This chapter contains a representative selection of tables on the population of the State. The figures are taken from Censuses of Population carried out since 1841. The tables selected give an insight into the historical evolution of the population, the factors affecting population change, the distribution of the population by geographic area and by the main demographic characteristics, i.e. age, sex and marital status. The importance of migration in Irish population dynamics is underscored by the selection of tables dealing with usually resident population by place of birth and nationality. Detailed figures for intercensal years are taken from the annual series of population and migration estimates.
The first major census, using a household form, was the so-called Great Census of 1841. Censuses were subsequently taken at ten-year intervals up to 1911. The first census following the formation of the State was undertaken in 1926. This was followed by censuses in 1936 and 1946. Commencing with 1951, censuses have been taken every five years. The census planned for 1976 was cancelled at a late stage as a Government economy measure. However, the need for up-to-date population figures resulted in a census being specially undertaken in 1979 with a restricted number of questions. This was followed by a full census in 1981 and a resumption of the five-year interval for census taking. This five-year periodicity was broken in 2001 when the census planned for that year was postponed until April 2002 due to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. The most recent census was taken on the 24th of April 2016.
| Leinster | Munster | Connacht | Ulster (part of) | |
| 1841 | 1973731 | 2396161 | 1418859 | 740048 |
| 1851 | 1672738 | 1857736 | 1010031 | 571052 |
| 1861 | 1457635 | 1513558 | 913135 | 517783 |
| 1871 | 1339451 | 1393485 | 846213 | 474038 |
| 1881 | 1278989 | 1331115 | 821657 | 438259 |
| 1891 | 1187760 | 1172402 | 724774 | 383758 |
| 1901 | 1152829 | 1076188 | 646932 | 345874 |
| 1911 | 1162044 | 1035495 | 610984 | 331165 |
| 1926 | 1149092 | 969902 | 552907 | 300091 |
| 1936 | 1220411 | 942272 | 525468 | 280269 |
| 1946 | 1281117 | 917306 | 492797 | 263887 |
| 1951 | 1336576 | 898870 | 471895 | 253252 |
| 1956 | 1338942 | 877238 | 446221 | 235863 |
| 1961 | 1332149 | 849203 | 419465 | 217524 |
| 1966 | 1414415 | 859334 | 401950 | 208303 |
| 1971 | 1498140 | 882002 | 390902 | 207204 |
| 1979 | 1743861 | 979819 | 418500 | 226037 |
| 1981 | 1790521 | 998315 | 424410 | 230159 |
| 1986 | 1852649 | 1020577 | 431409 | 236008 |
| 1991 | 1860949 | 1009533 | 423031 | 232206 |
| 1996 | 1924702 | 1033903 | 433231 | 234251 |
| 2002 | 2105579 | 1100614 | 464296 | 246714 |
| 2006 | 2295123 | 1173340 | 504121 | 267264 |
| 2011 | 2504814 | 1246088 | 542547 | 294803 |
| 2016 | 2630720 | 1280394 | 550742 | 296120 |
Interactive table: StatBank link
The population of the area comprising the Republic of Ireland was over 6.5 million as measured by the 1841 Census of Population. The deaths which resulted from the famine of 1845/49 and the large scale emigration which followed in its wake and which continued throughout the second half of the 19th century culminated in a halving of the population by 1901. Further population declines followed between 1901 and 1926, albeit at a lower level than previously.
The population stabilised at around 2.9 million for over a quarter of a century before reaching its low point of 2.8 million as determined by the 1961 Census. Apart from the decline experienced in the late 1980's the direction of population change has since been positive.
