Huge increase in birth rate

[freedomlover]

CSO figures on the number of births in Ireland in Q1 2007 have just been released. These show an unprecedented increase. The number of births increased from 15,958 in Q1 2006 to 17,473 in Q1 2007, an increase of 9.5%. This rate of increase is unprecedented in any developed country in modern times. The birth rate in Ireland has been increasing gradually in recent years and is by far the highst in the EU, but there has been no yearly increase before on this scale. I'm at a loss to explain it. Possible explanations are (a) the very hot summer in 2006 (I am being serious here) (b) a fall-off in the number of Irish women going abroad for abortions (some evidence of this recently, but no definite confirmation) (c) increased numbers of foreign nationals coming to give birth in Ireland (unfortunately the CSO gives no figures on the nationality of those giving birth).

CSO figures also out this morning show the infant mortality rate falling to 2.7 per 1,000 births in Q1 2007. If maintained for a whole year, it would be the 3rd or 4th lowest infant mortality rate in the world.

[905]

I'm guessing the third one is most likely. Would you care to elaborate on the first point?

[meriwether]

The rental market for Wendy houses should be booming.

[constitutionus]

so i take it the mandatory pensions will be shelved now that all these kids will be knocking about to fund our pensions ?

[freedomlover]

The rental market for Wendy houses should be booming.

You could quite easily be FG Minister for Education in 2012. Start planning now, as this morning's figures will be of some relevance.

[meriwether]

The rental market for Wendy houses should be booming.

You could quite easily be FG Minister for Education in 2012. Start planning now, as this morning's figures will be of some relevance.

I dont take your posts seriously.
You're not an impartial observor. I havent time to weed through the dross to find anything of significance within your postings.

[Stroke]

Q1 is a good time to have kids for entry to national school and so that they are still underage for the GAA season! Both mine were born in Q1 for this purpose, I am looking forward to having two minor medallists in 2023 and 2024....!

[hiker]

I'm at a loss to explain it.

I would have thought it was quite obvious...........

[Sidewinder]

Bloody hell FL, try and engage your brain some time.

Young Irish couple are tapped out, under massive financial strain, simply can't afford to have many kids, and are having children later and later in life (IIRC, the average age of an Irish first-time mother is over 30!)

These are the children of migrants. It really is as simple as that. The native birthrate has collapsed, even with the echo effect of the early-70s demographic bulge.

The Irish are slowly going extinct. Welcome to the marketplace that Bertie and Mary built.

[aodh_rua]

IIRC, the average age of an Irish first-time mother is over 30

Just under 29 is the average age according to the bulletins at lunchtime.