Panel of Experts from NUI Maynooth Analyses 2011Census Data

 

30 March 2012 A team of analysts from NIRSA based at NUI Maynooth have studied the Census results from the CSO and applied the data to their All-Ireland mapping tool. 

The 2011 Census, published yesterday, reveals that the population in Ireland in April 2011 was 4,588,252, a 8.2% increase on 2006.  This is the highest population in the 32 local authority areas since 1861. It also reveals that there was a spike in vacant housing units, along with a decreasing population in the 15 – 29 years category. 

On Census night there were 1,994,845 housing units in the state (up 12.72% from 2006).  1,649,408 of these units were occupied by the usual resident while 289,451 were vacant.

According to Prof Rob Kitchin, Director of NIRSA, “what is clear from the Census data is that there is a wide variation across the country with respect to levels of vacancy and oversupply.  Unfortunately, the areas of high vacancy/oversupply coincide with the areas of low or negative population growth, which would suggest that they will suffer ongoing issues of oversupply for many years.” 

According to Dr Mary Gilmartin of the Department of Geography at NUI Maynooth, Census 2011 reveals that almost all migrant groups in Ireland recorded an increase in numbers between 2006 and 2011. Poles now account for the largest migrant group in Ireland, with a 94% increase in the number of Poles living in Ireland since 2006. There were also large percentage increases among Hungarian, Indian and Brazilian national groups.

Dr Jane Gray, Head of the Department of Sociology at NUI Maynooth maintains that, while over the past 30 years there has been some increase in the diversity of Irish family forms, the initial evidence from Census 2011 indicates considerable stability in trends in family and household formation patterns since 2006, and Irish family diversity remains limited compared to other western countries.

One demographic feature that may indicate dramatic changes in the near future according to Dr Gray is the decline in the number of people aged 15-29 years. This can partly be attributed to a decreasing number of births in the 1980s and early 1990s, and partly due to emigration in the current economic climate.

According to Dr Gray, “this increased age dependency ratio will create challenges for Irish families and the Irish state, as we struggle to provide care for young and old in the context of reduced economic prosperity”.

Census 2011 shows that Ireland is still a predominately Catholic country, with 84.2% of people identifying themselves as Catholic.  A large group of people, 269,811, chose the ‘No Religion’ category, a 45% increase on 2006 (183,493 people).

Ends.                   30 March 2012

Note: All of the results provided in yesterday’s Census 2011 release are available as interactive graphs and maps on the AIRO website. The resource is free for everyone to use.

To view interactive graphs/maps of Census 2011: visit http://www.airo.ie/mapping-module/census

For more information please contact:

Prof Rob Kitchin,  NIRSA, NUI Maynooth                   +353 1 708 3372