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Introduction

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In April 2016, there were 535,475 non-Irish nationals usually resident in Ireland, a less than 2 per cent decrease compared with the 2011 figure (544,357 non-Irish nationals). The top 10 nationalities accounted for almost 70 per cent of all non-Irish nationals. This report highlights some of the main facts about these nationalities. The top ten non-Irish nationalities by number were:

Polish - 122,515 persons

UK - 103,113 persons

Lithuanian - 36,552 persons

Romanian - 29,186 persons

Latvian - 19,933 persons

Brazilian - 13,640 persons

Spanish - 12,112 persons

Italian - 11,732 persons

French - 11,661 persons

German - 11,531 persons. 

There were four new additions to the top 10 non-Irish nationalities list in 2016 from 2011, namely Brazilian, Spanish, Italian, and French nationals. While German nationals remained in the top 10 list, they dropped one position to tenth since 2011. 

While most populations increased between 2011 and 2016, the number of UK, Polish, Lithuanian, and Latvian nationals fell. The largest increases between 2011 and 2016 were seen in the Spanish, Romanian and Brazilian populations. 

Of the ten nationalities profiled, six populations increased in size – four of which increased by over 50 per cent, and four populations declined – two only very slightly, between April 2011 and 2016. The Spanish population increased by 78 per cent between 2011 and 2016, the greatest percentage increase of all nationalities profiled.

Nationalities2011: 20162006: 2011
Spanish78.274948483956412.2604097818903
Romanian68.666204345816124.844074844075
Brazilian56.709558823529498.359161349134
Italian53.23928944618623.6833602584814
French19.61226792491547.77139066990935
State3.608.50
German1.999115435647959.87462338419671
Polish-0.057103234490352293.7306403691763
Lithuanian-0.35711364937437448.9483514698717
Latvian-3.2049725634924554.6137097379683
UK-8.14723095698341-0.256779329708212

Place of Residence

Rural towns and areasTowns population 1,500 - 9,999 personsTowns population 10,000 persons and overCities and their suburbs
Brazilian694187612529818
Italian90788115398405
Spanish111793717178341
French177689814247563
Romanian15463568571518357
German409199214305018
Polish13717294473543543916
State17619665928767665881568491
Lithuanian476095071135110934
Latvian2558499569435437
UK51785134441510622778
Rural AreasTowns 1,500-9,999Towns over 10,000Cities
Brazilian694187612529818
Italian90788115398405
Spanish111793717178341
French177689814247563
Romanian15463568571518357
German409199214305018
Polish13717294473543543916
State17619665928767665881568491
Lithuanian476095071135110934
Latvian2558499569435437
UK51785134441510622778

The Brazilian and Italian populations had the highest proportions living in cities of all nationalities profiled (72% each), while half the UK population lived in rural towns and areas.

Age Profile

65 years and over45 to 64 years old30 to 44 years oldUnder 30 years old
UK18659396902376520999
German1142323738893263
Italian310165757853980
Polish609132066601842682
Lithuanian29158981595914404
State210116368811541685328
Latvian224336881728169
Spanish130123856495095
French235181446284984
Romanian22035761207813312
Brazilian4168154287490

The Brazilian population usually resident in Ireland had the youngest average age of all nationalities profiled, 29.9 years old.

The German (40.5 years) and UK (46.7 years) populations living in Ireland were the only two nationalities with an older average age than the usually resident population of the State (37.3 years). 

Table 1.1 Average Age of Population Usually Resident and Present in the State by Nationality and Census Year
Nationalities200620112016
Brazilian28.828.829.9
Romanian28.829.630.5
Polish2827.731.3
Latvian28.929.131.7
Lithuanian28.228.731.8
Spanish30.132.132.1
French30.432.233.4
Italian33.234.534.5
State35.536.137.3
German36.237.540.5
UK39.242.646.7

Labour Force Participation

The labour force participation rate is a measure of economic activity. Nine of the nationalities profiled had a higher labour force participation rate than the State population (61%). Only UK nationals living in Ireland had a lower labour force participation rate in both 2011 and 2016. This was largely due to the relatively high proportion of UK nationals retired in both 2011 and 2016 (15% and 19% respectively). The relatively low participation rate among Brazilian nationals reflects the high proportion of the population who were students (28% in 2011 and 32% in 2016).

