In 1841, shortly before the Great Famine, the area comprising the present Irish State had a population of over 6.5 million. The outflow thus begun became a dominant feature of the population pattern over the succeeding years. By 1961 the population of the State stood at 2.8 million, the lowest census figure on record. From 1961 onwards the pattern changed. At the 1996 census, the population of the State was 3,626,087.
Population densities are highest in the east and south.
Emigration has declined in recent years and immigration has increased. In 1997, there was a net inflow of 15,000 people, the highest such figure since the 1970s. The Irish Constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of religion to all citizens.