With 36.7%, Munster had the largest population share in 1841, followed by Leinster with 30.2%. Leinster's share gradually began to increase and surpassed that of Munster by 1891. Its share continued to increase further and by 1971 it accounted for over half of the population of the State and currently stands at 55.29%. Munster's share of the total population has declined from 36.70% in 1841 to 26.91% in 2016. The decline in the share of Connacht and Ulster (part of) has been even more acute, the 2016 levels being 11.58% and 6.22% respectively according to the 2016 Census preliminary results.
| 2.2 Average annual births, deaths, natural increase and estimated net migration for each intercensal period | |||||
| Thousands | |||||
| Period | Births | Deaths | Natural increase | Change in population | Estimated net migration |
| 1926-1936 | 58 | 42 | 16 | 0 | -17 |
| 1936-1946 | 60 | 43 | 17 | -1 | -19 |
| 1946-1951 | 66 | 40 | 26 | 1 | -24 |
| 1951-1956 | 63 | 36 | 27 | -12 | -39 |
| 1956-1961 | 61 | 34 | 26 | -16 | -42 |
| 1961-1966 | 63 | 33 | 29 | 13 | -16 |
| 1966-1971 | 63 | 33 | 30 | 19 | -11 |
| 1971-1979 | 69 | 33 | 35 | 49 | 14 |
| 1979-1981 | 73 | 33 | 40 | 38 | -3 |
| 1981-1986 | 67 | 33 | 34 | 19 | -14 |
| 1986-1991 | 56 | 32 | 24 | -3 | -27 |
| 1991-1996 | 50 | 31 | 18 | 20 | 2 |
| 1996-2002 | 54 | 31 | 23 | 49 | 26 |
| 2002-2006 | 61 | 28 | 33 | 81 | 48 |
| 2006-2011 | 73 | 28 | 45 | 70 | 25 |
| 2011-2016 | 69 | 30 | 40 | 34 | -6 |
| Source: CSO | |||||
Interactive table: StatBank link
The census figures relate to the number of persons present in the State on Census Night. The change in population between successive censuses reflects the effect of births and deaths and the movement of persons into and out of the State during the relevant period. As the number of births and deaths is known from the vital statistics registration system, it is possible to determine net migration (the difference between inward and outward migration) as a residual figure. Because of differing lengths, it is best to express the figure for intercensal periods as annual averages.
In the period from 1926 to 1951, gains due to natural increase were counterbalanced by losses due to net emigration, resulting in little change to the overall population totals. The heavy losses due to high net emigration during the 1950's resulted in an average annual fall in population of around 14,000 during that decade and culminated in the population low point of 2.8 million in 1961. The population has increased in every intercensal year since then, apart from 1986-1991 when a fairly modest decline was experienced. Population growth peaked at 81,000 per annum during the 2002-2006 period. The most recent intercensal period (2011-2016) shows the natural increase at 39,000 persons per annum, with 69,000 births and 30,000 deaths.
| 2.3 Estimated annual population classified by age group | ||||||||
| Thousands | ||||||||
| Age Group | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
