Irish population analysis

The population of the Island of Ireland in 2016 was approximately 6.6 million comprising 4.75 million in the Republic of Ireland with another 1.85 million in Northern Ireland. Although this is a significant growth over recent years, it is still some way below the record high of the early 1840s.

Between 1780 and 1840, Ireland experienced rapid population growth, rising from about 3 million in 1780 to over 8 million by 1840. In 1841, the population of the area now covering the Republic of Ireland was over 6.5 million people. The subsequent Great Famine and the emigration it caused had a dramatic effect, so that by 1871, the 26-county population had dropped by over a third to four million, and by 1926 had reduced further to three million. It held firm around three million until the early 1970s, when the population began to rise again. Future predictions are for the population to continue to rise until 2031 when it is predicted to be just over five million. The Republic of Ireland is one of the few remaining developed economies to have growth of this scale.

Below are some statistics to illustrate the rise, fall and rise again of the population since 1841. The statistics also illustrate a massive population shift from the west to the east of the country and increasing urbanisation. Counties such as Mayo, Roscommon, Donegal and Leitrim have become depopulated while counties surrounding Dublin including Wicklow, Kildare, Louth and Meath have seen rapid population growth in recent years.

The population of the 6 counties of Northern Ireland as of 2016 is 1,851,600 which would mean a total population on the island of Ireland as of mid-2016 of approximately 6,609,576. This means the population of the island of Ireland has, for the first time in 165 years, exceeded the population recorded in the Census of 1851, the first census immediately after the Great Famine, when the population of the island was recorded at 6,575,000.

See also List of Irish counties by population

(Measured in 1000's)

Data for Ulster refers to the 3 counties of Ulster that constitute part of the Republic of Ireland: Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan

(Measured in 1000's)

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