Page last modified 18 August 2023
Ireland
Community
Area 70,273 square kilometres (land area 68,883 square kilometres)
Population, (excluding what is now Northern Ireland)
6,528,799 (1841)
4,400,000 (1861)
4,050,000 (1871)
3,221,823 (1901)
3,096,000 (1921)
2,968,420 (1936)
2,955,107 (1946)
2,898,264 (1956)
2,829,000 (1960)
2,818,341 (1961)1�
2.950,000 (1970) +4.3%
3,412,000 (1980) +15.7%
3,514,000 (1990) +3.0%
3,805,000 (2000) +8.3%
4,560,000 (2010) +19.8%
4,995,000 (2020) +9.5%
1. Lowest since 1841
Population, (including Northern Ireland)
800.000 (1500)
1,000,000 (1600)
1,600,000 (1650)
1,700,000 (1670)
2,000,000 (1700)
2,400,000 (1750)
3,584,000 (1771)
4,048,000 (1781)
4,753,000(1791)
5,395,496 (1801)
5,900,000 (1811)
6,802,000 (1821)
7,767,000 (1831)
8,196,000 (1841)
6,514,000 (1851)2
5,788,000 (1861)
5,398,000 (1871)
5,146,000 (1881)
4,650,000 (1891)
4,458,775 (1901)
4,390,000 (1911)
2. Major famine; emigration of over 1,200,000 people 1847-52. 1,000,000 of these went to the USA. Total emigration from Ireland 1851-1901 was 4,028,589.
Ethnicity, %
|
|
Asian |
Black |
Irish |
White Non-Irish |
|
1936 |
>0.1 |
0.1 |
97.8 |
2.1* |
|
1970 |
|
|
97.3 |
2.6 |
|
1992 |
|
|
97.3 |
|
|
2001 |
|
|
94.0 |
|
|
2006 |
1.3 |
1.1 |
87.4 |
7.5 |
|
2011 |
1.9 |
1.4 |
84.5 |
9.8 |
*This comprised 0.4% American and 1.7% British
Religion, % All Ireland; South and North. Emigration in the19th century was higher amongst Roman Catholics, resulting in a slow decline in their proportion in Ireland.
|
|
Christian R C |
Christian Other |
Jewish |
Muslim |
None |
|
1861 |
77.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
1881 |
76.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
1891 |
75.0 |
25.0 |
|
|
|
|
1901 |
74.2 |
|
0.1 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
|
1911 |
73.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
1936 |
93.4 |
6.2 |
0.1 |
|
|
|
1946 |
94.3 |
5.3 |
0.1 |
|
|
|
1970 |
95.1 |
|
0.1 |
0.0 |
0.2 |
|
1986 |
93.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
2002 |
88.4 |
|
|
0.5 |
|
|
2006 |
87.4 |
4.8 |
|
|
4.2 |
Birth and death rates Below replacement rate = 2.1
|
|
Fertility Rate |
Birth Rate |
Infant Mortality |
Death Rate |
% Aged Under 15 |
% Aged Over 65 |
% Urban |
|
1800 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
7.8 |
|
1850 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.1 |
|
1865 |
|
26.1 (+9.5) |
|
16.6 |
|
|
|
|
1880 |
|
|
96.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1890 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
18.0 |
|
1901 |
|
23.2 (+5.2) |
103.0 |
18.0 |
30.4 |
|
|
|
1912 |
|
22.6 (+6.2) |
|
16.4 |
|
|
|
|
1930 |
3.5 |
19.4 (+5.4) |
68.0 |
14.0 |
|
|
|
|
1940 |
3.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1946 |
|
23.1 (+8.2) |
69.0 |
14.9 |
|
|
37.9 |
|
1950 |
3.0 |
21.0 (+8.0) |
41.0 |
13.0 |
28.9 |
10.7 |
40.0 |
|
1960 |
3.8 |
22.0 (+10.5) |
30.3 |
11.5 |
30.9 |
11.2 |
45.8 |
|
1970 |
3.9 |
22.0 (+11.6) |
20.0 |
11.4 |
