2021: Cancer was leading cause of death in NI, half of births outside wedlock and divorces increase

The Registrar General’s 100th Annual Report reveals that final figures show that, for the first time, Covid-19 overtook respiratory disease as the third most common cause of death, accounting for 10.5% (1,850) of all deaths registered in 2021 with over a third (36.5%) accounted for by people aged 85 or over.

Meanwhile, tragically, according to the report there were 237 registered deaths due to suicide (including deaths from self-inflicted injury and events of undetermined intent) in Northern Ireland in 2021, compared with 219 in 2020.

Males accounted for three quarters of all deaths due to self-inflicted injury (176).

According to the report a total of 7,962 marriages were registered in 2021 – with over half of the marriages registered (3,700) occurring between July – September.

And whilst the average age of brides, grooms and first time mums continues to rise in NI, Saturday 28 August was the most popular day to get married with 107 couples tying the knot on that date.

This, according to the report reflects the easing of Covid restrictions.

There were 396 same-sex marriages and 207 conversions from civil partnerships to marriage.

Meanwhile there were 37 civil partnerships registered in 2021 (down from 43 registered in 2020), three of which involved male partnerships, six involved female partnerships, but the majority, 28, were opposite-sex partnerships.

There were 2,040 divorces granted in 2021 – an increase on the previous year (1,507), but 30% lower than the peak number of 2,913 in 2007.

The average age of brides and grooms in Northern Ireland is now 33.4 and 35.4 years respectively, the Registrar General’s 100th Annual Report reveals.

And the report also reveals that the number of births to teenage mothers (mothers under 20 years of age) continued to fall to a record low at 474 (2.1%) out of the total 22,071 births registered in 2021.

This is less than half the number recorded a decade previously (1,170) and almost 75% less than three decades ago (1,783).

The average age of first-time mums continued to rise, up from 25.5 years in 1991 to 29.2 years in 2021.

The average age of all mums similarly rose, from 27.9 years to 31.2 years over the last three decades.

Of the 22,071 births registered (11,340 males and 10,731 females) 47.3 per cent occurred outside of marriage/civil partnership, compared to 19.2 per cent three decades ago.

In 2021, the stillbirth rate increase from 3.3 per 1,000 births in 2020 to 4.0 per 1,000.

A total of 89 stillbirths were registered in Northern Ireland in 2021.

The number of deaths registered in 2021 (17,558) was similar to the level in 2020 (17,614) but was 21.0% more than two decades ago in 2001 (14,513).

Read the Registrar General’s Report here