NI Baby Boom Continues

There was a total of 25,600 'live births' registered in Northern Ireland last year, 1,200 (5%) more than in 2007 and the highest number recorded since 1991.

The latest rise is the sixth consecutive annual increase, with births having increased by 10% since 2006 and by 20% since the 2002 low.

These findings are contained in provisional 2008 birth statistics released today by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).

Throughout the 1990's the number of babies born fell as more women in their twenties delayed having children.

Today those women are now having babies in their 30s with the birth rate of women in their thirties having increased by nearly a quarter over the last decade.

In addition, increased migration to Northern Ireland has also had an impact on the number of children born.

Last year 2,300 babies were born to mothers who were born themselves outside the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a three-fold increase from 2001 when 700 such babies were recorded.

In large part this increase is accounted for by the 1,100 babies born in Northern Ireland last year to mothers themselves born in the eight new central and eastern European EU countries.

This compares with just 10 such babies born in 2001.

A NISRA spokesperson said: "The number of babies born in Northern Ireland has now risen each year since 2002.

"In 2008 there were 25,600 babies registered an increase of 20% from the 2002 low.

"Today we are seeing more women in their 30s having children. In addition more women have been moving to Northern Ireland to live and are having children here."

(BMcC/JM)