Data presented by the Central Statisticians Office in Ireland shows that just over a third of births in Ireland in the second quarter of 2012 were registered as being outside of a marriage or civil partnership.

The CSO reported a total of 17,958 births between March and May, the second quarter of the year of 2012. This is a decrease of 2.3% when compared to the same period of 2011.

Accounting for 34 percent, 6,164 births of the total 17,958 births were registered as outside marriage/civil partnership in the second quarter of 2011.

Of this 34 percent, 3,449 births (19 percent) were born to unmarried parents with the same address.

Limerick City had the highest percentage of births outside marriage/civil partnership at 58 percent, while the lowest percentage occurred in Galway County, at 23%.

In quarter one of 2012, 2 births were registered in civil partnerships, and another 4 births in the second quarter of the year. In the twelve months of 2011, four births were registered under civil partnership.