Demographics of the Republic of Ireland
The Republic of Ireland had a population of 4,761,865 at the 2016 census. Demographic history. The island of Ireland, throughout most of its history, had a small population, comparable to that of other regions of similar area in Europe. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Ireland experienced a major population boom as a result of the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions. In the 50-year period 1790–1840, the population of the island doubled from 4 million to 8 million. At its peak, Ireland's population density was similar to that of England and continental  Europe. This changed dramatically with the Great Famine of the mid-19th century, which led to mass starvation and consequent mass emigration. In the area covering the present day Republic of Ireland, the population reached about 6.5 million in the mid 1840s. Ten years later it was down to 5 million. The population continued a slow decline well into the 20th century, with the Republic recording a low of 2.8 million in the 1961 census. During the 1960s, the population started to grow once more, although slowly as emigration was still common. In the 1990s the country entered a period of  rapid economic growth as a result of the Celtic Tiger Irish economic boom, and the Republic started to receive immigration. Many former Irish emigrants returned home, and the Republic of Ireland became an attractive destination for immigrants, from other member states EU such as Central Europe, but also from outside the EU such as Africa, Asia and elsewhere. With the 2008 onset of the Irish economic and banking crisis, the state's economy suffered, and the Republic of Ireland has once again been experiencing net emigration of its citizens, but immigration remains high. In November 2013, Eurostat reported that the  republic had the largest net emigration rate of any member state, at 7.6 emigrants per 1,000 population. However, it has the youngest population of any European Union member state and its population size is predicted to grow for many decades, in contrast with the declining population predicted for most European countries. A report published in 2008 predicted that the population would reach 6.7 million by 2060. The Republic has also been experiencing a baby boom, with increasing birth rates and overall fertility rates. Despite this, the total fertility rate is still below replacement depending on when the measurement is taken . The Irish fertility rate is still the highest of any European country. This increase is significantly fuelled by non-Irish immigration – in 2009, a quarter of all children born in the Republic were born to mothers who had immigrated from other countries. Ethnic groups and immigration. Gaelic culture and language forms an important part of the Irish national identity. The Irish Travellers are an indigenous minority ethnic group, formally recognised by the Irish State since 1 March 2017. In 2008, Ireland had the highest birth rate (18.1 per 1,000), lowest death rate (6.1 per 1,000) and highest net-migration rate  (14.1 per 1,000) in the entire European Union – and the largest population growth rate (4.4%) in the 27-member bloc as a result. There is only genetic evidence for pre-Celtic migration into Ireland. The Irish people may therefore be described as strongly influenced by Celtic language and traditions. Nationalities. Ireland contains several immigrant communities, especially in Dublin and other cities across the country. The largest immigrant groups, with over 10,000 people, being Poles, Lithuanians, Romanians, Latvians, Indians, Americans, Brazilians, Spanish, Italians, French, Germans and the British. Total fertility rate from 1850 to 1899. The total fertility rate is the  number of children born per woman. It is based on fairly good data for the entire period. Sources: Our World In Data and Gapminder Foundation. -From January - February 2021 = 7,151 Population statistics from 1900. Current vital statistics. -From January - February 2022 = 5,903 Nationality of mothers. Of the 55,959 births in 2020, there were 43,019 babies (76.9%) born to mothers of Irish nationality compared to 46,036 (77.0%) in 2019. There were 9.6% (10.4% in 2019) of births to mothers of EU15 to EU27 nationality, 2.1% of mothers were of UK nationality, and 2.2% were of EU14 nationality (excluding Ireland ). Mothers of nationalities other than Ireland, UK and the EU accounted for 9.3% (8.4% in 2019) of total births registered. Life expectancy. Source: "UN World Population Prospects" Demographic statistics. Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2019. The following demographic statistics are from the Republic of Ireland's Central Statistics Office (CSO), Eurostat and the CIA World Factbook. Irish 82.2%, Irish travellers 0.7%, other white 9.5%, Asian 2.1%, black 1.4%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.6% (2016 est.) Ethnic groups. Irish, with Norse (Scandinavian), Norman, English, French, Scottish, and Welsh, Ulster-Scots and various immigrant populations – the largest immigrant groups , with over 10,000 people, are the British, Poles, Americans, Lithuanians, Latvians, Romanians, Indians, Brazilians, Spanish, Italians, French, and Germans. Ethnic backgrounds: Irish: 82.2%, Irish Traveller: 0.7%, Other White: 9.5% (total White: 92.4%), Asian: 2.1%, Black: 1.3%, Other: 1.5%, Not Stated: 2.6% (2016) Religion. The Republic of Ireland is a predominantly Christian country. The majority are Catholic, however, the number of people who declare themselves Catholic has been declining in recent years. Irreligion has almost doubled since 2011 with 9.8% declaring 'No Religion' in 2016, overtaking Protestantism as the second largest group in the state. The various Protestant and other Christian  faiths represent 5.6. Immigration has brought other faiths, with Islam at 1.3%, other religions 2.4% and 2.6% gave no answer. Languages. English is the most commonly used language, with 84% of the population calling it their mother tongue. Irish is the first official language of the state, with 11% calling it their mother tongue. Irish is the main language of the Gaeltacht regions, where 96,628 people live. The main sign language used is Irish Sign Language. See also. Groups: