The average age of women giving birth rose by a full year between 2001 and 2010, new figures show.
Vital statistics for the second quarter of last year, published by the Central Statistics Office, show the average age of women giving birth was 31.5.
This was 0.2 years more than in the same quarter of 2009, and a year older than in the corresponding period of 2001.
The average age of women having their first child in the second quarter of last year was 29.5.
A total of 7,749 births (41.3 per cent) were to first-time mothers during the quarter. Second-time mothers had 6,121 births (32.6 per cent).
Some 18,844 births were registered in the three-month period, exactly the same number as in the second quarter of 2009.
This represents and annual birth rate of 16.9 per 1,000 of the population – fully 2.0 higher than in 2001.
Almost exactly a third of all births (32.9 per cent) in the second quarter last year were outside marriage.
A total of 5,344 deaths of people aged 65 and over were registered in the quarter, representing an annual death rate of 42 per 1,000 of the population. Diseases of the circulatory system, including heart disease, accounted for 2,315 deaths. There were 2,059 deaths from cancer.
The CSO said the estimated population in April last year was 4,470,000. A census is due to take place this coming April. There were 127 deaths from suicide from April to June last year.