Study: Irish women wait longer than most European women to have first child

Irish women are older than most other Europeans when it comes to the birth of their first child.

Figures from Eurostat reveal that while most women in the EU are in their 20s when they have their first baby, the majority of Irish women are in their 30s.

Ireland has a lower teenage pregnancy rate, and a higher than average number of women who give birth for the first time in their 40s.

Also, Irish families are larger than average - almost 18% of births in 2013 were recorded as third children - the EU average is 12%.

Ciara Eustace of the EU office in Dublin says Irish birth rates are slightly out of kilter with the rest of Europe.

She said: "These figures tell us that the majority of women in the EU give birth to their first child in their 20s, whereas in Ireland over 50% of women are giving birth to their first child in their 30s.

"Also, we're above the EU average for first-time mothers in their 40s and we're also standing out as a large family country.

"We have one of the highest proportions of women having their fourth or subsequent children."