Demographics of the Republic of Ireland

Population of the Republic of Ireland from 1841
Population	4,757,976 (2016 census)
Density	68 per km2
Growth rate	1.77%
Birth rate	16.1 births/1,000 population
Death rate	6.34 deaths/1,000 population
Life expectancy	80.19 years
• male	78 years
• female	82.6 years
Fertility rate	2.02 children born/woman
Infant mortality rate	3.85 deaths/1,000 live births
Net migration rate	0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population
0–14 years	21.3%
15–64 years	67.0%
65 and over	11.7%
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	Irish
Major ethnic	Irish 87.4%
Minor ethnic	Other white 7.5%, Asian 1.3%, black 1.1%, mixed 1.1%, unspecified 1.6% (2006)
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.

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.

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 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 country's economy suffered, and since then Ireland has once again been experiencing net emigration.

In November 2013 Eurostat reported that the Republic had the largest net emigration rate of any European Union country at 7.6 people emigrating per 1,000 population. However, it has the youngest population of any country in the European Union and its population size is predicted to grow for many decades into the future, bucking the trend of declining population predicted for most European countries. A report published in 2008 predicted that the population would reach 6.7 million by 2060. The country has also has been experiencing a baby boom, with increasing birth rates and overall fertility rates. Despite this the total fertility rate is still below replacement. This increase is primarily fueled by non-Irish immigration - in 2009, a quarter of all children born in the state were born to mothers who had immigrated from other countries.