SafekipediaDemographics of the Republic of Ireland
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
The demographics of the Republic of Ireland show a population that is growing and getting older. As of the 2022 Irish census, the population was 5,149,139, and more recent estimates from 2025 say it has grown to over 5.4 million. Many people living in Ireland were born in other countries, with about 23.3% of the population coming from outside the country, mostly from the United Kingdom.
Ireland has a long life for its age, with people living about 80.2 years on average. However, the number of babies being born has gone down, and fewer families are having children than before. This means that more people are getting older, and the number of younger people is not growing as fast.
Over the past 30 years, Ireland has become more mixed with people from many different backgrounds. Many new people have come to live in Ireland from other places in and outside the European Union. Because of this, the country is not as uniform as it used to be. Most people still live in or near Dublin, while other areas, especially in the west, have fewer people.
Most people in Ireland still say they are Christian, with many following the Roman Catholicism tradition. But fewer people are identifying with religion now, and more say they do not follow any religion. English is the main language spoken every day, but Irish is also an official language and is used in some areas of the country called Gaeltacht.
Demographic history
Further information: Historical population of Ireland
The population of Ireland has changed a lot over time. In the 1700s and early 1800s, Ireland saw its population grow quickly because of big changes in farming and industry. From 1790 to 1840, the number of people doubled from 4 million to 8 million.
But this changed with a big hunger in the mid-1800s, which caused many people to leave the country. In the 1840s, the Republic of Ireland had about 6.5 million people, but ten years later, this number dropped to 5 million. The population kept going down until the 1960s, when it started to grow again, though slowly because many people still moved away.
In the 1990s, Ireland had strong economic growth, and many people began moving in. Even after a tough economic time starting in 2008, Ireland continued to welcome people from around the world. Despite some people leaving, the population is still expected to grow for many years to come. The country has seen more babies being born, helped by people from other countries.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1841 | 6,528,799 | — |
| 1851 | 5,111,557 | −2.42% |
| 1861 | 4,402,111 | −1.48% |
| 1871 | 4,053,187 | −0.82% |
| 1881 | 3,870,020 | −0.46% |
| 1891 | 3,468,694 | −1.09% |
| 1901 | 3,221,823 | −0.74% |
| 1911 | 3,139,688 | −0.26% |
| 1926 | 2,971,992 | −0.37% |
| 1936 | 2,968,420 | −0.01% |
| 1946 | 2,955,107 | −0.04% |
| 1951 | 2,960,593 | +0.04% |
| 1961 | 2,818,341 | −0.49% |
| 1971 | 2,978,248 | +0.55% |
| 1981 | 3,443,405 | +1.46% |
| 1991 | 3,525,719 | +0.24% |
| 2002 | 3,917,203 | +0.96% |
| 2011 | 4,588,252 | +1.77% |
| 2022 | 5,149,139 | +1.05% |
| Source: CSO 2019 | ||
Population
The population of Ireland was about 5.1 million people in 2022. Many new people move to Ireland each year, helping the population grow. Most people live in towns and cities, while some live in the countryside.
The number of children born to each woman is around 2. This means families in Ireland usually have two children on average. People in Ireland tend to have their first child when they are about 31 years old.
People in Ireland live for many years. The average age of everyone living there is about 37 years.
Fertility
The total fertility rate is the number of children born per woman.
Birth rate; 13.8 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 137th
Total fertility rate; 1.96 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 125th
Mother's mean age at first birth; 30.7 years (2015 est.)
Life expectancy
Death rate; 6.6 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 140th
Source: UN World Population Prospects
Age structure
Age structure
0–14 years: 21.37% (male 554,110 /female 529,067)
15–24 years: 11.92% (male 306,052 /female 297,890)
25–54 years: 42.86% (male 1,091,495 /female 1,080,594)
55–64 years: 10.53% (male 267,255 /female 266,438)
65 years and over: 13.32% (male 312,694 /female 362,455) (2018 est.)
