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Fertility & birth rates in Ireland and Somalia

Updated on by Georank team

Ireland has an annual birth rate of 10.3 births per 1,000 people, compared to 43 for Somalia. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1.5 in Ireland and 6.13 in Somalia — 309% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -60.3% in Ireland and by -15.4% in Somalia — in 1960, it was 3.78 and 7.25, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Ireland is ranked 142/196 by birth rate compared to 2/196 for Somalia.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 32.7 in Ireland — it's 29.4 in Somalia.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 4.07 in Ireland vs 117.1 in Somalia.
  • In Ireland, 23.7% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 22.4% in Somalia.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was +0.37% in Ireland and +3.31% in Somalia.

Birth rate data compared

Ireland Somalia
Fertility rate 1.5 6.13
Birth rate 10.3 43
Birth rate rank 142/196 2/196
Age at first childbirth 31.6 years n/a
Average age at childbearing 32.7 years 29.4 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 4.02 114.3
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 42 269
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 22.3 98.9
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 23.7% 22.4%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 70.9% 0.9%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 99.7% 31.9%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.004% 0.56%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 0.25% 3.49%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 0.34% 6.78%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 0.38% 10.4%
Population change due to births and deaths +19,638 +608,203
Natural population change rank 109/196 31/196
Natural population change rate +0.37% +3.31%
Population growth +1.37% +3.54%
Population growth rank 78/197 9/197
Life expectancy 82.7 years 59.1 years

Fertility rate in Ireland vs Somalia chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Ireland was 1.5 children per woman in 2023, compared to 6.13 in Somalia in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

Check Ireland vs Somalia population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Ireland
Factual

UN forecast
Somalia
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Ireland Somalia
1960 3.78 7.25
1961 3.78 7.25
1962 3.92 7.26
1963 4.01 7.26
1964 4.07 7.26
1965 4.04 7.26
1966 3.94 7.26
1967 3.84 7.25
1968 3.77 7.23
1969 3.83 7.21
1970 3.85 7.18
1971 3.93 7.15
1972 3.84 7.12
1973 3.71 7.09
1974 3.59 7.06
1975 3.37 7.03
1976 3.29 7.02
1977 3.24 7
1978 3.21 7.13
1979 3.21 7.16
1980 3.21 7.18
1981 3.05 7.23
1982 2.94 7.25
1983 2.74 7.28
1984 2.58 7.3
1985 2.48 7.33
1986 2.44 7.35
1987 2.32 7.37
1988 2.17 7.4
1989 2.08 7.42
1990 2.11 7.44
1991 2.08 7.47
1992 1.99 7.5
1993 1.9 7.53
1994 1.85 7.54
1995 1.84 7.58
1996 1.88 7.62
1997 1.93 7.66
1998 1.94 7.66
1999 1.9 7.66
2000 1.89 7.65
2001 1.94 7.64
2002 1.97 7.63
2003 1.96 7.6
2004 1.93 7.57
2005 1.86 7.53
2006 1.91 7.49
2007 2.01 7.46
2008 2.06 7.42
2009 2.06 7.38
2010 2.05 7.32
2011 2.03 7.27
2012 1.98 7.21
2013 1.93 7.14
2014 1.89 7.06
2015 1.85 6.98
2016 1.81 6.88
2017 1.77 6.77
2018 1.75 6.66
2019 1.71 6.56
2020 1.63 6.45
2021 1.78 6.35
2022 1.54 6.26
2023 1.5 6.13
2024 1.5 6.01
2025 1.5 5.91
2026 1.5 5.8
2027 1.5 5.68
2028 1.5 5.58
2029 1.5 5.47
2030 1.5 5.35
2031 1.5 5.25
2032 1.5 5.14
2033 1.5 5.04
2034 1.5 4.94
2035 1.5 4.84
2036 1.5 4.74
2037 1.5 4.63
2038 1.5 4.52
2039 1.51 4.44
2040 1.51 4.35
2041 1.5 4.26
2042 1.5 4.16
2043 1.5 4.07
2044 1.51 3.99
2045 1.51 3.91
2046 1.5 3.84
2047 1.5 3.78
2048 1.5 3.71
2049 1.5 3.65
2050 1.5 3.6

