Table E presents the results on housing and shows that total housing stock increased by 18,981 between 2011 and 2016 (from 2,003,914 to 2,022,895). Users should note that the figures on total housing stock contain a small element of both temporary dwellings and communal establishments3 and so will differ from the definitive figures for permanent housing units which will be published early next year.
The results show that the number of occupied households increased by just over 49,000, while the number of vacant dwellings (excl. holiday homes) fell by 31,698. The number of holiday homes increased marginally by 1,809.
As the number of households increased by just 3 per cent while the population increased by 3.7 per cent over the five years, household formation has fallen behind population growth over the five years 2011 to 2016.
| Table E - Housing Stock 2011-2016 | ||||
| State totals | 2011 | 2016 | Actual change | % change |
| Housing stock | 2,003,914 | 2,022,895 | 18,981 | 0.9 |
| Occupied households | 1,669,180 | 1,718,465 | 49,285 | 3 |
| Temporarily absent | 45,283 | 44,868 | -415 | -0.9 |
| Vacant holiday homes | 59,395 | 61,204 | 1,809 | 3 |
| Other vacant dwellings | 230,056 | 198,358 | -31,698 | -13.8 |
The percentage change in both population and households by county is presented in Figure 7. While the population of Fingal increased by 8.1 per cent, the number of households grew by only 4.4 per cent. At the other end of the scale, Donegal lost population (-1.5%) yet experienced a small increase in the number of households (0.8%).
| % change households | % change population | |
| Donegal | 0.8 | -1.5 |
| Mayo | 1.8 | -0.2 |
| Sligo | 1.2 | -0.1 |
| Leitrim | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| Roscommon | 1.4 | 0.6 |
| South Tipperary | 2.1 | 0.7 |
| Clare | 1.9 | 1.2 |
| Monaghan | 2.4 | 1.3 |
| Kerry | 2.9 | 1.4 |
| Waterford County | 2.4 | 1.4 |
| North Tipperary | 1.7 | 1.5 |
| Limerick County | 2 | 1.6 |
| Offaly | 2.2 | 1.7 |
| Limerick City | 1.9 | 2.1 |
| Galway County | 3.1 | 2.2 |
| Westmeath | 3.3 | 2.6 |
| Wexford | 3 | 2.9 |
| Waterford City | 4.1 | 3.5 |
| Kilkenny | 3.3 | 3.9 |
| Cavan | 4.1 | 4 |
| Carlow | 5.7 | 4.1 |
| Wicklow | 3 | 4.2 |
| Cork County | 3.9 | 4.2 |
| Louth | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| Longford | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Dublin City | 1.4 | 4.8 |
| South Dublin | 3.6 | 5.1 |
| Laois | 4.4 | 5.2 |
| Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown | 3.1 | 5.3 |
| Galway City | 6 | 5.3 |
| Cork City | 4.9 | 5.4 |
| Kildare | 4 | 5.6 |
| Meath | 3.3 | 5.9 |
| Fingal | 4.4 | 8.1 |
The census provided information on the number of vacant dwellings for the first time in 2006 and the results showed there were 266,322 vacant dwellings (incl. holiday homes) in Ireland at that time, with a vacancy rate of 15 per cent. By 2011 the number of vacant dwellings had increased by 23,129 to 289,451 while the overall vacancy rate (14.4%) had fallen.
The 2016 census results show that the number of vacant dwellings has fallen by 29,889 (-13.8%) and now stands at 259,562. The vacancy rate has also fallen to 12.8 per cent. Within this the number of holiday homes has increased marginally between 2011 and 2016, from 59,395 to 61,204.
Back in 2011 the number and rate of vacant dwellings varied widely across the country - from a high of 30.5 per cent in Leitrim to a low of just 5.4 per cent in South Dublin.
The map below shows how the number of vacant dwellings has changed in percentage terms since 2011, by county. The darker areas represent the largest falls.
Carlow experienced the largest fall in the number of vacant dwellings from 3,202 in 2011 to 2,417 in 2016, a drop of 26.9 per cent, while in Leitrim, the county with the highest rate back in 2011, the number fell by just 3.7 per cent. Donegal, which had a rate of 28.4 per cent back in 2011, has seen the number of vacant dwellings fall by just 97 units, a fall of less than 1 per cent, bringing the 2016 rate to 28.2 per cent.
Vacancy rates by county are presented in Figure 8 below. Leitrim remains the county with the highest rate, followed by Donegal.
| Vacancy Rate | |
| South Dublin | 4 |
| Fingal | 5.5 |
| Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown | 5.9 |
| Kildare | 6.3 |
| Meath | 7.5 |
| Cork City | 8.1 |
| Wicklow | 8.5 |
| Dublin City | 9 |
| Kilkenny | 9.4 |
| Louth | 9.7 |
| Offaly | 9.7 |
| Limerick City | 9.8 |
| Laois | 10 |
| Carlow | 10.2 |
| Galway City | 10.5 |
| Limerick County | 11.1 |
| Westmeath | 11.6 |
| South Tipperary | 11.9 |
| Waterford City | 12.2 |
| Ireland | 12.8 |
| Monaghan | 12.9 |
| Cork County | 13.6 |
| North Tipperary | 13.8 |
| Waterford County | 16.4 |
| Longford | 17.5 |
| Galway County | 17.7 |
| Cavan | 18.2 |
| Wexford | 19.1 |
| Clare | 19.9 |
| Sligo | 20.8 |
| Roscommon | 21.6 |
| Mayo | 24 |
| Kerry | 24.2 |
| Donegal | 28.2 |
| Leitrim | 29.5 |
Interactive table: StatBank Link EP007
3 Communal establishments and mobile or temporary structures are included in the preliminary housing stock figures. For comparability purposes we have included communal establishments and mobile or temporary structures in the 2011 housing figures in this report. In 2011 there were 4,035 occupied communal establishments and there were 5,034 occupied mobile or temporary structures.
Map 5 below presents housing data by Electoral Division giving total stock, total holiday homes and total other vacant dwellings. Users can navigate the map using the zoom button, search for Electoral Divisions and counties using the search box or click any point on the map to see statistics for that area. Additionally, users can generate statistics for a combination of areas using the query tool and explore and download the underlying data. The print icon enables printing of user defined areas. Use the “View larger map” link to open in a new window.
All Electoral Divisions table: CSV Download EP009
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