The Irish Times reports 27th July that the recently released Eurostat statistics for 2009 show that Ireland had the highest birthrate in the EU in 2009 at 16.8 children born per 1,000 inhabitants , compared to an EU average of 10.7 children per 1,000 population. Britain, which had the second highest EU birthrate, was at 12.8 children per 1,000 people.
Interestingly Ireland also had the lowest death rate at 6.6 per 1,000 inhabitants, as against an EU average of 9.7. The highest death rates in the European Union were recorded in Bulgaria, Latvia, Hungary and Lithuania. The highest natural growth of the population was in Ireland at 10.2 per 1,000 people, well ahead of Cyprus on 5.5, France at 4.3 and Luxembourg at 4. The highest natural growth of the population was in Ireland at 10.2 per 1,000 people.
Sadly because of the economic crisis Ireland also recorded the highest net outflow of population at 9 per 1,000 inhabitants, almost twice that of Lithuania, which recorded the second highest net outflow.
