Demographics of the Republic of Ireland

Demographics of Ireland
Population of what is now the Republic of Ireland, since 1841
Population 4,757,976 (2016 census)
Density 68 per km2
Growth rate 1.77%
Birth rate 13.7 births/1,000 population
Death rate 6.5 deaths/1,000 population
Life expectancy 80.19 years
 • male 78 years
 • female 82.6 years
Fertility rate 1.91 children born/woman
Infant mortality rate 3.85 deaths/1,000 live births
Net migration rate 0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population
Age structure
0–14 years 21.3%
15–64 years 67.0%
65 and over 11.7%
Sex ratio
Total 0.99 male/female
At birth 1.057 male/female
Under 15 1.07 male/female
15–64 years 1.00 male/female
65 and over 0.81 male/female
Nationality
Nationality Irish
Major ethnic Irish 84.5%
Minor ethnic Other White: 9.1% (total White: 94.3%), Asian: 1.9%, Black: 1.4%, Other: 0.9%, Irish Travellers 0.7%, Not Stated: 1.6% (2011)
Language
Official English, Irish
Spoken Irish Sign Language, Shelta, Ulster Scots

The Republic of Ireland had a population of 4,757,976 at the 2016 census.[1]

Demographic history

A graph of the populations of the island of Ireland and Europe from 1750 to the present, showing Ireland's massive population spike in the early 19th century and subsequent collapse due to the 1845–49 famine and subsequent emigration.

The island of Ireland, throughout most of its history, had a small population, comparable to that of other regions of similar area in Europe. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Ireland experienced a major population boom as a result of the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions. In the 50-year period 1790-1840, the population of the island doubled from 4 million to 8 million. At its peak, Ireland's population density was similar to that of England and continental Europe.

This changed dramatically with the Great Famine of the mid-19th century, which led to mass starvation and consequent mass emigration. In the area covering the present day Republic of Ireland, the population reached about 6.5 million in the mid 1840s. Ten years later it was down to 5 million. The population continued a slow decline well into the 20th century, with the Republic recording a low of 2.8 million in the 1961 census.[2]

During the 1960s, the population started to grow once more, although slowly as emigration was still common. In the 1990s the country entered a period of rapid growth as a result of the Celtic Tiger Irish economic boom. Immigration began to far outweigh emigration. Many former Irish emigrants returned home, and the Republic of Ireland became an attractive destination for immigrants, mainly from Central Europe, but also from Africa, Asia and elsewhere. However, with the 2008 onset of the Irish economic and banking crisis, the state's economy suffered, and since then the Republic of Ireland has once again been experiencing net emigration.

In November 2013, Eurostat reported that the republic had the largest net emigration rate of any member state, at 7.6 emigrants per 1,000 population. However, it has the youngest population of any European Union member state and its population size is predicted to grow for many decades, in contrast with the declining population predicted for most European countries. A report published in 2008 predicted that the population would reach 6.7 million by 2060.[3] The Republic has also been experiencing a baby boom, with increasing birth rates and overall fertility rates.[4] Despite this, the total fertility rate is still below replacement depending on when the measurement is taken. The Irish fertility rate is still the highest of any European country.[5] This increase is significantly fuelled by non-Irish immigration – in 2009, a quarter of all children born in the Republic were born to mothers who had immigrated from other countries.[6]

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1841 6,528,799—    
1851 5,111,557−21.7%
1861 4,402,111−13.9%
1871 4,053,187−7.9%
1881 3,870,020−4.5%
1891 3,468,694−10.4%
1901 3,221,823−7.1%
1911 3,139,688−2.5%
1926 2,971,992−5.3%
1936 2,968,420−0.1%
1946 2,955,107−0.4%
1951 2,960,593+0.2%
1961 2,818,341−4.8%
1971 2,978,248+5.7%
1981 3,443,405+15.6%
1991 3,525,719+2.4%
2002 3,917,203+11.1%
2011 4,588,252+17.1%
2017 4,792,500+4.5%
Source: CSO[7]

Ethnic groups and immigration

Gaelic culture and language forms an important part of the Irish national identity.

