Ireland’s total fertility rate — the average number of children per woman — fell to 1.5 last year, far below the 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population without immigration. Ten years earlier, in 2013, it stood at 1.9. The number of births has also declined sharply: just over 54,500 babies were born in 2023, about 43 fewer than the previous year and more than 14,000 fewer than a decade ago. The crude birth rate, once among the highest in the EU, has dropped from 14.9 per 1,000 people in 2013 to 10.3 today.
Meanwhile, deaths have increased significantly. The CSO registered 35,649 deaths in 2023, up by more than 20% compared with 2013. The leading causes remain cancer (10,480 deaths), heart and circulatory diseases (9,784), and respiratory illnesses (4,124). Ireland’s population continues to age, with 312 citizens reaching or surpassing 100 years of age last year — 251 women and 61 men — a record number of centenarians that reflects both improved longevity and a widening gender gap in life expectancy. The average age of mothers in Ireland continues to rise and now stands at 33.2 years. The share of births among women in their forties has expanded dramatically: in 2023, 4,993 babies were born to mothers aged 40 and above, compared with about 4,000 a decade ago. The rise among women aged 45 and older is particularly striking, suggesting not merely a delay in family formation but also the impact of medical, social, and cultural change.
Late motherhood, once a rarity, is now increasingly part of Ireland’s family landscape. The shift reflects broader patterns across Europe — women studying longer, pursuing careers, and achieving financial stability before having children. It also mirrors advances in reproductive medicine, from IVF to egg donation, that have expanded the biological window for conception. In Ireland, where assisted reproduction is growing but still less accessible than in some European states, this rise signals both progress and inequality: those with the means can delay motherhood successfully, while others face the limits of time and cost. Sociologists point to a deeper transformation: motherhood itself has been decoupled from the early stages of adult life. The traditional Irish model — marriage and children in one’s twenties — has given way to a pattern of postponement. Later marriages, higher property prices, urban lifestyles, and changing gender expectations all contribute to this trend. In Dublin and other urban areas, the median age for a first birth is now above 32. However, the celebration of late motherhood cannot disguise the overall demographic downturn. With fewer women in their twenties and early thirties choosing or managing to have children, the total number of births is shrinking. Even the rise in older mothers cannot compensate for this decline. The result is a growing imbalance: fewer young people entering the population and a rapidly expanding elderly cohort.
Ireland’s demographic shift has profound implications for its future. A fertility rate of 1.5 places the country below the EU average and well beneath the replacement threshold. Without sustained immigration, population growth would stagnate and eventually reverse. Economists warn that such trends could strain the pension system, reduce the working-age population, and intensify regional disparities between vibrant urban centers and aging rural communities. The government’s recent policy discussions reflect growing concern. The Department of Health and the National Women’s Council have both highlighted the need for better childcare infrastructure, flexible work arrangements, and equitable access to fertility treatment. At present, the cost of assisted reproductive procedures remains prohibitive for many families, though public funding schemes are gradually being introduced. The 2023 Assisted Human Reproduction Act — Ireland’s first comprehensive legal framework for IVF and related services — represents a major step forward, but experts stress that implementation and accessibility will determine whether it truly helps reverse the fertility decline.
At the same time, the cultural meaning of parenthood is changing. The rise of older mothers is not simply a biological fact but also a social statement: that Irish women are redefining the timeline of life. It challenges traditional narratives about when one “should” become a parent and raises complex questions about support networks, healthcare, and generational identity. Many of these late pregnancies are second or third children, born into families that already have stability and resources — a phenomenon that partly explains Ireland’s paradox of fewer babies overall but more born later.
Still, there are health considerations. Advanced maternal age brings higher medical risks — from gestational diabetes to chromosomal complications — and requires more comprehensive prenatal care. Ireland’s maternity services, while improving, remain under pressure. Reports by the Health Service Executive (HSE) indicate shortages of midwives and regional inequalities in access to specialized care. If the trend toward later births continues, the healthcare system will need to adapt rapidly, investing in maternal health and preventive screening. The statistics also reflect a subtle social divide. Younger generations face housing insecurity, rising living costs, and precarious employment — all factors that discourage early family formation. Older, more established couples, meanwhile, are better equipped to start or expand families later in life. The result is a demographic patchwork shaped by inequality as much as by choice.
Demography rarely makes headlines, but it tells the story of a nation’s future. Ireland’s current numbers reveal both resilience and risk. The surge in births among women over 45 is a testament to medical progress and changing norms — yet it occurs against a backdrop of overall decline. The challenge for policymakers is not simply to celebrate record numbers in one category but to restore balance across generations. As Ireland moves deeper into the 2020s, it faces a question that many developed societies are asking: how to sustain a vibrant, youthful population while respecting the realities of modern life. If the country can reconcile these forces — supporting families of all ages, making child-rearing compatible with contemporary careers, and ensuring fair access to healthcare — then the record of 2023 may one day be seen not as a warning, but as a turning point in how Ireland understands birth, age, and the meaning of growth itself.