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Ireland
Factual

UN forecast
Somalia
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Ireland Somalia
1960 30.9% 44.4%
1961 31% 44.7%
1962 30.9% 44.8%
1963 30.9% 45%
1964 30.9% 45.1%
1965 31.1% 45.1%
1966 31.1% 44.9%
1967 31.1% 44.8%
1968 31.1% 44.7%
1969 31.1% 44.6%
1970 31.1% 44.5%
1971 31.2% 44.5%
1972 31.2% 44.4%
1973 31.2% 44.4%
1974 31.2% 44.4%
1975 31.1% 44.3%
1976 31% 44.3%
1977 30.9% 44.3%
1978 30.7% 44.4%
1979 30.5% 44.5%
1980 30.4% 44.6%
1981 30.3% 44.8%
1982 30.1% 45%
1983 29.9% 45.2%
1984 29.6% 45.4%
1985 29.3% 45.6%
1986 28.9% 45.8%
1987 28.5% 46%
1988 28.1% 46.3%
1989 27.6% 46.7%
1990 27.1% 47%
1991 26.6% 47%
1992 26% 46.5%
1993 25.5% 46.4%
1994 24.9% 46.5%
1995 24.2% 46.7%
1996 23.6% 46.9%
1997 23% 47%
1998 22.5% 47.1%
1999 22.1% 47.2%
2000 21.8% 47.4%
2001 21.4% 47.5%
2002 21.1% 47.6%
2003 21% 47.7%
2004 20.8% 47.9%
2005 20.6% 48.2%
2006 20.4% 48.6%
2007 20.3% 48.9%
2008 20.5% 48.9%
2009 20.7% 48.8%
2010 21.1% 48.7%
2011 21.4% 48.3%
2012 21.5% 47.9%
2013 21.5% 47.8%
2014 21.4% 47.7%
2015 21.3% 47.6%
2016 21.2% 47.5%
2017 20.9% 47.4%
2018 20.7% 47.3%
2019 20.4% 47.1%
2020 20.1% 47%
2021 19.8% 47%
2022 19.5% 46.8%
2023 19% 46.7%
2024 18.6% 46.6%
2025 18.1% 46.6%
2026 17.6% 46.5%
2027 17.2% 46.4%
2028 16.9% 46.1%
2029 16.6% 45.8%
2030 16.3% 45.4%
2031 16% 45.1%
2032 15.8% 44.7%
2033 15.6% 44.3%
2034 15.4% 43.9%
2035 15.3% 43.5%
2036 15.2% 43.1%
2037 15.1% 42.6%
2038 15.1% 42.1%
2039 15.2% 41.7%
2040 15.2% 41.2%
2041 15.3% 40.8%
2042 15.4% 40.3%
2043 15.4% 39.9%
2044 15.5% 39.4%
2045 15.6% 39%
2046 15.6% 38.6%
2047 15.7% 38.2%
2048 15.7% 37.8%
2049 15.7% 37.4%
2050 15.6% 37%

Children aged 0-14 make up 18.6% of the population in Ireland and 46.6% in Somalia in 2024, compared to 27.1% and 47% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Ireland and Somalia compared.

Natural population change in Ireland vs Somalia by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +0.58% in Ireland and +3.34% in Somalia. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Ireland
Somalia