The Irish Travellers are an indigenous minority ethnic group, formally recognised by the Irish State since March 1st 2017. [8]

In 2008, Ireland had the highest birth rate (18.1 per 1,000), lowest death rate (6.1 per 1,000) and highest net-migration rate (14.1 per 1,000) in the entire European Union – and the largest population growth rate (4.4%) in the 27-member bloc as a result.[9]

Ireland contains several immigrant communities, especially in Dublin. The most common foreign nationalities include Polish, British, Lithuanian, Latvian and Nigerian.

There is only genetic evidence for pre-Celtic migration into Ireland. The Irish people may therefore be described as strongly influenced by Celtic language and traditions but the Irish population is not mainly of Celtic origin.[10]

Population statistics

Population statistics for the Republic of Ireland[11]
Population on April 1 (thousands) Live births Deaths Natural change Crude birth rate (per 1000) Crude death rate (per 1000) Natural change (per 1000) Total fertility rate
1900 3,231 70,435 21.8
1901 3,234 70,194 21.7
1902 3,205 71,156 22.2
1903 3,191 70,541 22.1
1904 3,169 72,261 22.8
1905 3,160 71,427 22.6
1906 3,164 72,147 22.8
1907 3,145 70,773 22.5
1908 3,147 71,439 22.7
1909 3,135 72,119 23.0
1910 3,132 71,744 22.9
1911 3,129 71,351 22.8
1912 3,116 70,734 50,489 20,245 22.7 16.2 6.5
1913 3,106 70,214 52,184 18,030 22.6 16.8 5.8
1914 3,098 69,102 49,674 19,428 22.3 16.0 6.3
1915 3,068 67,501 53,713 13,788 22.0 17.5 4.5
1916 3,071 64,814 50,627 14,187 21.1 16.5 4.6
1917 3,071 61,429 51,713 9,716 20.0 16.8 3.2
1918 3,069 61,092 53,682 7,410 19.9 17.5 2.4
1919 3,060 61,829 55,776 6,044 19.9 18.2 1.7
1920 3,102 67,015 45,521 21,494 21.6 14.7 6.9
1921 3,096 61,010 44,537 16,473 19.7 14.4 5.3
1922 3,070 58,849 44,547 14,302 18.5 14.5 4.0
1923 3,014 62,417 42,217 19,473 20.5 14.0 6.5
1924 3,005 63,402 45,180 18,222 21.1 15.0 6.1
1925 2,985 62,069 43,650 18,419 20.8 14.6 6.2
1926 2,971 61,176 41,740 19,436 20.6 14.0 6.5
1927 2,957 60,054 43,677 16,377 20.3 14.8 5.5
1928 2,944 59,176 41,792 17,384 20.1 14.2 5.9
1929 2,937 58,280 42,991 15,289 19.8 14.6 5.2
1930 2,927 58,353 41,702 16,651 19.9 14.2 5.7 2.54
1931 2,933 57,086 42,947 14,139 19.5 14.6 4.8 2.49
1932 2,949 56,240 42,984 13,256 19.1 14.6 4.5 2.43
1933 2,962 57,364 40,539 16,825 19.4 13.7 5.7 2.47
1934 2,971 57,897 39,083 18,814 19.5 13.2 6.3 2.49
1935 2,971 58,266 41,543 16,723 19.6 14.0 5.6 2.50
1936 2,967 58,115 42,586 15,529 19.6 14.4 5.2 2.50
1937 2,948 56,488 45,086 11,402 19.2 15.3 3.9 2.45
1938 2,937 56,925 40,041 16,884 19.4 13.6 5.7 2.47
1939 2,934 56,070 41,717 14,353 19.1 14.2 4.9 2.43
1940 2,958 56,594 41,885 14,709 19.1 14.2 5.0 2.43
1941 2,993 56,780 43,797 12,983 19.0 14.6 4.3 2.42
1942 2,963 66,117 41,640 24,477 22.3 14.1 8.3 2.85
1943 2,946 64,375 43,494 20,881 21.9 14.8 7.1 2.80
1944 2,944 65,425 45,128 20,297 22.2 15.3 6.9 2.84
1945 2,952 66,861 42,762 24,099 22.6 14.5 8.2 2.90
1946 2,957 67,922 41,457 26,465 23.0 14.0 8.9 2.94
1947 2,974 68,978 44,061 24,917 23.2 14.8 8.4 2.98
1948 2,985 65,930 36,357 29,573 22.1 12.2 9.9 2.80
1949 2,981 64,153 38,062 26,091 21.5 12.8 8.8 2.75
1950 2,969 63,565 37,741 25,824 21.4 12.7 8.7 2.74
1951 2,961 62,878 42,382 20,496 21.2 14.3 6.9 2.69
1952 2,953 64,631 35,105 29,526 21.9 11.9 10.0 2.97
