Total fertility rate of Ireland 1850-2020

In the mid-1800s, women in Ireland could expect to have over four children throughout the course of their reproductive years. More so than most European countries, the total fertility rate of Ireland would be influenced not only by the number of births, which would remain largely high compared to much of the continent, but would rather be influenced by emigration from the country. While the largest wave of Irish emigration (driven by the Great Famine) occurred before the years shown, the spikes in 1870, and particularly the spikes of the 1940s to early 1960s, can be attributed in part to significant declines in emigration among young adult females (rather than an increase in the number of births). Another significant impact on Ireland's fertility rate in the 20th century was the influence of the Catholic Church in Irish society, education and healthcare. The church controlled the majority of primary and secondary education establishments, as well as hospitals; their influence on government meant that contraception and divorce remained illegal until 1985 and 1996 respectively, while the prohibition of abortion was not repealed until 2018. The promotion of traditional Catholic family values saw Ireland's fertility rate peak at over four children per woman in the early 1960s (double replacement level), however the gradual liberalization of Irish society and the decline of the church's influence, saw Ireland's fertility rate drop below two births per woman by the 1990s. (below replacement level). While fertility has remained below replacement level in the past three decades, the country still remains above the European average, with a total fertility rate of more than 1.8 children per woman in 2020, compared to the continental average of 1.6 children.

在19世纪中叶，爱尔兰的女性在其生育期内预期可生育超过四个孩子。相较于大多数欧洲国家，爱尔兰的总生育率不仅受到出生率的显著影响——与欧洲大陆相比，出生率保持较高——而且受到国家移民潮的影响。尽管由大饥荒引发的最大的爱尔兰移民潮发生在所展示年份之前，但1870年的峰值，尤其是20世纪40年代至60年代初的峰值，部分可归因于年轻成年女性移民数量的显著下降（而非出生率的增加）。20世纪爱尔兰生育率的重要影响因素还包括天主教会对社会、教育和医疗体系的影响。教会控制了大多数初级和中级教育机构，以及医院；其对政府的影响力意味着避孕和离婚在1985年和1996年才分别合法化，而堕胎禁令直至2018年才被废除。传统天主教家庭价值观的推广使得爱尔兰的生育率在20世纪60年代初达到每名女性超过四个孩子（双倍更替水平），然而，随着爱尔兰社会的逐步开放和教会影响力的下降，到20世纪90年代，爱尔兰的生育率已降至每名女性不到两个孩子的水平（低于更替水平）。尽管在过去三十年中生育率一直低于更替水平，但该国仍高于欧洲平均水平，2020年每名女性的总生育率超过1.8个孩子，而欧洲大陆的平均水平为1.6个孩子。