| 0-4 Years | 335.2 | 347.0 | 356.0 | 364.6 | 365.7 | 362.6 | 360.9 | 355.6 |
| 5-9 Years | 310.7 | 314.6 | 319.6 | 324.8 | 333.1 | 341.9 | 352.4 | 363.2 |
| 10-14 Years | 290.5 | 296.1 | 301.0 | 305.4 | 308.9 | 311.4 | 316.1 | 320.5 |
| 15-19 Years | 294.3 | 289.4 | 281.0 | 275.7 | 274.5 | 279.1 | 283.2 | 288.1 |
| 20-24 Years | 354.4 | 326.3 | 298.6 | 277.7 | 258.8 | 244.3 | 233.5 | 226.8 |
| 25-29 Years | 400.6 | 381.6 | 362.9 | 341.2 | 320.0 | 305.0 | 290.4 | 282.4 |
| 30-34 Years | 374.5 | 381.2 | 393.4 | 392.3 | 387.5 | 378.1 | 363.9 | 351.2 |
| 35-39 Years | 356.3 | 359.7 | 363.1 | 364.3 | 363.8 | 366.6 | 371.5 | 378.7 |
| 40-44 Years | 316.7 | 321.8 | 329.3 | 335.7 | 342.8 | 348.1 | 351.8 | 354.5 |
| 45-49 Years | 295.6 | 300.9 | 304.1 | 308.1 | 312.1 | 314.9 | 319.5 | 326.3 |
| 50-54 Years | 262.3 | 267.4 | 273.7 | 278.2 | 283.1 | 289.6 | 295.8 | 299.6 |
| 55-59 Years | 235.7 | 239.6 | 243.4 | 248.0 | 251.1 | 255.3 | 259.9 | 266.7 |
| 60-64 Years | 207.7 | 214.0 | 217.1 | 220.0 | 223.6 | 226.4 | 230.7 | 234.6 |
| 65-69 Years | 156.6 | 163.5 | 172.1 | 181.5 | 189.4 | 196.3 | 202.6 | 206.6 |
| 70-74 Years | 124.6 | 127.9 | 130.1 | 132.7 | 138.2 | 143.3 | 149.4 | 158.6 |
| 75-79 Years | 96.8 | 99.1 | 101.4 | 103.6 | 105.8 | 108.3 | 111.1 | 113.1 |
| 80-84 Years | 66.9 | 68.4 | 69.8 | 71.0 | 72.6 | 74.9 | 76.9 | 78.8 |
| 85 Years and over | 54.0 | 56.1 | 58.2 | 60.5 | 62.1 | 63.8 | 66.0 | 68.4 |
| Total | 4,533.4 | 4,554.8 | 4,574.9 | 4,585.4 | 4,593.1 | 4,609.6 | 4,635.4 | 4,673.7 |
| Source: CSO | ||||||||
Interative table: StatBank link
The estimated average age of the population continued to increase and stood at 37.3 in April 2016 compared with 35.9 in 2010, a gain of 1.4 years. Since 1996, when it was 34.1, the average age has increased by more than 3 years.
The population is increasing across most age groups with the main exception being persons aged 20-34 years. This decrease is due to the decline in births in the late 1980's and early 1990's combined with the effects of emigration.
People are living longer as can be seen in the changes in the estimated population aged over 65 in 2016, which shows an increase of 21.4% since 2010.
| Males | Females | |
| 85+ | -23700 | 44700 |
| 80 - 84 | -34100 | 44700 |
| 75 - 79 | -53000 | 60100 |
| 70 - 74 | -77600 | 81000 |
| 65 - 69 | -102300 | 104300 |
| 60 - 64 | -115900 | 118700 |
| 55 - 59 | -132200 | 134500 |
| 50 - 54 | -148100 | 151600 |
| 45 - 49 | -163200 | 163100 |
| 40 - 44 | -175700 | 178800 |
| 35 - 39 | -184600 | 194100 |
| 30 - 34 | -166500 | 184600 |
| 25 - 29 | -139300 | 143200 |
| 20 - 24 | -117200 | 109600 |
| 15 - 19 | -148000 | 140100 |
| 10 - 14 | -163400 | 157100 |
| 5 - 9 | -183800 | 179400 |
| 0 - 4 | -181900 | 173700 |
Overall it is estimated that there were 52,800 more females than males in the State in April 2016 resulting in an overall sex ratio of 97.8 males for every 100 females.
The population estimates for the years 2012 to 2016 are subject to revision once the definitive results of Census 2016 become available.