1953 2,949 62,558 34,591 27,967 21.2 11.7 9.5 2.95
1954 2,941 62,534 35,535 26,999 21.3 12.1 9.2 3.18
1955 2,921 61,622 36,761 24,861 21.1 12.6 8.5 3.28
1956 2,898 60,740 33,910 26,830 21.0 11.7 9.3 3.41
1957 2,885 61,242 34,311 26,931 21.2 11.9 9.3 3.52
1958 2,853 59,510 34,248 25,262 20.9 12.0 8.9 3.43
1959 2,846 60,188 34,243 25,945 21.1 12.0 9.1 3.63
1960 2,832 60,735 32,660 28,075 21.4 11.5 9.9 3.78
1961 2,818 59,825 34,763 25,062 21.2 12.3 8.9 3.78
1962 2,830 61,782 33,838 27,944 21.8 12.0 9.9 3.92
1963 2,850 63,246 33,795 29,451 22.2 11.9 10.3 4.01
1964 2,864 64,072 32,630 31,442 22.4 11.4 11.0 4.07
1965 2,876 63,525 33,022 30,503 22.1 11.5 10.6 4.04
1966 2,884 62,215 35,113 27,102 21.6 12.2 9.4 3.95
1967 2,900 61,307 31,400 29,907 21.1 10.8 10.3 3.84
1968 2,913 61,004 33,157 27,847 20.9 11.4 9.6 3.77
1969 2,926 62,912 33,734 29,178 21.5 11.5 10.0 3.83
1970 2,950 64,382 33,686 30,696 21.8 11.4 10.4 3.85
1971 2,978 67,551 31,890 35,661 22.7 10.7 12.0 3.97
1972 3,024 68,527 34,381 34,146 22.7 11.4 11.3 3.93
1973 3,073 68,713 34,192 34,521 22.4 11.1 11.2 3.78
1974 3,124 68,907 34,921 33,986 22.1 11.2 10.9 3.64
1975 3,177 67,178 33,173 34,005 21.1 10.4 10.7 3.43
1976 3,228 67,718 34,043 33,675 21.0 10.5 10.4 3.35
1977 3,272 68,892 33,632 35,260 21.1 10.3 10.8 3.31
1978 3,314 70,299 33,794 36,505 21.2 10.2 11.0 3.27
1979 3,368 72,539 33,771 38,768 21.5 10.0 11.5 3.26
1980 3,401 74,064 33,472 40,592 21.8 9.8 11.9 3.25
1981 3,443 72,158 32,929 39,229 21.0 9.6 11.4 3.10
1982 3,480 70,843 32,457 38,386 20.4 9.3 11.0 2.98
1983 3,504 67,117 32,076 35,041 19.2 9.2 10.0 2.76
1984 3,529 64,062 32,154 31,908 18.2 9.1 9.0 2.57
1985 3,540 62,388 33,213 29,175 17.6 9.4 8.2 2.48
1986 3,541 61,620 33,630 27,990 17.4 9.5 7.9 2.44
1987 3,547 58,433 31,413 27,020 16.5 8.9 7.6 2.31
1988 3,531 54,600 31,580 23,020 15.5 8.9 6.5 2.17
1989 3,510 52,018 32,111 19,907 14.8 9.1 5.7 2.08
1990 3,506 52,954 31,370 21,584 15.1 8.9 6.2 2.12
1991 3,526 52,718 31,305 21,413 15.0 8.9 6.1 2.09
1992 3,555 51,089 30,931 20,158 14.4 8.7 5.7 1.99
1993 3,574 49,304 32,148 17,156 13.8 9.0 4.8 1.91
1994 3,586 48,255 30,948 17,307 13.5 8.6 4.8 1.85
1995 3,601 48,530 31,494 17,036 13.5 8.7 4.7 1.86
1996 3,626 50,390 31,514 18,876 13.9 8.7 5.2 1.89
1997 3,664 52,311 31,605 20,706 14.3 8.6 5.7 1.93
1998 3,703 53,551 31,352 22,199 14.5 8.5 6.0 1.95
1999 3,742 53,354 31,683 21,671 14.3 8.5 5.8 1.90
2000 3,790 54,789 31,391 23,398 14.5 8.3 6.2 1.89
2001 3,847 57,854 30,212 27,642 15.0 7.9 7.2 1.96
2002 3,917 60,503 29,683 30,820 15.4 7.6 7.8 1.97
2003 3,980 61,529 29,074 32,455 15.5 7.3 8.2 1.99
2004 4,045 61,972 28,665 33,307 15.3 7.1 8.2 1.96
2005 4,134 61,372 28,260 33,112 14.8 6.8 8.0 1.88
2006 4,233 65,425 28,488 36,937 15.4 6.7 8.7 1.93
2007 4,339 71,389 28,117 43,272 16.3 6.4 9.9 2.04
2008 4,422 75,173 28,274 46,899 16.8 6.3 10.5 2.09
2009 4,459 75,554 28,380 47,174 16.7 6.3 10.4 2.10
2010 4,470 75,174 27,961 47,213 16.5 6.1 10.4 2.07
2011 4,575 74,033 28,456 45,577 16.2 6.2 10.0 2.03
2012 4,594 71,674 29,186 42,488 15.6 6.4 9.2 1.98
2013 4,615 68,954 29,504 39,450 15.0 6.4 8.6 1.93
2014 4,645 67,295 29,252 38,043 14.6 6.4 8.2 1.89
2015 4,688 65,536 30,127 35,409 14.0 6.4 7.6 1.86
2016 4,740 63,897 30,390 33,507 13.7 6.5 7.2 1.83
2017 4,792 62,053 30,484 31,569 12.9 6.4 6.5 1.80

