1971 | 22.41 births per 1,000 people | +2.9% |
| 1972 | 22.36 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 22.13 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 1974 | 21.91 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 1975 | 21.09 births per 1,000 people | -3.7% |
| 1976 | 20.97 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1977 | 21.02 births per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 21.12 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 21.48 births per 1,000 people | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 21.69 births per 1,000 people | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 20.96 births per 1,000 people | -3.4% |
| 1982 | 20.41 births per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1983 | 19.23 births per 1,000 people | -5.8% |
| 1984 | 18.27 births per 1,000 people | -5.0% |
| 1985 | 17.71 births per 1,000 people | -3.0% |
| 1986 | 17.45 births per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1987 | 16.64 births per 1,000 people | -4.7% |
| 1988 | 15.65 births per 1,000 people | -6.0% |
| 1989 | 14.94 births per 1,000 people | -4.5% |
| 1990 | 15.11 births per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 14.88 births per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 14.34 births per 1,000 people | -3.7% |
| 1993 | 13.78 births per 1,000 people | -3.9% |
| 1994 | 13.42 births per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1995 | 13.46 births per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 13.86 births per 1,000 people | +3.0% |
| 1997 | 14.29 births per 1,000 people | +3.1% |
| 1998 | 14.45 births per 1,000 people | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 14.28 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 14.3 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 14.78 births per 1,000 people | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 15.26 births per 1,000 people | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 15.3 births per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 15.07 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 14.6 births per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 15.06 births per 1,000 people | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 16.02 births per 1,000 people | +6.4% |
| 2008 | 16.71 births per 1,000 people | +4.3% |
| 2009 | 16.77 births per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 16.6 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 16.25 births per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 15.7 births per 1,000 people | -3.4% |
| 2013 | 14.99 births per 1,000 people | -4.5% |
| 2014 | 14.47 births per 1,000 people | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 13.95 births per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 2016 | 13.43 births per 1,000 people | -3.8% |
| 2017 | 12.84 births per 1,000 people | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 12.51 births per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 11.99 births per 1,000 people | -4.2% |
| 2020 | 11.34 births per 1,000 people | -5.4% |
| 2021 | 11.95 births per 1,000 people | +5.4% |
| 2022 | 10.42 births per 1,000 people | -12.8% |
| 2023 | 10.25 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 10.25 births per 1,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.6 births per 1,000 people, 1.1× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 10.25 births per 1,000 people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 9.31 births per 1,000 people, 1.1× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 22.18 births per 1,000 people | 21.18 births per 1,000 people | 23.23 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 21.57 births per 1,000 people | 20.81 births per 1,000 people | 22.28 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 21.63 births per 1,000 people | 20.97 births per 1,000 people | 22.41 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 18.29 births per 1,000 people | 14.94 births per 1,000 people | 21.69 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.19 births per 1,000 people | 13.42 births per 1,000 people | 15.11 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.39 births per 1,000 people | 14.3 births per 1,000 people | 16.77 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.27 births per 1,000 people | 11.99 births per 1,000 people | 16.6 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.99 births per 1,000 people | 10.25 births per 1,000 people | 11.95 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 161 Trinidad and Tobago 10.71 births per 1,000 people compare
- 162 United States 10.65 births per 1,000 people compare
- 163 Luxembourg 10.44 births per 1,000 people compare
- 165 Albania 10.24 births per 1,000 people compare
- 166 Kuwait 10.2 births per 1,000 people compare
- 167 Costa Rica 10.18 births per 1,000 people compare
More population data for Ireland
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1157 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.5% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 217,052 people (2100)
- Population density 76.73 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate in Ireland?
- Birth rate in Ireland was 10.25 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 23.23 births per 1,000 people in 1952.
- What is the lowest birth rate recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.25 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does Ireland rank for birth rate?
- Ireland ranks 164th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total number of births per 1,000 people in a given year.