The population of the Republic of Ireland grew by nearly a third in 20 years, while the population of Northern Ireland grew by an eighth, according to a joint study carried out by statisticians.
In 2022, the population of the island of Ireland stood at 7.1 million. This marked an increase of 26 per cent, or 1.5 million people, over the 20 years since 2002. It was the first time the island’s population exceeded seven million since the Famine of the mid-19th century.
Between 2002 and 2022, the population in the Republic increased by 31 per cent to 5,149,000. In the same period, the population grew by 13 per cent in Northern Ireland to 1.9 million. These figures are from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and Northern Ireland’s Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).
Population growth in the Republic, largely fuelled by immigration, was strongest from 2002 to 2006 and from 2006 to 2011, with an increase of 8 per cent recorded over the course of two Census counts. Growth slowed noticeably between 2011 and 2016, dropping to 4 per cent.
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However, growth rebounded between 2016 and 2022, reaching 8 per cent. In Northern Ireland, meanwhile, the fastest growth took place between 2006 to 2011, rising by 4 per cent, before dropping to 3 per cent from 2011 to 2016 and declining again to 2 per cent from 2016 to 2022.
In 2022, 86 per cent of the population living in the Republic identified as White, compared with 97 per cent in Northern Ireland, with Asians now making up 4 per cent of the population south of the border and 2 per cent in Northern Ireland.
The proportion of people identifying as Black that year accounted for 1.5 per cent of the population in the Republic of Ireland (76,245 people), compared with 0.6 per cent in Northern Ireland (11,030 people).
Fifty-nine per cent of those from an Asian background were aged 20 to 49 in the Republic, while 57 per cent of Asian-background people living in Northern Ireland fell into the same age category.
A quarter of those from a Black ethnic background living in the Republic are aged between 10 to 19 years, though Northern Ireland’s Black community is significantly older, with the largest cohort aged between 30 and 39.
Meanwhile, people aged between 40 to 44 are now the Republic’s largest single group, reflecting a spur in births between 1978 and 1982, though there is a secondary peak of 10- to 14-year-olds, explained by a rise in births between 2008 and 2012.
However, the single most common group in Northern Ireland is significantly older, with people aged between 50 and 54, and between 55 to 59, now featuring as the numerically largest.
The number of Travellers was 32,949 (up by 0.6 per cent in 20 years) in the Republic and up by 0.1 per cent in Northern Ireland to 2,610. However, over half of all Travellers in both jurisdictions are younger than 25.
Northern Ireland’s population density is significantly higher than south of the Border, with 141 people living per sq km, which is almost twice that found in the Republic, with 73 people per sq km.
Fingal in north Dublin is the fastest growing part of the island, up by 21 per cent between 2011 and alone, while growth was lowest in Donegal at 4 per cent. In Northern Ireland, Lisburn and Castlereagh grew by 11 per cent. North Antrim, meanwhile, grew by just 0.3 pert cent.
There are differences, too, in the age profile of both parts of the island. Half of the population in the Republic are now younger than 38 and half are older. Half in Northern Ireland are younger than 40, compared to a European Union average of 44.
In Census 2021/2022, just under half of adults in each jurisdiction (49 per cent) were either married or separated, with close to two-fifths single in the Republic and 39 percent in Northern Ireland.
However, divorce is more common in Northern Ireland than the Republic – 6 per cent compared to 3 per cent, the joint CSO/NISRA survey published today found.
The number of singles in the Republic has remained stable – 43 per cent in 2002, falling slightly to 42 per cent in 2011 and returning to 43 per cent in 2022. However, the number jumped significantly in 20 years in Northern Ireland, from 34 per cent in 2001 to 39 per cent in 2021.
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The percentage of people in the Republic who were married or in a civil partnership has also stayed stable - 47 per cent in 2002 and 2011, and 46 per cent in 2022. In Northern Ireland, however, it fell from 50 per cent in 2001 to 45 per cent in 2021.
On housing, the joint study found that there were 2,112,121 permanent homes in the Republic, but 240,599 of these were unoccupied. However, there have been long arguments about whether the latter figure accurately represents the numbers idle.
Significantly fewer homes in the Republic are rented from a local authority or a voluntary housing body than in Northern Ireland. Ten per cent of homes are covered by such categories south of the Border, compared with 15 per cent in the North.
Fewer than one in five households in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland rented from a private landlord.
