Irish Population Statistics 1841- Present

 In 1841, shortly before the Great Famine, the Irish State had a population of over 6.5 million. The census of 1851 showed a decline to 5.1 million for the same area. The decline in population is attributed to deaths from starvation, disease and large-scale emigration. Emigration continued and by 1961 the population of the State stood at 2.8 million, the lowest census figure on record. At this time the pattern changed. Due to a combination of natural population increase and the commencement of migration into the country the population started to grow. An average annual rise in population of 0.6% in the period from 1981 to 1986. Between 1986 and 1991, largely as a result of the resumption of emigration, an average annual fall in population of 0.1% was recorded. The 1991 census states the population of the State was 3,525,719. In 1994 the population was estimated at 3.571 million.
Major centres of population are Dublin (915,000), Cork (174,000), Limerick (75,000), Galway (51,000), Waterford (42,000), and Dundalk (30,000). 59% of the population lives in cities and towns consisting of 1,000 or more people. Overall the population density is 51 persons per square kilometer. The country is largely populated in the east and south, with less population residing in the western area of the country.
Approximately 43% of the population is under 25 and approximately 27% is under 15. Peak births recorded were 74,064 in 1980.The birth rate fell for the first time in 1993, below the minimum population replacement rate (2.1 births per woman during child-rearing age) to 1.93 births per woman. Total births in 1993 were 49,456 and, if present trends continue, the annual number of births could fall below 40,000 by the year 2007.