Family
Ireland Faces Record Lows in Marriage, Births
Faith Facts
- Both marriage and fertility rates in Ireland have fallen sharply since 2004, reaching historic lows in 2024.
- The average age for first-time mothers in Ireland is now 33, the highest in Europe.
- Divorce rates are at an all-time high, while large families and early marriages are increasingly rare.
The Iona Institute has raised concerns about the direction Ireland is heading, highlighting the decline in foundational family values.
Statistics from Ireland’s Central Statistics Office reveal a steady drop in both marriage and fertility rates over the past two decades.
Breda O’Brien from The Iona Institute stated:
“The fact that our marriage rate and fertility rate are now at the lowest levels ever recorded ought to ring alarm bells.
Getting married and having children used to be very normal milestones in life that almost everyone could be expected to reach if they wanted.
But now it seems they are going out of reach for many, something partly connected with the rising cost of living, and in a vital way, to the lack of job security and housing experienced by so many young people.”
She noted that economic and social pressures are making it harder for young people to start families and build stable, God-honoring homes.
“The more economic and social circumstances make people delay marrying and having children, the less likely they are to ever marry and have children. This means a lot of personal heartache and disappointment.
Once the problem might have been having more children than you wanted, but now there is a growing problem of having fewer than you want. This is what is called ‘unplanned childlessness’. As a society, we seriously need to debate what is happening and what can be done to change our course.”
Protecting the institution of marriage and encouraging strong families are vital to ensuring a faithful, flourishing Ireland for generations to come.