Births, Deaths and Stillbirths in 2004

Lowest ever number of deaths in 2004

The number of deaths in Ireland in 2004 was 28,665, a decrease of 409 on the 2003 figure, and the lowest number of deaths recorded in the history of the State. See Table 1.4.

The number is so low due to a combination of people's increasing life spans and the relatively high proportion of young people currently in the population.

The death rate fell to 7.1 deaths per 1,000 population, compared with 7.3 deaths per 1,000 population in 2003.

These figures are contained in the Central Statistics Office's Vital Statistics Annual report for 2004.

There have been substantial improvements in death rates among older people in the last decade. For example, the death rate for people aged between 65 and 74 has reduced from 31 deaths per 1,000 people in 1994, to 21 deaths per 1,000 people in 2004. Similarly, the death rate for people aged 75 to 84 has reduced from 79 deaths per 1,000 people in 1994 to 62 deaths per 1,000 people in 2004. See Table 3.13.

Male mortality rates continue to be higher than female rates. For example, the death rate for men aged 65 to 74 was 27 deaths per 1,000 in 2004, compared with 16 deaths per 1,000 for women in the same age group.

Almost 4 in every 5 deaths were from either diseases of the circulatory system (37%), cancer (28%), or diseases of the respiratory system (14%). There were 10,666 deaths due to circulatory diseases (which include heart disease and stroke), 7,828 deaths due to cancer, and 4,079 deaths due to respiratory diseases. See Table 3.21.

Deaths due to injury and poisoning amounted to 1,594 or over one in twenty (5.6%) of all deaths. Over 70% of these deaths were males.

Fertility rate falls

The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) for Ireland in 2004 was 1.95 children per woman in her lifetime, down slightly from the 2003 figure of 1.98. Teenagers and women in their twenties and early thirties had less children on average in 2004 than in 2003. This was balanced by women in their late thirties and early forties having more children on average in 2004 than in 2003. See Table 2.1. The average age of mothers in 2004 was 30.8 years, 0.2 years older than in 2003. See Table 2.20.

The TFR for Ireland has risen from a low of 1.85 children in 1995. However, during the 1960's and 1970's the TFR was always above 3 children, and was always above 2 children during the 1980's.

There were 61,972 births in 2004, an increase of 443 on the 2003 figure, the highest they have been since 1986.

Almost 32% of births (or 19,798) in 2004 were outside marriage. For women having their first child, over 43% of births were outside marriage. This figure decreases to just over a quarter (28%) of second children born outside marriage, and one in five (20%) of third children are born outside marriage. See Tables 2.8, 2.9.

Vital Statistics Annual Report 2004 is priced at €12 and is available from the:

Central Statistics Office, Information Section, Skehard Road, Cork,

Government Publications Sales Office, Sun Alliance House, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2,

or through any bookseller.

For more information contact Joseph Keating (LoCall 1890 313 414 ext 5121).

Internet address: http://www.cso.ie

14 December 2006

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