There were almost 4,500 more babies born in the third quarter of 2010 compared to the same period in 2001, new figures show.
Vital statistics for July to September of last year, published by the Central Statistics Office today, show there were 19,171 births registered in the third quarter of 2010 compared to 14,688 babies registered in the third quarter of 2001 – an increase of over 30 per cent.
The 19,171 births represent an annual birth rate of 17.2 per 1,000 of the population, 0.1 below 2009 figures.
Meath recorded the highest birth rate at 23.2 per 1,000, with Limerick city recording the lowest at 11.0 per 1,000 of population.
A total of 41 per cent of babies were born to first-time mothers. The average age of women giving birth was 31.4, 0.2 years more than the corresponding figure in 2009.
The highest percentage of births outside marriage was in Limerick city at 58 per cent, while the lowest was in both Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and Co Galway at 25 per cent.
There were 6,517 deaths in the overall population registered in the third quarter of last year, a decrease of 1.8 per cent on the same period in 2009. This represents a death rate of 5.8 per 1,000 of population.
The most common causes of death were diseases of the heart and arteries (33.9 per cent) malignant cancers (31.2 per cent) lung/respiratory diseases (10.3 per cent) and external causes including accidents and suicides (6.1 per cent).
There were 71 infant deaths registered giving an infant mortality rate of 3.7 deaths per 1,000 live births. The corresponding rate in the same quarter in 2009 was 4.1 per 1,000 live births. It was 6.6 per 1,000 live births in 2001.
The number of neonatal deaths - deaths of infants aged up to four weeks - in quarter three of 2010 was 48, 2.5 deaths per 1,000 live births.