While we may have an aging population, the Republic of Ireland’s birth rate is quite literally off the charts!
This is according to new statistics released this week by Eurostat, which reveal that Ireland had the highest birth rate of any member of the European Union last year.
The new figures show that Ireland recorded 63,900 live births in 2016, which equates to 13.5 per every 1,000 inhabitants.
To put those figures into context, the average birth rate among European Union member states came in at 10 births per every 1,000 inhabitants – so we were head and shoulders above the average last year.
We also recorded the lowest death rates of 2016, sharing the position with our EU neighbour, Cyprus.
Overall, Ireland’s population is said to have increased by more than 50,000 last year, while a whopping 5.1 million babies were born throughout the European Union.
The new figures were released just a week after the ‘oldest’ counties in the Republic of Ireland were revealed.
Census statistics showed that Kerry and Mayo have the oldest populations, with the average age being calculated as 40.2.
This is in stark contrast to the average age of people in Ireland, in general, which stands at 37.4.
As for the ‘youngest’ part of Ireland? It’s Dublin – Fingal, to be specific.
With all this talk of birth rates, we’re reminded of the most recent CSO statistics, which also pinpointed the most popular names of 2016.
There were few surprises when James and Emily topped the lists for the boys and girls. Jack, Daniel, Conor and Sean completed the list for the boys; while Grace, Ava, Lucy, Amelia and Sophia (joint fifth place) were the preferred choices for parents of baby girls.
This is certainly an interesting turn of events! Did you welcome a little one in 2016? Share the love and let us know!
