Irish population analysis


The population of Ireland in 2016 was approximately 6.6 million. Although this is a significant growth over recent years, it is still below the record high of the early 1840s.
Between 1700 and 1840, Ireland experienced rapid population growth, rising from less than three million in 1700 to over eight million by 1841. In 1851, as the Great Famine was ending, the population of Ireland had dropped to 6.5 million people. The Famine and the resulting Irish diaspora had a dramatic effect on population; by 1891, Ireland's population had slipped under five million and by 1931, it had dropped to just over four million. It stayed around this level until the 1960s, when the population began to rise again. Future predictions are for the population to continue to rise; in 2031, it is predicted to be just over seven million.
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. The areas around Dublin and Belfast have seen population growth, while Connacht has become depopulated.

Historical population

YearPopulation%ChangeAv % per year
20166.66m3.60.72
20116.39m6.861.37
20065.98m6.61.32
20015.6m6.11.21
19965.29m3.50.7
19915.1m
19865.1m2.20.44
19815m10.861.09
19714.51m3.440.69
19664.36m2.590.52
19614.25m0.930.19
19564.29m0.190.1
19514.33m9.31.86
19464.29m0.190.1
19314.21m0.470.09
19264.23m3.420.23
19114.38m1.790.18
19014.46m5.110.51
18914.7m9.270.93
18815.18m4.070.4
18715.4m6.90.69
18615.8m11.451.15
18516.55m19.931.99
18418.18m2.890.41
18347.95m2.320.77
18317.77m14.261.43
18216.8m22.081.47
18065.57m17.261.15
17914.75m17.281.73
17814.05m26.560.98
17543.2m10.30.29
17182.9m1070.907
16001.4m

In 2016, the population of Ireland for the first time 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.

County populations 2016


RankAdministrative countyPopulationDensity Traditional provinceChange since
previous census
1Dublin1,347,3591,459.2Leinster 5.7%
2Antrim618,108202.9Ulster 1.8%
3Cork542,86872.3Munster 4.5%
4Down531,665215.6Ulster 8.7%
-Fingal296,020651.6Leinster 8.1%
-South Dublin278,7671,251.5Leinster 5.1%
5Galway258,05842.0Connacht 3.2%
6Londonderry247,132119.1Ulster 4.8%
7Kildare222,504131.0Leinster 5.6%
-Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown218,0181,706.7Leinster 5.3%
8Meath195,04483.2Leinster 5.9%
9Limerick194,89970.8Munster 1.8%
10Tyrone179,00054.5Ulster 8.4%
11Armagh174,792131.8Ulster 7.3%
12Tipperary159,55337.2Munster 1.1%
13Donegal159,19232.6Ulster -1.5%
14Wexford149,72263.2Leinster 2.9%
15Kerry147,70730.7Munster 1.4%
16Wicklow142,42570.2Leinster 4.2%
17Mayo130,50723.3Connacht -0.2%
18Louth128,884155.4Leinster 4.5%
19Clare118,81734.4Munster 1.2%
20Waterford116,17662.7Munster 2.3%
21Kilkenny99,23247.8Leinster 3.9%
22Westmeath88,77048.2Leinster 2.9%
23Laois84,69749.3Leinster 5.2%
24Offaly77,96138.9Leinster 1.7%
25Cavan76,17639.3Ulster 4.0%
26Sligo65,53535.5Connacht -0.1%
27Roscommon64,54425.3Connacht 0.6%
28Monaghan61,38647.3Ulster 1.3%
29Fermanagh61,17036.1Ulster 6.3%
30Carlow56,93263.4Leinster 4.1%
31Longford40,87337.4Leinster 4.6%
32Leitrim32,04420.1Connacht 0.5%
Average205,429
Northern Ireland total1,811,867133
Republic of Ireland total4,761,86570
Total6,573,73277.8

Historical populations per province

Leinster

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Munster


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population1,2801,2441,1731,0981,0321,0041,0189969788798568478748979149409681,0331,0731,1691,3281,3901,5101,8562,396
Rank2222222222222222222211111
%Change2.96.06.836.42.79-2.211.8411.262.691.06-------------

Connacht


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population5515425044644314214314244183904014184464714935255526116467248208469111,0081,419
Rank3333333333333333333333334
%Change1.77.58.627.662.38-1.651.447.18---------------

Ulster

Figures not in bold are for the Republic of Ireland counties of Ulster only. Figures in bold are for the whole of Ulster.

Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population2,1062672472332322362302262072092182362532632803003313473854384745175712,386
Rank244444444444444444444442
%Change10.18.16.010.43-2.611.779.18--------------

Historical populations per county

Dublin


Year201620112006200219961991198619811979197119661961195619511946?1931192819111901189118811871186118511841
Population1,3451,2711,1861,1221,0581,0251,0211,003983852795718705693636586505477448419418405410405372
Rank1111111111111111111222225
%Change5.87.05.76.053.220.391.82.0415.377.1710.721.841.738.968.5316.045.876.476.920.243.21- 1.238.87

Antrim


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population618
Rank2
%Change

Down


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population532
Rank3
%Change

Cork


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population542519481447420410412402396352339330336341343355365391404438495517544649854
Rank2422222222222222222111111
%Change4.47.77.616.432.442.481.5212.53.842.73- - - - - - - - -

Galway


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population258251231209188180178172167149148149155160165168169182192214242248271321440
Rank3533333333333333444443342
%Change2.88.110.5311.174.441.123.492.9112.080.68- - - - - - - - - -

Derry


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population247
Rank6
%Change

Kildare


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population22221018616313412211610497716664656664575866637075839095114
Rank47455789913141414141720191720202020212425
%Change5.712.714.1121.649.845.1711.547.2236.627.583.13- - 3.1312.28- - 4.76- -

Limerick


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population195191184175165161164161157140137133137141142141140143146158180191217262330
Rank5854444444444456788888766
%Change2.14.015.146.062.481.862.5512.142.193.01- - - 0.710.71- - - -

Meath


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population194184163134109105103959071676566666661626567768795110140183
Rank6968101010111113131313141417181818181818171616
%Change5.413.021.622.943.811.948.425.5626.765.973.08- --8.2- - - - -

Tyrone


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population178
Rank10
%Change

Armagh


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population175
Rank11
%Change

Tipperary


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population160159149140133131136134133123121123128133135137140151159172199216248331435
Rank71276655555556678777776533
%Change0.66.46.435.261.531.490.758.131.65- - - - - - - - - -

Donegal


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population158161147137129128130125122108109114122114136142153169174187206218237255296
Rank81487776666888765555555677
%Change- 9.37.36.20.784.02.4612.96- - - 7.02- - - - - - -

Wexford


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population14914513211610410210399968683838790929496102104112123132143180202
Rank91510111111101010999999991010111212121012
%Change2.810.313.7911.541.96−0.97−6.82−7.69−20.56−10.89

Kerry


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population147145140132126121124122120112112116122126133139149159165179201196201238293
Rank101699887776777887666667888
%Change1.43.76.064.764.13−2.422.55−2.49−15.55−18.77

Wicklow


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population14213612611410297958784666058606360595861616270788698126
Rank11171112121212151515151718181919192122242422242323
%Change4.48.110.5311.765.152.11−10.26−9.3−12.24−22.22

Mayo


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population130131124117111110115114114109115123133141148161172192199219245246254274388
Rank12181210999887655444333334454
%Change- 0.85.47.099.410.91−8.09−0.41−3.15−7.3−39.87

Louth


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population12812311110292919289867570676969666463646671788491108128
Rank13191314151313121311121212121416171919191919192222
%Change4.0610.48.8210.871.1−1.09−7.14−7.69−15.74−15.63

Clare


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population11811711110394909188857574747781859095104112124141147166212286
Rank142013131315141414111010101010101099999999
%Change0.95.37.779.574.44−1.1−4.08−11.45−21.7−25.87

Waterford


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population11611410810294919189877773717475767879848798112123134164196
Rank15211515131314121210111111111111131313131313131315
%Change1.85.36.937.453.30−8.94−8.21−18.29−16.33

Kilkenny


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population999587807573737069616061646566687074798799109124158202
Rank16221616161616161616151515171414151515151616151412
%Change4.28.98.756.672.740−9.17−12.1−21.52−21.78

Westmeath

Laois

Offaly


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population7877716459586058575252525253545153576066737690112147
Rank19191818181818181820202121222222232323212124211820
%Change1.38.410.948.471.72−3.33−3.95−15.56−19.64−23.81

Cavan


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population76736457535354545453545762667077829198112129141154174243
Rank20202021202021212019181817141313121212111110111111
%Change4.113.912.287.550−1.85−8.51−8.44−11.49−28.4

Sligo


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population6565615855545655555051545761626771798498111115124128180
Rank21212120191919191921211919191815141414131414151717
%Change0.07.25.175.451.85−3.57−3.48−7.26−3.13−28.89

Roscommon


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population646459545252555554545659646873788494102114132141157173254
Rank22222222212120192017171615131211111111101010101210
%Change0.08.79.263.850−5.45−6.38−10.19−9.25−31.89

Fermanagh


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population62
Rank28
%Change

Monaghan


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population6160565351515251504646475255576165717586103115126142200
Rank23232323232323222222222221202017161616161514141514
%Change1.78.05.663.920−1.92−10.43−8.73−11.27−29

Carlow


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population56545046424141403934343334343434343638414752576886
Rank24242424242424242424242425262626262626262626262626
%Change3.78.38.79.522.440−9.62−8.77−16.18−20.93

Longford


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population403934313030313131282931333536384044475361657282115
Rank25252525252525252525262626252525252525252525252524
%Change2.613.39.683.330−3.23−6.15−9.72−12.2−28.7

Leitrim


Year2016201120062002199619911986198119791971196619611956195119461936192619111901189118811871186118511841
Population32322926252527282828313337414551566469799096105112155
Rank26262626262626262625252424242422221917171717181818
%Change0.09.811.5440−7.41−6.25−8.57−6.25−27.74