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Ireland Somalia
1960 28,286 73,850
1961 25,137 75,513
1962 28,077 77,737
1963 29,667 79,859
1964 31,532 82,042
1965 30,500 84,448
1966 26,866 86,930
1967 29,895 89,497
1968 27,697 92,208
1969 29,326 95,045
1970 30,756 98,025
1971 35,606 101,196
1972 34,316 104,493
1973 34,562 108,038
1974 34,199 104,813
1975 34,128 108,998
1976 33,676 113,319
1977 35,448 124,818
1978 36,288 132,689
1979 38,798 151,016
1980 40,612 174,790
1981 39,364 185,211
1982 38,344 182,793
1983 34,053 190,775
1984 31,791 199,017
1985 29,013 207,960
1986 27,963 218,416
1987 26,904 231,580
1988 22,912 215,599
1989 20,012 225,255
1990 21,787 225,162
1991 21,206 53,052
1992 20,283 57,495
1993 17,166 232,960
1994 17,234 246,950
1995 16,601 254,509
1996 18,915 264,807
1997 21,311 271,894
1998 22,277 284,779
1999 21,402 295,523
2000 23,592 306,651
2001 27,837 319,059
2002 31,062 331,215
2003 32,372 341,192
2004 33,376 351,959
2005 33,279 363,117
2006 36,752 372,597
2007 43,109 380,303
2008 46,691 394,258
2009 47,168 405,784
2010 47,426 385,571
2011 45,801 203,213
2012 42,775 399,468
2013 39,302 448,518
2014 37,728 464,481
2015 35,265 481,573
2016 33,339 495,132
2017 31,379 478,556
2018 29,878 514,244
2019 28,365 548,756
2020 23,687 561,311
2021 26,064 566,399
2022 19,287 551,450
2023 19,638 608,203

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Ireland vs Somalia

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 4 deaths per 100,000 live births in Ireland, compared to 563 deaths in Somalia.

Ireland
Somalia
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Ireland Somalia
1985 11 1,465
1986 11 1,452
1987 10 1,393
1988 11 1,423
1989 10 1,395
1990 11 1,358
1991 10 1,431
1992 10 1,339
1993 9 1,195
1994 9 1,254
1995 9 1,210
1996 8 1,225
1997 8 1,206
1998 8 1,177
1999 7 1,170
2000 8 1,150
2001 7 1,129
2002 7 1,121
2003 6 1,111
2004 6 1,104
2005 6 1,086
2006 6 1,085
2007 6 1,074
2008 6 1,035
2009 6 995
2010 6 1,062
2011 6 972
2012 6 894
2013 5 855
2014 5 816
2015 5 784
2016 4 754
2017 4 716
2018 5 727
2019 4 656
2020 6 655
2021 6 726
2022 7 622
2023 4 563

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 0.38% in Ireland and 10.4% in Somalia. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Ireland
Somalia

Probability that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five

Year Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births
Ireland Somalia
1960 3.53% -
1961 3.38% -
1962 3.25% -
1963 3.13% -
1964 3.01% -
1965 2.87% -
1966 2.71% -
1967 2.55% -
1968 2.41% -
1969 2.3% -
1970 2.22% -
1971 2.17% -
1972 2.14% -
1973 2.11% -
1974 2.06% -
1975 2% -
1976 1.91% -
1977 1.81% -
1978 1.69% -
1979 1.56% -
1980 1.43% -
1981 1.32% -
1982 1.23% 20.1%
1983 1.17% 19.8%
1984 1.11% 19.5%
1985 1.07% 19.3%
1986 1.04% 19%
1987 1.02% 18.8%
1988 0.99% 18.6%
1989 0.96% 18.3%
1990 0.92% 18%
1991 0.87% 44.3%
1992 0.81% 45.6%
1993 0.77% 17.3%
1994 0.74% 17.2%
1995 0.73% 17.2%
1996 0.73% 17.2%
1997 0.73% 17.2%
1998 0.73% 17.2%
1999 0.73% 17.2%
2000 0.72% 17.2%
2001 0.69% 17.2%
2002 0.65% 17.2%
2003 0.6% 17.2%
2004 0.56% 17.2%
2005 0.52% 17.2%
2006 0.49% 17.2%
2007 0.46% 17%
2008 0.44% 16.6%
2009 0.43% 16.2%
2010 0.42% 18.6%
2011 0.41% 35.9%
2012 0.4% 18.4%
2013 0.39% 14.3%
2014 0.38% 13.8%
2015 0.37% 13.4%
2016 0.36% 13%
2017 0.35% 15.5%
2018 0.34% 13.6%
2019 0.34% 11.8%
2020 0.35% 11.4%
2021 0.36% 11.1%
2022 0.37% 14.3%
2023 0.38% 10.4%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Ireland vs Somalia
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