Fresh data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) reveals that females are delaying motherhood, as depicted by the increased mean age of first-time mothers. By 2023, it stood at 31.6 years, a surge of 3.4 years from the 28.2 years recorded in 2003.
The data also showed a drop in registered births, as they declined from 68,930 in 2013 to 54,678 in 2023. The yearly birth rate per 1,000 residents fell to 10.4.
The fertility rate also took a dip, moving from 2.0 to 1.5 between 2013 and 2023. Of concern is that a fertility rate of 2.1 is viewed as vital for maintaining population numbers without welcoming immigrants.
Out of 35,459 registered deaths in 2023, 2.2% was identified as COVID-19 related, half of the previous year’s level. The yearly death rate stood at 6.7 per 1,000 of the population, down from 7.2 in 2003. Registered deaths were predominantly males, at 51.8%, and the majority of deaths, four-fifths, comprised individuals older than 65 years. Most registered deaths were seen in the 85+ age group, 36.5%, in 2023.
Over half of the deaths recorded in 2023 resulted from malignant growths or disorders of the cardiovascular system. Other prevalent causes were from injuries, poisoning, and diseases of the cardiovascular system. Accidents, suicides, and other unnatural causes led to 3.8% of the registered deaths. Moreover, 162 infants (below one year) and 124 neonate (less than four weeks old) deaths were also recorded.
In terms of marriage, in 2023, there were 21,159 recorded, a downturn compared to the 23,173 registered in 2022. Among these marriages, 646, equating to 3.05%, were same-sex marriages.