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More Kerry babies were born outside of marriage in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period a decade ago.
New Central Statistics Office data shows that 335 births were registered in Kerry in the first three months of this year. 44 per cent (147) of these births occurred outside of marriage.
The first three months of 2015 saw 444 births registered in the county, with 31 per cent (139) of these occurring outside of marriage.
The CSO data shows the average age of a Kerry mother who gave birth in the first quarter of this year is 33. No equivalent figure exists for the same period in 2015.
The average age of a mother who gave birth to their first child in the first quarter of the year is the same as it was a decade ago at 31.5.
The average age of a mother who gave birth to their first child outside of marriage is also similar to a decade ago (30.6 in Q1 2025 versus 30.5 in Q1 2015).