| 2.4 Persons usually resident in the State on census night, by place of birth and age group, 2011 | ||||||
| All ages | 0 - 14 years | 15 - 24 years | 25 - 44 years | 45 - 64 years | 65 years and over | |
| Ireland | 3,758,511 | 880,170 | 461,096 | 1,048,018 | 876,839 | 492,388 |
| Ireland - county of usual residence | 2,825,408 | 731,189 | 367,727 | 736,424 | 632,325 | 357,743 |
| Ireland - county other than county of usual residence | 933,103 | 148,981 | 93,369 | 311,594 | 244,514 | 134,645 |
| All countries excluding Ireland | 766,770 | 93,822 | 104,375 | 381,957 | 150,293 | 36,323 |
| EU | 555,594 | 61,775 | 71,901 | 270,629 | 119,875 | 31,414 |
| Northern Ireland | 58,470 | 7,808 | 4,840 | 19,972 | 17,235 | 8,615 |
| England and Wales | 212,286 | 22,045 | 30,250 | 74,531 | 68,116 | 17,344 |
| Scotland | 17,871 | 1,250 | 1,383 | 6,667 | 6,230 | 2,341 |
| Austria | 708 | 91 | 96 | 343 | 126 | 52 |
| Belgium | 1,479 | 257 | 237 | 621 | 274 | 90 |
| Bulgaria | 1,783 | 131 | 211 | 1,136 | 291 | 14 |
| Cyprus | 260 | 37 | 30 | 94 | 82 | 17 |
| Czech Republic | 5,494 | 470 | 724 | 3,711 | 532 | 57 |
| Denmark | 885 | 81 | 148 | 442 | 158 | 56 |
| Estonia | 2,479 | 224 | 377 | 1,563 | 303 | 12 |
| Finland | 873 | 60 | 113 | 553 | 126 | 21 |
| France | 10,070 | 871 | 1,886 | 6,009 | 1,131 | 173 |
| Germany | 12,980 | 1,247 | 1,765 | 6,070 | 2,881 | 1,017 |
| Greece | 575 | 49 | 82 | 353 | 76 | 15 |
| Hungary | 7,413 | 705 | 741 | 5,338 | 577 | 52 |
| Italy | 7,146 | 499 | 594 | 4,849 | 920 | 284 |
| Latvia | 19,989 | 2,643 | 3,450 | 11,130 | 2,669 | 97 |
| Lithuania | 34,847 | 4,611 | 5,658 | 20,381 | 4,075 | 122 |
| Luxembourg | 141 | 46 | 49 | 35 | 8 | 3 |
| Malta | 336 | 34 | 23 | 122 | 123 | 34 |
| Netherlands | 4,499 | 565 | 606 | 1,667 | 1,255 | 406 |
| Poland | 115,193 | 14,172 | 12,416 | 79,125 | 9,218 | 262 |
| Portugal | 2,246 | 307 | 227 | 1,416 | 264 | 32 |
| Romania | 17,995 | 1,755 | 3,379 | 11,191 | 1,580 | 90 |
| Slovakia | 10,695 | 869 | 1,457 | 7,450 | 884 | 35 |
| Slovenia | 190 | 13 | 22 | 123 | 28 | 4 |
| Spain | 7,003 | 800 | 801 | 4,794 | 492 | 116 |
| Sweden | 1,688 | 135 | 336 | 943 | 221 | 53 |
| Other Europe | 22,427 | 3,295 | 2,680 | 12,568 | 3,511 | 373 |
| Russian Federation | 5,936 | 1,640 | 580 | 2,608 | 1,042 | 66 |
| Ukraine | 4,123 | 401 | 399 | 2,664 | 634 | 25 |
| Moldova, Republic of | 3,421 | 320 | 486 | 2,221 | 387 | 7 |
| Other Europe | 8,947 | 934 | 1,215 | 5,075 | 1,448 | 275 |
| Africa | 54,419 | 7,202 | 8,250 | 30,409 | 7,801 | 757 |
| South Africa | 8,116 | 970 | 1,327 | 3,974 | 1,518 | 327 |
| Nigeria | 19,780 | 3,248 | 2,712 | 11,295 | 2,468 | 57 |
| Mauritius | 2,919 | 172 | 598 | 1,908 | 218 | 23 |
| Zimbabwe | 2,790 | 350 | 435 | 1,412 | 525 | 68 |
| Congo | 2,276 | 304 | 494 | 1,177 | 283 | 18 |
| Other Africa | 18,538 | 2,158 | 2,684 | 10,643 | 2,789 | 264 |
| Asia | 79,021 | 11,172 | 10,843 | 46,144 | 9,721 | 1,141 |
| China | 11,458 | 604 | 2,304 | 7,763 | 694 | 93 |
| India | 17,856 | 2,969 | 1,096 | 11,918 | 1,500 | 373 |
| Philippines | 13,833 | 2,219 | 1,251 | 7,790 | 2,517 | 56 |
| Pakistan | 8,329 | 1,026 | 1,135 | 5,003 | 1,094 | 71 |
