The number of teenage pregnancies has dropped by almost 50 per cent in the last five years.
According to the latest figures, released within the annual
Central Statistics Office 'Yearbook', only 23 babies were born to mothers aged 15 and under in 2014, with a total of 1,250 babies born to teenage mothers.
While would-be parents are waiting until they are older to start a family, they are no longer set on having a wedding first: one third of all babies were born outside of marriage.
Of the 67,462 births registered in 2014, most (24,850) were born to mums ages between 30 and 34. Further proof that Irish mums are getting older, 248 babies were born to mothers over 45.
Irish families welcomed 1,307 sets of twins, 27 sets of triplets and one set of quadruplets.
More women than ever are choosing home births, with 334 babies born at home in 2014 - an increase of 2.5 per cent.
Jack
retained its place as the most popular boys name for the eighth year running, with Emily the most popular choice for girls for the fourth year running.