Current natural growth

[12]

  • Births from January–March 2017 = Decrease 16,487
  • Births from January–March 2018 = Decrease 15,659
  • Deaths from January–March 2017 = Negative increase 9,067
  • Deaths from January–March 2018 = Negative increase 9,278
  • Natural growth from January–March 2017 = Decrease 7,420
  • Natural growth from January–March 2018 = Decrease 6,381

Life expectancy

Period Life expectancy in
Years		 Period Life expectancy in
Years
1950–1955 66.9 1985–1990 74.2
1955–1960 69.2 1990–1995 75.3
1960–1965 70.1 1995–2000 76.0
1965–1970 70.8 2000–2005 77.8
1970–1975 71.2 2005–2010 79.7
1975–1980 72.0 2010–2015 80.9
1980–1985 73.2

Source: UN World Population Prospects[13]

Demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the Republic of Ireland's Central Statistics Office (CSO), Eurostat and the CIA World Factbook.

Population

A 2001 Population pyramid showing the Republic of Ireland's age and gender structure.

Figures from the CSO.[14]

4,757,976 (2016 census)

Age structure[15]

0–14 years: 18.0% (male: 333,760; female: 491,973) (2016)
15–64 years: 68.0% (male: 1,543,012; female: 1,574,734) (2016)
65 years and over: 14.0% (male: 296,837; female: 340,730) (2016)
Non-national groups with populations in the Republic of Ireland of 10,000 or more in 2006. Non-European Union nationals are shown exploded.

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008)

Infant mortality rate

total:

3.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2013)

Life expectancy at birth

Foreign residents of the Republic of Ireland by country of birth, 2006.
total population: 80.19 years (2011)
female: 82.55 years (2011)
male: 77.96 years (2011)

Total fertility rate

1.9 children born/woman (2016)[16]

HIV/AIDS

– adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2001 est.) - people living with HIV/AIDS: 6,900 (2008 est.)

