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Running the numbers: First results of Census 2011

The CSO has released the preliminary findings of April’s census – and they show Ireland’s population is edging towards five million.

Updated at 2.00pm

THE CSO HAS released preliminary results of the 2011 census, which was carried out in April.

The figures – which CSO statistician Shaun McLaughlin stressed were only “early results” based on summary counts – show Ireland’s population continuing to increase. There were an estimated 4,581,269 people living in the country on census night, a growth of 8.1 per cent since the last census in 2006.

Here are some of the other main findings:

  • The strongest population growth was in Laois, which saw its numbers shoot up by 20 per cent – more than twice the national average. The only two administrative areas to register a population drop were Cork city and Limerick city.
  • Each year between 2006 and 2011, an average of 23,730 people per year migrated to Ireland.
  • Over the five years, 118,650 more people immigrated to Ireland than emigrated. However, the CSO said this trend had reversed in the later part of the five-year period, with more people leaving the country than arriving.
  • Limerick city had the highest emigration rate at 17.2 people per thousand.
  • The fastest-growing electoral division was Balbriggan Rural in Fingal, Co Dublin, up from 5,531 to 15,146.
  • Meanwhile, the constituency of North Dublin saw the biggest population increase, at 16.1 per cent.
  • There are now slightly more females than males in Ireland, with 981 men to every 1,000 women – a reversal of the 2006 situation. Relatively speaking Dublin has the fewest males, with only 949 men to every 1,000 women.
  • The number of vacant dwellings has increased by 10.5 per cent since 2006. Vacancy rates dropped from 15 per cent to 14.7 per cent due to a 13.3 per cent increase in the overall number of dwellings.

Further data is available broken down by area on the CSO’s census 2011 website.

Additional reporting by Susan Ryan

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19 Comments
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    Mute Eoin Sheehy
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    Jun 30th 2011, 12:11 PM

    You forgot to add that 30% of all houses in Leitrim are vacant.

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    Mute RG Cuan
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    Jun 30th 2011, 1:32 PM

    All English language media outlets have commented that Ireland’s population is now 4.58 million. Ireland’s population is actually around 6.4 million. The census figures are of course only for the Republic…

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    Mute Dave Finn
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    Jun 30th 2011, 1:43 PM

    I think everyone knows that….

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    Mute RG Cuan
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    Jun 30th 2011, 1:52 PM

    Then it should be stated. If in everybody’s mind the term ‘Ireland’ means the entire 32 counties, then news reporting should reflect that.

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    Mute Denis
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    Jun 30th 2011, 2:46 PM

    Ireland is the name of the country with the population of 4.58 million.
    The bit everyone thinks off when you say Ireland, that bit.

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    Mute RG Cuan
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    Jun 30th 2011, 3:05 PM

    It’s not what I mean when I say Ireland, nor the vast amount of people I know, nor, I would guess, any tourist who comes to this island.

    It’s an interesting issue though. I would imagine that number of people who associate the term ‘Ireland’ with just the 26 counties is increasing due to media, government usage etc.

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    Mute Mícheál O' Reilly
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    Jun 30th 2011, 3:21 PM

    And?

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    Mute Frank Kelly
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    Jun 30th 2011, 2:44 PM

    And while we’re at it …. Why does Sky News describe the weather forecast for Ireland and mainland Britain as ‘UK WEATHER’ ?

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    Mute Victoria Hall
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    Jun 30th 2011, 3:40 PM

    or RTE with their ‘rain coming in from the North West”!

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    Mute Dave Finn
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    Jun 30th 2011, 3:46 PM

    Mainland Britain?

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    Mute Barry R.
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    Jun 30th 2011, 6:01 PM

    Without being picky Frank the word ‘mainland’ is unecessary here as the name of the neighbouring island is ‘Britain’.

    I take your point completely though, and I’d say it’d take a request by letter from our Dept of Foreign Affairs.
    I understand they did the same with the BBC in the past when they had cities in the Republic of Ireland indicated, and weather symbols on the Republic too

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    Mute fitszpatrick
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    Jun 30th 2011, 11:05 PM

    Because more often than not the weather approaches from the south west.

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    Mute Dave Finn
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    Jun 30th 2011, 1:10 PM

    The country needs population growth. We are underpopulated, and you see the problems that brings in terms of being able to provide for people’s needs such as schools, hospitals etc in an economic way.

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    Mute Damian Stapleton
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    Jun 30th 2011, 12:28 PM

    Now all we have to do is increase the population to 10 million in an INTELLIGENT way!!!

    Currently our country has the population on a large city of many other european countries. We need to have quantity as quality.

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    Mute Gerry Mcdermott
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    Jun 30th 2011, 9:04 PM

    Republic of Ireland + Northern Ireland = Ireland is that easy enough ? this argument is silly & worn out,and no part of Ireland has anything to do with a so called mainland Britain.

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    Mute Dave Finn
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    Jun 30th 2011, 6:12 PM

    Given Sky News is seen globally, I think they should certainly do so.

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    Mute Derek Richardson
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    Jun 30th 2011, 6:47 PM

    whats the idea about increasing the population we can,t look after the few people we have oh i forgot we rather look after other,s than our own anyway

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    Mute David Conch Condon
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    Jul 2nd 2011, 2:02 PM

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPjjCtPxkrA

    unfortunately these people were not counted…….

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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Jul 9th 2011, 12:03 PM

    Actually there are more vacant houses than the census tells us, simply because enumerators were told not to count imcomplete houses unless they had doors and windows.

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