Total fertility rate: births per woman in Ireland
Ireland: Total fertility rate: births per woman was 1.53 births per woman in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
1.53 births per woman
Change on year
down 10.9%
World rank
11th
of 34 countries
All-time high
4.12 births per woman
in 1964
All-time low
1.53 births per woman
in 2022
Years of data
68
1955–2022
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.
Total fertility rate: births per woman in Ireland, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | 3.36 births per woman | — |
| 1956 | 3.37 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1957 | 3.47 births per woman | +2.9% |
| 1958 | 3.46 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1959 | 3.59 births per woman | +4.0% |
| 1960 | 3.75 births per woman | +4.4% |
| 1961 | 3.79 births per woman | +1.1% |
| 1962 | 3.96 births per woman | +4.2% |
| 1963 | 4.06 births per woman | +2.7% |
| 1964 | 4.12 births per woman | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 4.08 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1966 | 3.98 births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1967 | 3.87 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 1968 | 3.79 births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1969 | 3.84 births per woman | +1.3% |
| 1970 | 3.86 births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1971 | 3.95 births per woman | +2.4% |
| 1972 | 3.87 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 1973 | 3.73 births per woman | -3.6% |
| 1974 | 3.6 births per woman | -3.5% |
| 1975 | 3.37 births per woman | -6.2% |
| 1976 | 3.29 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 1977 | 3.24 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1978 | 3.21 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1979 | 3.21 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 3.2 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 3.06 births per woman | -4.6% |
| 1982 | 2.95 births per woman | -3.5% |
| 1983 | 2.75 births per woman | -6.7% |
| 1984 | 2.59 births per woman | -6.0% |
| 1985 | 2.49 births per woman | -3.6% |
| 1986 | 2.45 births per woman | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 2.31 births per woman | -5.4% |
| 1988 | 2.17 births per woman | -6.2% |
| 1989 | 2.08 births per woman | -4.3% |
| 1990 | 2.11 births per woman | +1.6% |
| 1991 | 2.08 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 1.99 births per woman | -4.2% |
| 1993 | 1.9 births per woman | -4.4% |
| 1994 | 1.85 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 1.84 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 1.88 births per woman | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 1.93 births per woman | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 1.94 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 1.9 births per woman | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 1.89 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 1.94 births per woman | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 1.97 births per woman | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 1.96 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 1.93 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 1.86 births per woman | -3.6% |
| 2006 | 1.91 births per woman | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 2.01 births per woman | +5.1% |
| 2008 | 2.06 births per woman | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 2.05 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 2.05 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 2.02 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 1.98 births per woman | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 1.93 births per woman | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 1.89 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 1.85 births per woman | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 1.81 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 1.76 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 1.74 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 1.69 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 1.63 births per woman | -4.0% |
| 2021 | 1.72 births per woman | +5.8% |
| 2022 | 1.53 births per woman | -10.9% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 1.53 births per woman is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.48 births per woman, 1.0× the median. (28 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 1.53 births per woman is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.48 births per woman, 1.0× the median. (31 countries reporting)
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
- 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 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
Average number of children a woman would have in her lifetime if she experienced the fertility rates of a specific year.