Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in Ireland
Ireland: Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) was 10 per 1,000 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
10 per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 2.9%
World rank
157th
of 218 countries
All-time high
22.6 per 1,000 people
in 1971
All-time low
10 per 1,000 people
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Birth rate, crude in Ireland, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in per 1,000 people.
Analysis
In 2024, birth rate, crude in Ireland stood at 10 per 1,000 people. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is down 2.9% on the previous year and down 30.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate, crude in Ireland peaked at 22.6 per 1,000 people in 1971 and was at its lowest, 10 per 1,000 people, in 2024.
That places Ireland 157th out of 218 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 21.5 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1961 | 21.2 per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 1962 | 21.8 per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
| 1963 | 22.2 per 1,000 people | +1.8% |
| 1964 | 22.4 per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 22.1 per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1966 | 21.5 per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 1967 | 21.1 per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 1968 | 20.9 per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1969 | 21.5 per 1,000 people | +2.9% |
| 1970 | 21.8 per 1,000 people | +1.4% |
| 1971 | 22.6 per 1,000 people | +3.7% |
| 1972 | 22.6 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 22.3 per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1974 | 22 per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1975 | 21.1 per 1,000 people | -4.1% |
| 1976 | 20.9 per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1977 | 21 per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 21.1 per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 21.5 per 1,000 people | +1.9% |
| 1980 | 21.7 per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 20.9 per 1,000 people | -3.7% |
| 1982 | 20.3 per 1,000 people | -2.9% |
| 1983 | 19.1 per 1,000 people | -5.9% |
| 1984 | 18.1 per 1,000 people | -5.2% |
| 1985 | 17.6 per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 1986 | 17.4 per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1987 | 16.5 per 1,000 people | -5.2% |
| 1988 | 15.5 per 1,000 people | -6.1% |
| 1989 | 14.8 per 1,000 people | -4.5% |
| 1990 | 15.1 per 1,000 people | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 14.9 per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 14.4 per 1,000 people | -3.4% |
| 1993 | 13.8 per 1,000 people | -4.2% |
| 1994 | 13.4 per 1,000 people | -2.9% |
| 1995 | 13.5 per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 13.9 per 1,000 people | +3.0% |
| 1997 | 14.4 per 1,000 people | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 14.5 per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 14.4 per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 14.4 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 15 per 1,000 people | +4.2% |
| 2002 | 15.4 per 1,000 people | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 15.4 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 15.2 per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 14.8 per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 15.3 per 1,000 people | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 16.2 per 1,000 people | +5.9% |
| 2008 | 16.7 per 1,000 people | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 16.7 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 16.5 per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 16.2 per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 15.6 per 1,000 people | -3.7% |
| 2013 | 14.9 per 1,000 people | -4.5% |
| 2014 | 14.4 per 1,000 people | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 13.9 per 1,000 people | -3.5% |
| 2016 | 13.4 per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 12.8 per 1,000 people | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 12.5 per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 11.9 per 1,000 people | -4.8% |
| 2020 | 11.1 per 1,000 people | -6.7% |
| 2021 | 11.8 per 1,000 people | +6.3% |
| 2022 | 10.4 per 1,000 people | -11.9% |
| 2023 | 10.3 per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 10 per 1,000 people | -2.9% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 10 per 1,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.5 per 1,000 people, 1.1× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 10 per 1,000 people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 9.2 per 1,000 people, 1.1× the median. (57 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 21.62 per 1,000 people | 20.9 per 1,000 people | 22.4 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 21.69 per 1,000 people | 20.9 per 1,000 people | 22.6 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 18.19 per 1,000 people | 14.8 per 1,000 people | 21.7 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.23 per 1,000 people | 13.4 per 1,000 people | 15.1 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.51 per 1,000 people | 14.4 per 1,000 people | 16.7 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.21 per 1,000 people | 11.9 per 1,000 people | 16.5 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.72 per 1,000 people | 10 per 1,000 people | 11.8 per 1,000 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 154 Albania 10.13 per 1,000 people compare
- 155 Sri Lanka 10.1 per 1,000 people compare
- 156 Kuwait 10.02 per 1,000 people compare
- 157 Azerbaijan 10 per 1,000 people compare
- 159 Costa Rica 9.99 per 1,000 people compare
- 160 United Kingdom 9.89 per 1,000 people compare
More health data for Ireland
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -4.76 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.89 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 20 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.7228 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.026 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.6489 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0274 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate, crude in Ireland?
- Birth rate, crude in Ireland was 10 per 1,000 people in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest birth rate, crude recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 22.6 per 1,000 people in 1971.
- What is the lowest birth rate, crude recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 10 per 1,000 people in 2024.
- How does Ireland rank for birth rate, crude?
- Ireland ranks 157th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is birth rate, crude rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.