NationalitiesLabour force participation rate 2016Labour force participation rate 2011
Italian86.14884.06
Polish84.687.99
Spanish83.4181.2
Romanian83.0278.93
Lithuanian82.8885.91
French81.0580.46
Latvian80.8884.43
German70.7971.13
Brazilian62.12364.02
State61.4261.94
UK59.7261.31

Programming and software development occupations were prevalent among Spanish, Italian, French and German nationals in 2016. 6 per cent of Spanish, 5 per cent of Italian and 3 per cent of French and German nationals who were at work were in these occupations. Combined, these persons (1,414 persons) accounted for 7 per cent of all programmers and software developers in the State population (19,563 persons).

Table 1.2 Population Usually Resident Aged 15 Years and Over by Nationality and Proportion of Programmers and Software Developers, 2016
NationalityTotal at WorkProgrammers and software development professionals
Spanish8,3316%
Italian8,5455%
French8,1363%
German6,9743%
State1,970,7281%

Education

Postgraduate degreeThird level degree/professional qualification or bothUpper secondary, technical, vocationalLower secondary, primary, no formal education, not stated
Latvian222267556602624
Lithuanian565618292374253
Romanian1036458357015445
Polish8736197143449411387
State3032258857368364561021610
UK8494296292447024013
Brazilian771299814471549
Italian2285308715801199
German1974391412691259
Spanish20463951980792
French28543462944821

90 per cent of UK nationals aged 15 years and over had ceased full-time education at the time of the Census in 2016 (86,606 persons). This was the greatest proportion of all nationalities profiled to have ceased education, and was also greater than the State proportion (83%). Conversely, only 52 per cent of the Brazilian population living in Ireland had ceased education (6,765 persons). More than one third of French nationals aged 15 years and over who had ceased full-time education had attained a postgraduate degree (2,854 persons) by April 2016, the greatest proportion of any of the nationalities profiled and significantly higher than the State population (10%).

Language Ability

NationalitiesVery wellWellNot well, not at all, or not stated
German701614
French622414
Italian543214
Spanish543214
Polish393922
Latvian383824
Lithuanian373725
Brazilian353926
Romanian344026

70 per cent of German nationals aged 4 years and over indicated they spoke English very well in 2016, the highest proportion of the 9 non-native English speaking nationalities profiled.

Marital Status

WidowedSeparated (inc. Divorced)Married (inc. same-sex civil partnerships) Single
Spanish5733131417469
Brazilian4050942738265
Italian10847134816776
French8247535126686
German34284843345156
Latvian379245162587303
State19336021761817628371513770
Polish94281345334340324
Lithuanian67539011407312021
Romanian2811493135779414
UK4972106155143229702

The Latvian, Lithuanian, and UK populations usually resident in Ireland in 2016 had a high proportion of persons who were divorced or separated (15%, 13%, and 11% respectively) compared with the State (6%). Approximately two thirds of French, Italian, Brazilian, and Spanish nationals were single in April 2016, more than 20 percentage points above the State (41%). This reflected the young age profiles of these populations.

Proportion with an Irish partner
UK41.0800136475016
French26.4528126452813
German26.1985018726592
Spanish18.0396435715585
Italian15.7715023994094
Brazilian10.7434859020402
Latvian6.75980721127448
Polish4.49081689263502
Lithuanian4.40821649820672
Romanian4.17524732485362

The UK population in Ireland had the highest proportion of persons whose partner was an Irish national in 2016 (41%, 39,733 UK nationals). French and German nationals were second most likely to have an Irish national as a partner (26% each, 2,845 French nationals and 2,798 German nationals). Only 4 per cent of Polish, Lithuanian, and Romanian nationals' partners were Irish.

Housing

NationalitiesOwn RentOther, not stated
State67.627.74.7
UK62.3343.8
German37.157.35.6
French2766.86.2
Italian24.269.96
Spanish16.474.29.3
Lithuanian14.780.54.8
Polish11.383.65.1
Romanian8.484.17.5
Brazilian3.98511.1
Latvian8.685.85.6

For nine of the ten non-Irish nationalities in this report, renting was more common than home ownership. Only among UK nationals were there more home owners than renters.

General Health

Among the nationalities profiled the Spanish had the highest proportion that reported very good health. (66%)

NationalitiesVery goodGood, fairBad, very bad, not stated
Spanish66.066710700132128.5254293262885.40785997357992
Brazilian64.501466275659830.68181818181824.81671554252199
French62.773347054283531.85833118943495.36832175628162
Italian60.228435049437435.45005114217524.32151380838732
State59.418378262661635.72266995542144.85895178191701
German52.007631601769139.8144133206148.17795507761686
Polish50.214259478431245.12427049749014.66147002407868
UK47.820352428888747.10754221097245.07210536013888
Romanian45.436168025765847.90310422805466.66072774617968
Lithuanian44.076931494856651.25574523965864.66732326548479
Latvian35.057442432147759.88060001003365.06195755781869