Nationality

noun: Irishman (men), Irishwoman (women), Irish (collective plural)
adjective: Irish

Nationalities in the Republic of Ireland

Irish (including dual-Irish/other): 86.9%, UK: 2.5%, Other EU 27: 6.1%, Other Europe: 0.7%, Asia: 1.5%, Africa: 0.9%, USA: 0.2%, Other countries: 0.5%, Multiple nationality: 0.1%, Not stated: 1.2% (2011)

Below are the 14 largest immigrant groups in the Republic of Ireland according to the 2016 census.[17]

Country of Birth Immigrants in the Republic of Ireland (2016 Census)
 Poland 122,515
 United Kingdom 103,115
 Lithuania 36,552
 Romania 29,186
 Latvia 19,933
 Brazil 13,640
 Spain 12,112
 Italy 11,732
 France 11,661
 Germany 11,531
 India 11,465
 United States 10,519
 Slovakia 9,717
 China 9,575

Ethnic groups

Irish, with Norse (Scandinavian), Norman, English, French, Scottish, and Welsh, Ulster-Scots and various immigrant populations – the largest immigrant groups, with over 10,000 people, are the British, Croats, Poles, Americans, Lithuanians, Latvians, Germans, Nigerians, Indians, Pakistanis and Chinese.[18]

Ethnic backgrounds: White Irish: 82.2%, White Irish Traveller: 0.7%, Other White: 9.5% (total White: 92.4%), Asian: 2.1%, Black: 1.3%, Other: 1.5%, Not Stated: 2.6% (2016)[19]

Religions

The Republic of Ireland is a predominantly Christian country. The majority are Roman Catholic, although parts of County Donegal in Ulster, especially East Donegal and Inishowen, have a significant Protestant minority. However, the number of people who declare themselves Catholic has been declining in recent years and the number of people who are practising Catholics is smaller than the declared number. As of the 2016 census, 78.3% were Catholic, a drop of 5.8% since 2011. Conversely, irreligion has almost doubled since 2011 with 9.8% declaring 'No Religion' in 2016, overtaking Protestantism as the second largest group in the state. The various Protestant and other Christian faiths represent 5.6%, Islam 1.3%, other religions 2.4% and 2.6% gave no answer.

Geographic Population Distribution

Urban population (areas with >1,500 people): 62.0% (2011)
Rural population: 38.0% (2011)

Languages

English is the most commonly used language, with 94%[20] of the population calling it their mother tongue. Irish is the first official language of the state, with 11%[20] calling it their mother tongue. Irish is the main language of the Gaeltacht regions, where 96,628 people live. Shelta and Ulster Scots are also spoken by small communities, with Ulster Scots being widely spoken in more rural areas of East Donegal and Inishowen. The main sign language used is Irish Sign Language.

Languages in the Republic of Ireland
Language Percent
Irish
 
 11%
English
 
 94%
Irish and English (bilingual)
 
 1%
others
 
 3%

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over who can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)

See also

Groups:

References

  1. ↑ "Census 2016 Preliminary Report - CSO - Central Statistics Office". www.cso.ie.
  2. ↑ Census.ie - Population of Ireland 1841 - 2006 Archived 27 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ RTÉ News - Irish population to hit 6.7m by 2060
  4. ↑ Irish Examiner - Baby boom as Irish births reach highest level since 1982 Archived 8 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 2011-11-17.
  6. ↑ Barry, Aoife. "Ireland has highest birth rate in the EU".
  7. ↑ "Population and migration estimates april 2017".
  8. ↑ "Travellers formally recognised as an ethnic minority".
  9. ↑ Irish Independent - Baby boom puts us on top of birth rate league
  10. ↑ "Blood of the Irish: What DNA Tells Us About the Ancestry of People in Ireland".
  11. ↑ "Number of Births, Deaths and Marriages". Central Statistics Office. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  12. ↑ "Births, Deaths and Marriages". Central Statistics Office. Central Statistics Office of the Republic of Ireland. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  13. ↑ "World Population Prospects – Population Division – United Nations". Retrieved 2017-07-15.
  14. ↑ "Population and Migration Estimates" (PDF). Dublin: Central Statistics Office. 27 September 2012. p. 7. ISSN 1393-5593. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  15. ↑ "E3001: Enumerated Population 1926 to 2016 by Age Group, Sex and Census Year". Central Statistics Office. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  16. ↑ Central Statistics Office Ireland - Report on Vital Statistics 2016
  17. ↑ "Census 2016 Summary Results - Part 1" (PDF). Central Statistics Office. 2016.
  18. ↑ CSO Ireland - Persons usually resident and present in the State on Census Night (2006), classified by place of birth and age group Archived 12 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine..
  19. ↑ "Ethnicity and Irish Travelers" (PDF). 2016.
  20. 1 2 Eurobarometer - Europeans and their languages

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