The State recorded the biggest natural increase in its population in 25 years last year due to a combination of high birth rates and increased life expectancy, new figures show.
The number of deaths fell to a record low of 27,479 in 2006. The overall age-related death rate is now half the level recorded during the 1940s and 1950s. The number of births rose to 64,237, an increase of 3,195 on 2005.
The natural increase - the difference between births and deaths - is the largest increase in population in Ireland since 1982.
The Central Statistics Office indicates that, even without inward migration, Ireland has one of the fastest growing populations in Europe.
Women in the Republic are continuing to have more children than women in most EU countries, despite high childcare costs and record numbers of women in employment.
Irish women have an average of 1.9 children, compared with Finland (1.8), Germany (1.3) and Poland (1.2). Only France has a higher fertility rate (1.94).
Sociologists say the increase in Ireland's fertility rate is strongly linked to the economy and the abundance of jobs. Birth rates in Ireland declined quickly during the 1980s. However, the figure began to rise in the mid-1990s, in parallel with economic growth.
While Ireland's fertility rate is high, it is just under the level which would maintain population levels in the long run (2.1).
Births outside marriage accounted for just over one-third of all births last year, the highest figure on record.
The proportion of births outside marriage was highest in Limerick (57 per cent) and lowest in Co Galway (22 per cent).
There were also significant differences for these figures within Dublin's four local authority areas. The highest rate of births outside marriage in the county was in Dublin City (47 per cent), followed by South Dublin (41 per cent), Fingal (31 per cent) and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown (29 per cent).
The increase in births outside marriage reflects wider social trends across most EU countries.
A total of 2,363 teenagers had babies last year, 48 of whom were aged under 16. One teen in the under-16 group had her second child last year. The teenage birth rate has remained relatively stable over the last 30 years.
Marriage, meanwhile, continues to be popular. The number of marriages last year rose to 21,841. This is almost 40 per cent higher than in 1997, when 15,631 marriages were registered.
Divorces granted by the courts rose marginally to 3,466, an increase of 33 over the 2005 figures.
The register of deaths shows 409 deaths from suicide last year, a fall of 22 on 2005. This contrasts with 285 fatalities from traffic incidents. There were also 66 deaths of undetermined intent, a reduction of 25 on the previous year.
Diseases of the circulatory system - such as heart disease - continue to be the most common cause of death, followed by cancer and respiratory disease.