Median age; total: 37.1 years
male: 36.8 years
female: 37.5 years (2018 est.)
| Year | 1850 | 1851 | 1852 | 1853 | 1854 | 1855 | 1856 | 1857 | 1858 | 1859 | 1860 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total fertility rate of Ireland | 4.20 | 4.13 | 4.06 | 3.99 | 3.93 | 3.86 | 3.79 | 3.72 | 3.65 | 3.58 | 3.51 |
| Year | 1861 | 1862 | 1863 | 1864 | 1865 | 1866 | 1867 | 1868 | 1869 | 1870 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total fertility rate of Ireland | 3.45 | 3.38 | 3.31 | 3.24 | 3.47 | 3.54 | 3.53 | 3.58 | 3.58 | 3.71 |
| Year | 1871 | 1872 | 1873 | 1874 | 1875 | 1876 | 1877 | 1878 | 1879 | 1880 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total fertility rate of Ireland | 3.67 | 3.72 | 3.63 | 3.57 | 3.51 | 3.57 | 3.54 | 3.40 | 3.44 | 3.31 |
| Year | 1881 | 1882 | 1883 | 1884 | 1885 | 1886 | 1887 | 1888 | 1889 | 1890 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total fertility rate of Ireland | 3.33 | 3.22 | 3.15 | 3.20 | 3.15 | 3.11 | 3.10 | 3.06 | 3.04 | 2.99 |
| Year | 1891 | 1892 | 1893 | 1894 | 1895 | 1896 | 1897 | 1898 | 1899 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total fertility rate of Ireland | 3.05 | 3.01 | 3.09 | 3.08 | 3.12 | 3.17 | 3.16 | 3.13 | 3.09 |
| 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 |
Vital statistics
The section shows important details about births, deaths, and how many people live in different age groups in Ireland. There are several tables that break down this information, such as current statistics, fertility rates by region, and population structures from different years.
| Period | Live births | Deaths | Natural increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| January—September 2024 | 40,645 | 26,934 | +13,711 |
| January—September 2025 | 41,007 | 27,242 | +13,765 |
| Difference |  +362 (+0.89%) |  +308 (+1.14%) | +54 |
| Source: | |||
| Regions | TFR |
|---|---|
| Mid-East | 1.75 |
| Border | 1.74 |
| South-East | 1.74 |
| Midland | 1.69 |
| Northern and Western | 1.66 |
| Mid-West | 1.66 |
| Southern | 1.61 |
| West | 1.60 |
| Ireland | 1.54 |
| South-West | 1.51 |
| Eastern and Midland | 1.47 |
| Dublin | 1.32 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 2 272 699 | 2 315 553 | 4 588 252 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 182 076 | 174 253 | 356 329 | 7.77 |
| 5–9 | 164 037 | 156 733 | 320 770 | 6.99 |
| 10–14 | 155 076 | 147 415 | 302 491 | 6.59 |
| 15–19 | 144 262 | 138 757 | 283 019 | 6.17 |
| 20–24 | 146 636 | 150 595 | 297 231 | 6.48 |
| 25–29 | 173 714 | 187 408 | 361 122 | 7.87 |
| 30–34 | 194 774 | 199 171 | 393 945 | 8.59 |
| 35–39 | 182 237 | 182 024 | 364 261 | 7.94 |
| 40–44 | 166 330 | 164 482 | 330 812 | 7.21 |
| 45–49 | 151 516 | 153 669 | 305 185 | 6.65 |
| 50–54 | 136 737 | 137 649 | 274 386 | 5.98 |
| 55–59 | 122 121 | 122 401 | 244 522 | 5.33 |
| 60–64 | 109 869 | 108 917 | 218 786 | 4.77 |
| 65–69 | 86 298 | 87 340 | 173 638 | 3.78 |
| 70–74 | 63 476 | 67 714 | 131 190 | 2.86 |
| 75–79 | 46 631 | 55 405 | 102 036 | 2.22 |
| 80–84 | 28 423 | 41 690 | 70 113 | 1.53 |
| 85–89 | 13 591 | 26 296 | 39 887 | 0.87 |
| 90–94 | 4 155 | 10 722 | 14 877 | 0.32 |
| 95–99 | 682 | 2 581 | 3 263 | 0.07 |
| 100+ | 58 | 331 | 389 | 0.01 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 501 189 | 478 401 | 979 590 | 21.35 |
| 15–64 | 1 528 196 | 1 545 073 | 3 073 269 | 66.98 |