| Malaysia | 3,782 | 242 | 837 | 2,094 | 539 | 70 |
| Bangladesh | 2,920 | 254 | 351 | 2,109 | 198 | 8 |
| Hong Kong | 1,705 | 81 | 251 | 565 | 741 | 67 |
| Other Asian countries | 19,138 | 3,777 | 3,618 | 8,902 | 2,438 | 403 |
| America | 47,116 | 8,848 | 9,235 | 18,449 | 8,186 | 2,398 |
| United States | 27,726 | 6,969 | 5,397 | 7,518 | 5,827 | 2,015 |
| Brazil | 9,298 | 690 | 2,232 | 5,781 | 559 | 36 |
| Canada | 4,809 | 417 | 888 | 2,311 | 1,010 | 183 |
| Other America | 5,283 | 772 | 718 | 2,839 | 790 | 164 |
| Australia | 5,964 | 1,215 | 1,265 | 2,544 | 777 | 163 |
| New Zealand | 2,052 | 299 | 176 | 1,105 | 398 | 74 |
| Other Oceanic countries | 177 | 16 | 25 | 109 | 24 | 3 |
| All countries | 4,525,281 | 973,992 | 565,471 | 1,429,975 | 1,027,132 | 528,711 |
| Source: CSO | ||||||
Interactive table: StatBank link
According to the 2011 Census, 83% of persons usually resident in the State were born there. Of these just over three out of four live in the county in which they were born. Just 58,470 Northern Ireland-born persons were usual residents of the State in 2011.
The groups that showed the largest increase were those already well established in Ireland. The fastest growing groups were Romanians (up 110%), Indians (up 91%), Polish (up 83%), Latvians (up 43%) and Lithuanians (up 40%).
Interactive table: StatBank link
Between 2006 and 2011 the number of non-Irish nationals increased by 124,624 persons, or 29.7%, from 419,733 to 544,357.
A small number of groups accounted for the majority of the increase. Polish nationals increased by 93.7% from 63,276 to 122,585, accounting for almost half of the total increase among this group, and overtaking UK nationals as the largest non-Irish group living in Ireland.
Other groups that showed large increases were Latvians (up 7,274, 54.6%), Lithuanians (up 12,055, 48.9%), Romanians (up 9,608, 124.8%), Brazilians (up 4,316, 98.4%) and Indians (up 8,526, 100.8%).
In the twelve months leading up to Census Night in 2011, 53,267 persons immigrated into the State. Of these, 36.8% were Irish born. In terms of non-nationals, 4,549 UK and 3,825 Polish were the leading immigrant groups.
| 2.6 Occupied and vacant permanent housing units by area, classified by occupancy status on Census Night, 2016 | |||||||
| Total Housing Stock | Vacant holiday home | Other vacant dwellings | Total vacant dwellings | Vacancy Rate % | Actual change in vacant dwellings 2011-2016 | Percentage Change in vacant dwellings 2011-2016 | |
| Leinster | 1,046,545 | 12,103 | 78,005 | 90,108 | 9 | -16,550 | -16 |
| Carlow | 23,634 | 272 | 2,145 | 2,417 | 10 | -785 | -25 |
| Dublin | 534,652 | 1,439 | 35,293 | 36,732 | 7 | -6,975 | -16 |
| Dublin City | 242,397 | 937 | 20,844 | 21,781 | 9 | -2,857 | -12 |
| Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown | 87,264 | 178 | 4,968 | 5,146 | 6 | -1,470 | -22 |
| Fingal | 105,965 | 293 | 5,565 | 5,858 | 6 | -1,346 | -19 |
| South Dublin | 99,026 | 31 | 3,916 | 3,947 | 4 | -1,302 | -25 |
| Kildare | 80,746 | 146 | 4,967 | 5,113 | 6 | -1,198 | -19 |
| Kilkenny | 39,534 | 520 | 3,209 | 3,729 | 9 | -895 | -19 |
