ALMOST six out of ten Derry babies were born outside of marriage last year, according to figures just released.
The average across for babies born out of wedlock is said to be four out of ten.
But according to the Office for National Statistics, the figures for Derry show that children born to unmarried parents jumps to 58.7 per cent – almost six out of ten.
The ONS data relates to 24,394 babies born in 2014.
It reveals that 10,540 babies were born to parents outside of marriage or civil partnerships last year across the North.
The parents could be either to cohabiting couples or lone parents.
Belfast has the highest rate with 59 per cent of children born outside out of marriage.
By contrast, the fewest babies born out of wedlock were in Magherafelt at 27 per cent.
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