| 65+ | 243 314 | 292 079 | 535 393 | 11.67 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 2 477 803 | 2 528 521 | 5 006 324 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 155 762 | 149 311 | 305 073 | 6.09 |
| 5–9 | 173 176 | 164 974 | 338 150 | 6.75 |
| 10–14 | 182 865 | 174 327 | 357 192 | 7.13 |
| 15–19 | 164 643 | 158 528 | 323 171 | 6.46 |
| 20–24 | 156 739 | 151 495 | 308 234 | 6.16 |
| 25–29 | 146 911 | 145 135 | 292 046 | 5.83 |
| 30–34 | 155 831 | 163 136 | 318 967 | 6.37 |
| 35–39 | 181 494 | 197 232 | 378 726 | 7.56 |
| 40–44 | 195 943 | 204 498 | 400 441 | 8.00 |
| 45–49 | 179 647 | 183 297 | 362 944 | 7.25 |
| 50–54 | 160 508 | 161 545 | 322 053 | 6.43 |
| 55–59 | 145 919 | 150 061 | 295 980 | 5.91 |
| 60–64 | 130 499 | 133 847 | 264 346 | 5.28 |
| 65–69 | 112 741 | 115 631 | 228 372 | 4.56 |
| 70–74 | 94 777 | 98 767 | 193 544 | 3.87 |
| 75–79 | 67 518 | 73 623 | 141 141 | 2.82 |
| 80–84 | 40 946 | 50 350 | 91 296 | 1.82 |
| 85–89 | 20 870 | 29 977 | 50 847 | 1.02 |
| 90–94 | 8 151 | 15 395 | 23 546 | 0.47 |
| 95–99 | 2 280 | 5 796 | 8 076 | 0.16 |
| 100+ | 583 | 1 596 | 2 179 | 0.04 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 511 803 | 488 612 | 1 000 415 | 19.98 |
| 15–64 | 1 618 134 | 1 648 774 | 3 266 908 | 65.26 |
| 65+ | 347 866 | 391 135 | 739 001 | 14.76 |
Ethnic groups
- Population pyramids of ethnic groups within Ireland in 2022
- White Irish
- White Other
- Asian: Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi
- Asian: Chinese
- Asian: Other
- Black: Africans
- Black: Other
- Not Stated
| Ethnic Group | Year | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 2011 | 2016 | 2022 | |||||
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| White: Total | 3,956,609 | 94.84% | 4,264,465 | 94.24% | 4,331,940 | 92.37% | 4,444,145 | 87.4% |
| White Irish | 3,645,199 | 87.37% | 3,821,995 | 84.46% | 3,854,226 | 82.2% | 3,893,056 | 76.5% |
| Irish Traveller | 22,369 | 0.54% | 29,495 | 0.65% | 30,987 | 0.7% | 32,949 | 0.65% |
| White Roma | - | - | - | - | - | - | 16,059 | 0.31% |
| Other White | 289,041 | 6.93% | 412,975 | 9.13% | 446,727 | 9.5% | 502,081 | 9.87% |
| Asian: Total | 52,345 | 1.25% | 84,690 | 1.87% | 98,720 | 2.10% | 186,321 | 3.7% |
| Chinese | 16,533 | 0.40% | 17,832 | 0.39% | 19,447 | 0.4% | 26,828 | 0.5% |
| Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi | - | - | - | - | - | - | 94,434 | 1.86% |
| Arab | - | - | - | - | - | - | 20,115 | 0.4% |
| Other Asian | 35,812 | 0.86% | 66,858 | 1.48% | 79,273 | 1.7% | 44,944 | 0.88% |
| Black: Total | 44,318 | 1.06% | 65,078 | 1.44% | 64,639 | 1.38% | 76,245 | 1.5% |
| Black Irish and Black African | 40,525 | 0.97% | 58,697 | 1.30% | 57,850 | 1.24% | 67,547 | 1.32% |
| Other Black | 3,793 | 0.09% | 6,381 | 0.14% | 6,789 | 0.14% | 8,699 | 0.17% |
| Other including Mixed | - | - | - | - | - | - | 64,992 | 1.28% |
| Not Stated | 118,741 | 2.85% | 111,048 | 2.45% | 194,622 | 3.98% | 313,176 | 6.16% |
| Total: | 4,172,013 | 100% | 4,525,281 | 100% | 4,689,921 | 100% | 5,084,879 | 100% |
Immigration
Ireland used to be a place where people moved away to find jobs. But in the 1990s, during a time of strong economic growth called the 'Celtic Tiger', many people began moving to Ireland for work. This change happened very quickly, turning Ireland from a place with very few people from other countries into one with much more diversity.