| Laois | 33,115 | 139 | 3,163 | 3,302 | 10 | -785 | -19 |
| Longford | 18,747 | 260 | 3,021 | 3,281 | 18 | -794 | -19 |
| Louth | 51,782 | 749 | 4,256 | 5,005 | 10 | -1,227 | -20 |
| Meath | 71,433 | 261 | 5,065 | 5,326 | 7 | -847 | -14 |
| Offaly | 31,038 | 235 | 2,768 | 3,003 | 10 | -617 | -17 |
| Westmeath | 37,295 | 275 | 4,059 | 4,334 | 12 | -587 | -12 |
| Wexford | 69,056 | 6,756 | 6,412 | 13,168 | 19 | -1,161 | -8 |
| Wicklow | 55,513 | 1,051 | 3,647 | 4,698 | 8 | -679 | -13 |
| Munster | 568,633 | 23,197 | 60,201 | 83,398 | 15 | -9,487 | -10 |
| Clare | 56,285 | 4,739 | 6,480 | 11,219 | 20 | -563 | -5 |
| Cork | 231,207 | 7,118 | 21,287 | 28,405 | 12 | -4,924 | -15 |
| Cork City | 56,161 | 62 | 4,491 | 4,553 | 8 | -1,615 | -26 |
| Cork County | 175,046 | 7,056 | 16,796 | 23,852 | 14 | -3,309 | -12 |
| Kerry | 75,319 | 7,917 | 10,340 | 18,257 | 24 | -1,462 | -7 |
| Limerick | 82,741 | 393 | 8,463 | 8,856 | 11 | -1,258 | -12 |
| Limerick City | 26,480 | 19 | 2,564 | 2,583 | 10 | -690 | -21 |
| Limerick County | 56,261 | 374 | 5,899 | 6,273 | 11 | -568 | -8 |
| North Tipperary | 31,132 | 543 | 3,738 | 4,281 | 14 | -246 | -5 |
| South Tipperary | 38,937 | 410 | 4,228 | 4,638 | 12 | -179 | -4 |
| Waterford | 53,012 | 2,077 | 5,665 | 7,742 | 15 | -855 | -10 |
| Waterford City | 22,627 | 81 | 2,669 | 2,750 | 12 | -550 | -17 |
| Waterford County | 30,385 | 1,996 | 2,996 | 4,992 | 16 | -305 | -6 |
| Connacht | 263,424 | 13,338 | 39,343 | 52,681 | 20 | -2,556 | -5 |
| Galway | 113,975 | 3,977 | 13,654 | 17,631 | 15 | -1,190 | -6 |
| Galway City | 35,006 | 296 | 3,375 | 3,671 | 10 | -84 | -2 |
| Galway County | 78,969 | 3,681 | 10,279 | 13,960 | 18 | -1,106 | -7 |
| Leitrim | 18,203 | 1,589 | 3,786 | 5,375 | 30 | -151 | -3 |
| Mayo | 66,547 | 4,766 | 11,180 | 15,946 | 24 | -284 | -2 |
| Roscommon | 31,534 | 1,164 | 5,658 | 6,822 | 22 | -510 | -7 |
| Sligo | 33,165 | 1,842 | 5,065 | 6,907 | 21 | -421 | -6 |
| Ulster (part of) | 144,293 | 12,566 | 20,809 | 33,375 | 23 | -1,296 | -4 |
| Cavan | 33,875 | 992 | 5,170 | 6,162 | 18 | -1,115 | -15 |
| Donegal | 84,785 | 11,341 | 12,558 | 23,899 | 28 | -97 | -0 |
| Monaghan | 25,633 | 233 | 3,081 | 3,314 | 13 | -84 | -2 |
| State | 2,022,895 | 61,204 | 198,358 | 259,562 | 13 | -29,889 | -10 |
| Source: CSO | |||||||
Interactive table: StatBank link
In April 2016 there were 2,022,895 dwellings or housing units in the State. Of these, 1,718,465 were occupied while there were 44,868 dwellings where all the occupants were temporarily absent on Census Night.
A total of 61,204 housing units were classified as vacant holiday homes. The remaining 198,358 were vacant houses and apartments.
The overall vacancy rate in 2016, including holiday homes, was 12.8%. If holiday homes are excluded from the housing stock the vacancy rate drops to 9.8%.
The figure of 2,022,895 permanent dwellings recorded in Census 2016 was an increase of 18,981 (0.94%) on the housing stock enumerated in 2011, and represents an average annual growth rate of 0.18% during the 2011 to 2016 intercensal period.
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