30.8 |
11.0 |
51.7 |
|
1980 |
3.2 |
22.0 (+12.2) |
12.0 |
9.8 |
30.4 |
10.6 |
55.3 |
|
1990 |
2.1 |
15.0 (+6.9) |
8.0 |
8.9 |
27.5 |
11.1 |
56.9 |
|
2000 |
1.9 |
14.0 (+5.8) |
6.0 |
8.2 |
21.4 |
10.6 |
59.1 |
|
2010 |
2.1 |
16.1 (+10.0) |
3.5 |
6.1 |
20.7 |
11.2 |
61.8 |
|
2015 |
1.9 |
14.2 (+7.8) |
3.3 |
6.4 |
21.8 |
13.2 |
62.5 |
|
2017 |
1.8 |
12.9 (+6.6) |
3.2 |
6.3 |
|
|
|
|
2018 |
|
|
3.1 |
|
21.4 |
13.9 |
63.2 |
Life expectancy,
57.7 (1926); 57.4 (M), 57.9 (F)
58.9 (1936); 58.2 (M), 59.6 (F)
66.9 (1952); 66.0 (M), 68.0 (F)
69.8 (1960); 68.0 (M), 71.7 (F)
71.0 (1970); 68.7 (M), 73.5 (F)
72.6 (1980); 69.9 (M), 75.5 (F)
74.8 (1990); 72.1 (M), 77.7 (F)
76.5 (2000); 74.0 (M), 79.2 (F)
80.7 (2010); 78.5 (M), 83.1 (F)
82.4 (2020); 80.7 (M), 83.9 (F)
Population of principal cities, 1,000s MA = Metropolitan Area
|
|
Cork1 |
DUBLIN2 |
Galway |
Limerick |
Waterford |
|
1750 |
53 |
125 |
|
|
|
|
1851 |
90 |
263 |
24 |
53 |
|
|
1861 |
|
296 |
17 |
45 |
24 |
|
1871 |
79 |
|
|
|
|
|
1881 |
80 |
|
|
39 |
|
|
1891 |
|
297 |
|
|
|
|
1901 |
76 |
291 |
13 |
46 |
27 |
|
1911 |
|
305 |
|
|
|
|
1945 |
|
503 |
|
|
|
|
1951 |
112 |
521 |
21 |
51 |
29 |
|
1961 |
115 |
|
|
|
|
|
1971 |
128 |
650 |
|
|
|
|
1981 |
150 |
|
42 |
76 |
40 |
|
1991 |
174 |
916 |
51 |
75 |
42 |
|
2002 |
186 |
1,005 |
66 |
83 |
47 |
|
2006 |
190 |
|
73 |
91 |
49 |
|
2009 |
|
1,871 |
|
|
|
|
2016 |
209 |
1,905 MA |
80 |
162 MA |
54 |
1Cork grew around the monastery of St Finbarr, founded in the 7th century.
2Dublin was founded in 840 by Danish settlers.�
Wealth; Gross Domestic Product (nominal values)
|
|
GDP, US$ million |
Total GDP, % of USA |
GDP per capita, US$ |
GDP per capita % of USA |
|
1948 |
1,455 |
0.65 |
485 |
31.80 |
|
1956 |
1,250 |
0.35 |
|
|
|
1960 |
1,939 |
0.36 |
685 |
22.78 |
|
1965 |
2,845 |
0.38 |
1,000 |
26.12 |
|
1970 |
4,190 |
0.40 |
1,476 |
28.13 |
|
1975 |
9,080 |
0.56 |
2,975 |
38.04 |
|
1980 |
20,850 |
0.75 |
6,371 |
50.57 |
|
1985 |
20,410 |
0.48 |
5,966 |
32.66 |
|
1990 |
47,430 |
0.82 |
13,538 |
56.51 |
|
1995 |
66,410 |
0.90 |
18,464 |
61.41 |
|
2000 |
94,600 |
0.95 |
25,102 |
68.87 |
|
2005 |
211,700 |
1.62 |
50,900 |
114.88 |
|
2010 |
221,350 |
1.48 |
46,170 |
95.44 |
|
2015 |
283,700 |
1.57 |
60,600 |
107.82 |
|
2016 |
294,050 |
1.58 |
61,600 |
107.19 |
GDP by primary sector
|
|
Agriculture % GDP |
Agriculture % employed |
Industry % GDP |
Industry % employed |
Services % GDP |
Services % employed |
|
1900 |
45.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1950 |
40.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1960 |
|
36.0 |
|
25.0 |
|
39.0 |
|
1970 |
29.0 |
24.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1980 |
|
18.0 |
|
37.0 |
|
44.0 |
|
1990 |
12.0 |
12.7 |
37.5 |
27.0 |
53.0 |
57.0 |
|
2000 |
4.0 |
8.0 |
36.0 |
28.0 |
55.5 |
64.0 |
|
2010 |
2.0 |
5.0 |
29.0 |
20.0 |
70.0 |
76.0 |
|
2016 |
1.0 |
5.0 |
39.3 |
11.0 |
59.7 |
84.0 |
Communications
Language� Official; English and Irish. Irish is
compulsory at school.
