The number of births recorded for Clare mothers in the first quarter of this year fell when compared with twelve months ago.
This reflects a national trend.
There were 398 births to Clare mums between January and March, down by over 20 from the same time last year.
A slightly smaller fall has also been recorded nationally, so the birth rate here was on a par with the average for Munster.
216 boys and 182 girls were born here, 36% of them to couples who were neither married nor in a civil partnership, while Clare mums are, on average, slightly older than the national average.
There were 243 deaths in the same time, the same as 12 months ago.
Heart disease has been the biggest killer here.