Today, many people from different countries live in Ireland, especially in Dublin and other big cities. Some of the largest groups of people who moved to Ireland come from Poles, the British, Indians, Romanians, Lithuanians, Brazilians, Italians, Latvians, Spaniards, French, Croats, Americans, Chinese, Germans, and Ukrainians.
Nationality of mothers
In 2024, out of all the babies born in Ireland, most had mothers who were from Ireland. However, a good number of babies were born to mothers from other European countries or outside of Europe.
Migration data for Ireland, 1987-present
Country of birth
In 2022, about 20% of people living in Ireland were born in another country. This number has been growing over the years.
Support and opposition
There are groups in Ireland that help people who have moved there, like the Immigrant Council of Ireland and the Irish Refugee Council. The government also has services to support these communities. Some people and smaller political groups have expressed concerns about the number of people moving to Ireland.
| Citizenship | 2016 | 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | |
| Total Irish | 4,082,513 | 87% | 4,283,490 | 84% |
| Irish | 3,977,729 | 85% | 4,112,893 | 81% |
| Dual Irish | 104,784 | 2% | 170,597 | 3% |
| None/Other | 607,408 | 13% | 801,389 | 15% |
| Non-Irish | 535,475 | 11% | 631,785 | 12% |
| None/not stated | 71,933 | 2% | 169,604 | 3% |
| Total | 4,689,921 | 100% | 5,084,879 | 100% |
| Year | Immigrants | Emigrants | Net Migration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 17.2 | 40.2 | -23.0 |
| 1988 | 19.2 | 61.1 | -41.9 |
| 1989 | 26.7 | 70.6 | -43.9 |
| 1990 | 33.3 | 56.3 | -22.9 |
| 1991 | 33.3 | 35.3 | -2.0 |
| 1992 | 40.7 | 33.4 | 7.4 |
| 1993 | 34.7 | 35.1 | -0.4 |
| 1994 | 30.1 | 34.8 | -4.7 |
| 1995 | 31.2 | 33.1 | -1.9 |
| 1996 | 39.2 | 31.2 | 8.0 |
| 1997 | 44.5 | 25.3 | 19.2 |
| 1998 | 46.0 | 28.6 | 17.4 |
| 1999 | 48.9 | 31.5 | 17.3 |
| 2000 | 52.6 | 26.6 | 26.0 |
| 2001 | 59.0 | 26.2 | 32.8 |
| 2002 | 66.9 | 25.6 | 41.3 |
| 2003 | 60.0 | 29.3 | 30.7 |
| 2004 | 58.5 | 26.5 | 32.0 |
| 2005 | 84.6 | 29.4 | 55.1 |
| 2006 | 107.8 | 36.0 | 71.8 |
| 2007 | 151.1 | 46.3 | 104.8 |
| 2008 | 113.5 | 49.2 | 64.3 |
| 2009 | 73.7 | 72.0 | 1.6 |
| 2010 | 41.8 | 69.2 | -27.5 |
| 2011 | 53.3 | 80.6 | -27.4 |
| 2012 | 57.3 | 83.0 | -25.7 |
| 2013 | 62.7 | 81.3 | -18.7 |
| 2014 | 66.5 | 75.0 | -8.5 |
| 2015 | 75.9 | 70.0 | 5.9 |
| 2016 | 82.3 | 66.2 | 16.2 |
| 2017 | 95.3 | 56.1 | 39.2 |
| 2018 | 96.0 | 51.6 | 44.4 |
| 2019 | 97.1 | 53.1 | 44.0 |
| 2020 | 95.6 | 50.9 | 44.7 |
| 2021 | 74.1 | 52.3 | 21.8 |
| 2022 | 107.8 | 56.1 | 51.7 |
| 2023 | 141.6 | 64.0 | 77.7 |
| 2024 | 149.2 | 69.9 | 79.3 |
| Country | 1986 | 1991 | 1996 | 2002 | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  England and Wales | 128,668 | 126,487 | 139,330 | 182,624 | 200,488 | 212,296 | 203,188 | 210,434 |
