Total fertility rate: births per woman in Ireland
Ireland: Total fertility rate: births per woman was 1.53 births per woman in 2022. ▼ Falling
Total fertility rate: births per woman in Ireland, 1955–2022
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 1.53 births per woman for total fertility rate: births per woman in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 68 years on record.
That represents a change of down 10.9% on the previous year and down 22.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total fertility rate: births per woman in Ireland peaked at 4.12 births per woman in 1964 and was at its lowest, 1.53 births per woman, in 2022.
Ireland ranks 11th of 34 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 68 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.45 births per woman | 3.36 births per woman | 3.59 births per woman | 5 |
| 1960s | 3.92 births per woman | 3.75 births per woman | 4.12 births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.53 births per woman | 3.21 births per woman | 3.95 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.6 births per woman | 2.08 births per woman | 3.2 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 | 1.87 births per woman | 1.69 births per woman | 2.05 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.63 births per woman | 1.53 births per woman | 1.72 births per woman | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More population data for Ireland
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Population density 76.73 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 217,052 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.5% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.47 births per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.47 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 124,730 people (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.47 births per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Share of people who are religious 1.6 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age 1.59 children per women (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total fertility rate: births per woman in Ireland?
- Total fertility rate: births per woman in Ireland was 1.53 births per woman in 2022, according to Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 4.12 births per woman in 1964.
- What is the lowest total fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.53 births per woman in 2022.
- How does Ireland rank for total fertility rate: births per woman?
- Ireland ranks 11th out of 34 countries with data for 2022.
- Is total fertility rate: births per woman rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total fertility rate: births per woman. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 68 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The average number of children a woman would have in her lifetime if she experienced the fertility rates of a specific year.