The number of deaths in the Republic has fallen to a record low due to a combination of the high proportion of young people resident here and an increase in the lifespan of older people.
Figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show there were 28,665 deaths in 2004, a decrease of 400 compared to the previous year. The overall death rate is now half that recorded between 1940 and 1950.
The figures are contained in the CSO's Report on Vital Statistics 2004, published yesterday.
When broken down to regional authority level, North Tipperary had the highest age-related death rate (8.4 per 1,000), while Galway County had the lowest (5.9 per 1,000). Overall, cities such as Limerick, Cork and Dublin tended to have higher death rates than other parts of the State.
There were also significant variations within the Dublin area. Dublin City recorded the highest death rate (7.4 per 1,000), followed by South Dublin (seven), Fingal (6.5) and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown (5.9).
Circulatory diseases continued to be the most common cause of death (10,700 people), followed by cancer (8,000), respiratory problems (4,000) and accidental injuries and poisonings (1,600).
Between them, circulatory diseases and cancer accounted for almost four in every five deaths.
Nonetheless, there have been substantial improvements in age-related death rates among older people in the last decade. The death rate for people aged 65-74 has fallen from 31 per 1,000 deaths in 1994 to 21 per 1,000 in 2004.
Similarly, the death rate for the 75-84 age group has dropped from 79 deaths per 1,000 people to 62 per 1,000 over the same period.
While death rates are falling, fertility rates remain high. The average number of children born to a woman in her lifetime is almost two (1.95). This number reached a high in the 1960s and 1970s (three-plus), but fell to a record low in 1995 (1.85).
Birth trends show that teenagers and women in their 20s and early 30s had fewer children on average in 2004 compared to the previous year. However, this was balanced out by women in their late 30s and early 40s having more children.
Overall, women are waiting longer until they have children. Almost two-thirds (62 per cent) of children were born to women under 30 in 1975. This figure stood at 40 per cent in 2004.
Latest figures show the average age at which women give birth is 31 years, a slight increase over the previous year.
The majority of mothers in 2004 were aged from 30-34 (34 per cent), followed by 25-29 (24 per cent), 35-39 (20 per cent), 20-24 (14 per cent), under 20 (5 per cent) and 40-44 (4 per cent).
The proportion of births outside marriage has reached a high of almost one-third (32 per cent), more than three times the rate recorded between 1980 and 1990 (9 per cent).
CSO statistics: births and deaths
Deaths:The number of deaths fell to 28,665 in 2004, the lowest on record. North Tipperary had the highest death rate (8.4 per 1,000), while Galway County had the lowest (5.9 per 1,000).
Cause of death:Circulatory diseases were the most common cause of death (10,700 people), followed by cancer (8,000), respiratory problems (4,000) and accidental injuries and poisoning (1,600).
Births outside marriage:Almost one-third of all births (32 per cent) were outside marriage in 2004. The highest percentage was in Limerick City (53 per cent), while the lowest was in Galway County (21 per cent).
Age of mothers: Most mothers were aged from 30-34 (34 per cent), followed by 25-29 (24 per cent), 35-39 (20 per cent), 20-24 (14 per cent), under 20 (5 per cent) and 40-44 (4 per cent).
Fertility rate:The average number of children born to a woman is almost two (1.95). This figure reached a high in the 1960s and 1970s (three-plus), but fell to a record low in 1995 (1.85).
Infant mortality:The number of infant deaths was 287 in 2004 compared with 326 in 2003.
Source: CSO's Vital Statistics 2004, www.cso.ie