  Poland | − | − | − | 2,167 | 62,495 | 115,193 | 115,161 | 106,142 |
| Northern Ireland | 36,538 | 35,986 | 39,567 | 49,928 | 49,171 | 58,470 | 57,389 | 61,750 |
 India | − | − | − | 3,402 | 9,192 | 17,856 | 20,969 | 56,624 |
 Romania | − | − | − | 5,838 | 8,492 | 17,995 | 28,702 | 42,460 |
 Brazil | − | − | − | 1,232 | 4,666 | 9,298 | 15,796 | 39,556 |
 Lithuania | − | − | − | 2,120 | 24,611 | 34,847 | 33,344 | 34,242 |
 United States | 15,350 | 14,533 | 15,619 | 21,541 | 24,643 | 27,762 | 28,650 | 34,236 |
 Nigeria | − | − | − | 9,225 | 16,327 | 19,780 | 16,569 | 20,559 |
 Latvia | − | − | − | 2,281 | 13,854 | 19,989 | 18,991 | 20,330 |
 Philippines | − | − | − | 4,086 | 9,427 | 13,833 | 14,725 | 19,846 |
 Spain | 1,113 | 1,801 | 2,104 | 4,632 | 6,122 | 7,003 | 11,809 | 18,356 |
 Scotland | 12,586 | 11,378 | 11,751 | 15,963 | 16,488 | 17,871 | 16,644 | 16,869 |
 China | − | − | − | 5,669 | 11,022 | 11,458 | 11,262 | 16,425 |
 Moldova | − | − | − | 1,032 | 2,233 | 3,421 | 6,472 | 16,155 |
 South Africa | − | − | − | 6,260 | 7,576 | 8,116 | 8,085 | 15,886 |
 Italy | 1,314 | 1,507 | 1,844 | 3,705 | 5,705 | 7,146 | 10,913 | 15,689 |
 Ukraine | − | − | − | 1,485 | 3,367 | 4,123 | 4,624 | 15,678 |
 Pakistan | − | − | − | 3,391 | 5,757 | 8,329 | 12,891 | 15,185 |
 France | 2,460 | 4,512 | 3,593 | 6,794 | 9,145 | 10,081 | 11,924 | 14,821 |
 Germany | 3,853 | 5,792 | 6,343 | 8,770 | 11,544 | 12,980 | 12,964 | 14,789 |
 Croatia | − | − | − | − | − | 980 | 5,202 | 12,743 |
 Slovakia | − | − | − | − | 8,129 | 9,537 | 9,443 | 10,695 |
 Australia | − | − | − | 6,107 | 6,478 | 5,964 | 6,748 | 9,947 |
 Hungary | − | − | − | 3,285 | 8,129 | 7,413 | 8,648 | 8,634 |
 Russia | − | − | − | 2,556 | 4,511 | 5,936 | 6,414 | 7,900 |
 Canada | − | − | − | 4,081 | 4,492 | 4,809 | 5,314 | 7,122 |
 Portugal | 124 | 147 | 192 | 590 | 1,496 | 2,246 | 3,866 | 5,987 |
 Netherlands | 1,888 | 1,985 | 2,490 | 3,512 | 4,211 | 4,499 | 4,729 | 5,376 |
 Zimbabwe | − | − | − | 1,462 | 2,230 | 2,790 | 2,811 | 5,246 |
 Czech Republic | − | − | − | − | 5,230 | 5,494 | 4,936 | 5,092 |
 Malaysia | − | − | − | 2,195 | 3,340 | 3,782 | 4,016 | 4,864 |
 Bulgaria | − | − | − | − | − | 1,783 | 2,911 | 4,585 |
 Bangladesh | − | − | − | − | 1,924 | 2,920 | 3,410 | 4,388 |
 Turkey | − | − | − | − | − | 1,301 | 1,607 | 4,086 |
 Syria | − | − | − | − | − | 308 | 920 | 3,922 |
 Mexico | − | − | − | − | − | 889 | 1,476 | 3,364 |
Religion
Main article: Religion in the Republic of Ireland § Demographics
Most people in Ireland are Christian, and many are Catholic. But the number of Catholics has been getting smaller over time. More people now say they do not follow any religion. Because of people moving to Ireland from other places, there are also followers of other religions such as Islam and Hinduism.
