Newly released statistics have shed light on an intriguing trend in Ireland: three specific regions recorded higher death rates than birth rates in 2021. This unusual demographic shift was highlighted in the latest data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) concerning Births and Deaths at Local Electoral Areas.

The data reveals that Belmullet in County Mayo, Glenties in County Donegal, and Bantry-West Cork in County Cork are the three areas where deaths outnumbered births. This stands in stark contrast to the overall national trend.

In 2021, a total of 34,844 deaths were recorded across Ireland. The areas within Dublin City bore the brunt of these numbers, with Clontarf (528 deaths), Ballymun-Finglas (502 deaths), and Artane-Whitehall (499 deaths) topping the list for the highest number of deaths. On the flip side, the regions with the lowest death counts were Leixlip in County Kildare (65 deaths), Ballinamore in County Leitrim (76 deaths), and Granard in County Longford (80 deaths).

In terms of births, 60,575 new lives were welcomed into the world in 2021. Dublin once again featured prominently, with the North Inner City (755 births), Howth-Malahide in Fingal (732 births), and Swords in Fingal (727 births) leading the charge for the highest birth rates. Conversely, Ballinamore in County Leitrim (104 births), Belmullet in County Mayo (112 births), and Manorhamilton in County Leitrim (117 births) recorded the fewest births.

The national fertility rate was another key metric revealed by the CSO data. In 2021, Ireland had a fertility rate of 47.5 births per 1,000 women aged 15-49. The highest general fertility rates were found in Carrick-On-Shannon in County Leitrim (61.2), Enniscorthy in County Wexford (60.8), and Ballybay-Clones in County Monaghan (60.6). On the lower end of the spectrum, South-East Inner City in Dublin (29.8), Galway City Central (30.5), and North Inner City in Dublin (31.1) had the lowest fertility rates.