Marked rise in NI births in 2004

The number of children born to Northern Ireland mothers rose markedly between 2003 and 2004, new statistics issued today have revealed.

In 2004, there were 22,318 births to Northern Ireland mothers, an increase of 670 births or 3.1% on the 2003 figure. This is the largest annual percentage increase since 1979, although it is an increase that must be weighed against a steady decline in the birth rate over the previous two decades.

Indeed, births in 2004 are still well below corresponding levels of the mid-1980s, when almost 27,500 births were registered in 1984.

A NISRA spokesperson said that the rise in the number of births could be the result of a number of factors: “In the last 10 or 20 years there has been a clear trend among women to have fewer children and to commence childbearing at a relatively older age.

“This may in part be due to a desire of prospective parents to develop their careers before having children. The marked increase in the number of births in 2004 can be regarded as only a partial recovery against the falling numbers of the last 20 years.”

The latest findings also contain strong evidence that people in Northern Ireland are living longer. In 2004, there were a total of 14,354 deaths registered, which is lower than the previous year (14,462) and the lowest on record for Northern Ireland.

If the death rates of 30 years ago still applied currently, the number of deaths in 2004 would have been around 25,000; just over 10,000 higher than the actual number registered.

Today’s figures are contained in provisional statistics released by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).

(MB/SP)