|
|
English |
Irish, as Mother tongue |
Irish (all speakers) |
|
1947 |
76.0 |
24.0 |
|
|
1960 |
80.0 |
20.0 |
24.0 |
|
1990 |
94.5 |
5.0 |
|
|
1994 |
|
2.0 |
|
|
2002 |
|
|
42.8 |
|
2006 |
|
|
41.9 |
Literacy
41.0% (1861)
49.0% (1871)
59.0% (1881)
71.0% (1891)
79.0% (1901)
97.0% (1960)
99.9% (1984 and subsequent years)
Physical communications � roads, First car in Ireland was in
1898. Few could afford them and initial road traffic growth was very slow.
|
|
Roads (km) |
Motor vehicles |
Cars |
Commercial Vehicles |
|
1904 |
|
38 |
|
|
|
1911 |
|
5,058 |
|
|
|
1914 |
|
19,554 |
|
|
|
1915 |
|
|
9,850 |
|
|
1938 |
77,280 |
|
|
|
|
1948 |
|
|
52,187 |
18,838 |
|
1950 |
79,200 |
|
85,100 |
40,700 |
|
1955 |
|
174,000 |
132,500 |
|
|
1960 |
85,000 |
|
154,054 |
43,634 |
|
1961 |
|
|
190,200 |
|
|
1964 |
|
308,000 |
|
|
|
1970 |
|
|
366,615 |
45,629 |
|
1975 |
89,006 |
|
|
|
|
1977 |
|
|
572,700 |
53,300 |
|
1980 |
92,000 |
|
734,371 |
65,052 |
|
1990 |
93,000 |
890,000 |
810,000 |
125,000 |
|
1995 |
93,500 |
|
|
|
|
2000 |
|
1,608,159 |
1,269,215 |
188,814 |
|
2007 |
95,900 |
2,200,000 |
1,882,901 |
354,875 |
|
2010 |
96,036 |
|
|
|
|
2013 |
|
2,482,500 |
|
|
|
2014 |
|
2,515,322 |
1,943,868 |
|
|
2016 |
|
|
1,985,130 |
330,541 |
Railways; First steam railway opened 1834, 10km, Dublin to Kingston.
|
|
Length (km) |
% electrified |
|
1840 |
23 |
|
|
1850 |
866 |
|
|
1860 |
2,196 |
|
|
1870 |
3,180 |
|
|
1880 |
3,816 |
|
|
1890 |
4,495 |
|
|
1900 |
5,124 |
|
|
1910 |
5,476 |
|
|
1920 |
5,542 |
|
|
1920 |
4,328 |
|
|
1930 |
4,295 |
|
|
1940 |
4,014 |
|
|
1950 |
3,938 |
|
|
1960 |
3,600 |
|
|
1962 |
2,665 |
|
|
1965 |
2,346 |
|
|
1977 |
2.004 |
|
|
1980 |
1,988 |
|
|
1985 |
1,944 |
2.0 |
|
1990 |
1,944 |
|
|
2005 |
1,919 |
2.7 |
|
2014 |
1,872* |
2.6 |
*
also 1,365 Irish Peat Board peat rlys to power stations
and briquette plants
All Ireland , including Northern Ireland
Dublin tram system, opened 2004
42.1 km (2012)
Electronic communications, TV broadcasts from the Irish republic began 31 December 1961. However TV signals could be received from some areas from 1949, from transmitters in northern England. Transmissions from Northern Ireland began in 1959; these too could be received in the Republic.
|
|
Telephones (landlines) |
Mobile Telephones |
Radios 1,000s |
Televisions 1,000s |
PCs |
Internet Users |
|
1938 |
43,086 |
|
164 |
|
|
|
|
1944 |
52,631 |
|
169 |
|
|
|
|
1946 |
55,426 |
|
176 |
|
|
|
|
1950 |
|
|
298 |
|
|
|
|
1960 |
|
|
494 |
|
|
|
|
1961 |
|
|
|
60 |
|
|
|
1962 |
180,535 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1969 |
202,019 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1975 |
330,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1976 |
|
|
949 |
|
|
|
|
1977 |
|
|
|
692 |
|
|
|
1980 |
483,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1985 |
|
300 |
|
|
|
|
|
1988 |
|
|
|
|
100,000 |
|
|
1990 |
983,000 |
25,000 |
2,170 |
1,025 |
300,000 |
|
|
1995 |
|
158,000 |
2,300 |
1,450 |
660,000 |
|
|
1998 |
|
|
|
|
|
300,000 |
|
2000 |
1,832,000 |
2,461,000 |
2,660 |
1,500 |
1,360,000 |
750,000 |
|
2005 |
|
4,210,000 |
|
2,900 |
2,200,000 |
1,510,000 |
|
2010 |
2,078,000 |
4,871,000 |
|
|
|
3,042,000 |
|
2016 |
1,897,134 |
4,950,000 |
|
|
|
4,070,000 |
|
2017 |
|
|
|
|
|
4,453,500 |
Tourism: Visitors to Ireland,
1,758,000 (1970)
1,619,000 (1974)
1,447,000 (1977)
3,666,000 (1990)
4,818,000 (1995)
6,646,000 (2000)
7,333,000 (2005)
7,134,000 (2010)
9,528,000 (2015)