Languages
Main article: Languages of Ireland
English is the most common language in Ireland, spoken by 84% of the people as their first language. Irish is the country’s first official language, and 11% of people speak it as their first language. In special areas called Gaeltacht regions, Irish is the main language spoken. The main sign language used is Irish Sign Language.
| Frequency of Irish usage amongst Irish speakers | 2002 | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 | 2022 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % Stated | Number | % Stated | Number | % Stated | Number | % Stated | Number | % Stated | ||
| Speaks Irish | Daily, Outside Education System | – | – | 72,148 | 1.82 | 77,185 | 1.80 | 73,803 | 1.67 | 71,968 | 1.55 |
| Daily, Total | 339,541 | 9.26 | 525,355 | 13.28 | 596,366 | 13.92 | 632,411 | 14.28 | 625,933 | 13.51 | |
| Total | 1,079,880 | 29.44 | 1,214,313 | 30.69 | 1,320,244 | 30.83 | 1,330,419 | 30.04 | 1,401,110 | 30.24 | |
| Never speaks Irish | 459,657 | 12.53 | 415,479 | 10.50 | 438,782 | 10.25 | 418,420 | 9.45 | 472,887 | 10.21 | |
| Frequency unknown | 31,357 | 0.85 | 26,998 | 0.68 | 15,411 | 0.35 | 12,581 | 0.28 | 45,385 | 0.98 | |
| Ability in Irish | Number | % Stated | Number | % Stated | Number | % Stated | Number | % Stated | Number | % Stated | |
| Irish speakers | 1,570,894 | 42.83 | 1,656,790 | 41.87 | 1,774,437 | 41.44 | 1,761,420 | 39.77 | 1,873,997 | 40.45 | |
| Non Irish-speakers | 2,097,263 | 57.17 | 2,300,174 | 58.13 | 2,507,312 | 58.56 | 2,667,945 | 60.23 | 2,759,028 | 59.55 | |
| Total stated | 3,668,157 | 97.79 | 3,956,964 | 97.51 | 4,281,749 | 97.97 | 4,429,365 | 96.94 | 4,633,025 | 93.11 | |
| Not stated | 82,838 | 2.21 | 100,682 | 2.49 | 88,882 | 2.03 | 139,896 | 3.06 | 342,688 | 6.89 | |
| Total | 3,750,995 | 4,057,646 | 4,370,631 | 4,569,261 | 4,975,713 | ||||||
Education
In the Republic of Ireland, almost everyone who is 15 years old or older can read and write. In 2003, it was estimated that 99% of both men and women had this skill.
On average, students in Ireland can expect to be in school for 19 years, from primary school through to tertiary education. This is the same for both boys and girls, as recorded in 2016.
Employment and income
In May 2025, the unemployment rate in Ireland was 4.0% overall. This was a bit lower than the 4.1% in April 2025 and much lower than the 4.4% from May 2024. For males, the rate was 3.9%, and for females, it was 4.1%. Young people aged 15 to 24 had a higher unemployment rate of 10.9%.
The median household disposable income in 2024 was €58,922. This was an increase of €3,773, or 6.8%, from the year before. Disposable income is what families have left after paying taxes and other required payments.
Related articles
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