Not Irish citizens
16.8%
Estimated share of the population, April 2026.
CSO population estimate (PEA25) · share calculated
Ireland’s people. Our backgrounds and communities.
Ethnic backgrounds, beliefs, languages and socioeconomic groups across Ireland.
Explore population growth, migration and age in Population & change →
At a glance
Each card has its own date and source.
Born outside the State
20.0%
Usually resident population, Census 2022.
CSO Census (F1052) · share calculated
No religion
14.5%
Census 2022. Not stated is a separate group.
CSO Census (F5070) · share calculated
Speak another language at home
14.8%
A language other than English or Irish, Census 2022.
CSO Census (F5004 ÷ F5014) · share calculated
Backgrounds
Citizenship, birthplace and ethnic or cultural background. These are three different questions, so the groups do not line up.
How is Ireland's citizenship mix changing?
Ireland·April 2006–2026·% of the population
Annual CSO population estimates by citizenship, in April of each year.
In April 2026, an estimated 16.8% of people living in Ireland were not Irish citizens, up from 11.6% in April 2016.
Calculation notes
The 2017–2022 estimates were revised after Census 2022. From 2022 the census asked about citizenship; earlier censuses asked about nationality.
Where were people living in Ireland born?
Ireland·Census 2022·% of usually resident population
The 15 birthplaces outside the Republic of Ireland with the most residents. 4,067,442 residents were born in the Republic.
In Census 2022, 20.0% of residents were born outside the Republic of Ireland. Ordered by count, the next birthplaces were England and Wales (210,434), Poland (106,143) and Northern Ireland (61,750).
Calculation notes
Northern Ireland is shown separately, as published. Residual groups such as “Other countries” are CSO categories.
What ethnic backgrounds make up Ireland?
Ireland·Census 2022·% of usually resident population
Every published background, including Not stated.
In Census 2022, 76.6% of residents described their background as White Irish. 6.2% did not state a background.
Calculation notes
Roma and White Irish Traveller are separate categories. Not stated is shown and is not redistributed.
Religion
How has religious affiliation changed?
Ireland·Census 2011, 2016, 2022·% of population
Roman Catholic, other stated religions, no religion and not stated.
Roman Catholics were 69.1% of the population in Census 2022, down from 84.7% in 2011. People with no religion were 14.5%, up from 5.7%.
Calculation notes
Other stated religions is the sum of every published religion apart from Roman Catholic, No religion and Not stated.
Data notes & limitations
Note: The religion question and response options changed in 2022, which may affect comparisons with earlier censuses.
How does religious affiliation differ by age?
Ireland·Census 2022·% of each age group
The red dashed line is the share for all ages.
In Census 2022, 25.7% of people aged 25–29 were in the No religion group, compared with 9.4% of people aged 65–69 and 14.5% of all ages.
Data notes & limitations
Note: The religion question and response options changed in 2022, which may affect comparisons with earlier censuses.
Languages
People who reported speaking a language other than English or Irish at home. Irish language ability is a separate census question and is not on this page.
Which languages are spoken at home?
Ireland·Census 2022·Persons
People who reported speaking a language other than English or Irish at home.
In Census 2022, 751,507 people spoke a language other than English or Irish at home. Ordered by speakers, the first three languages were Polish (123,968), Romanian (57,383) and French (51,568).
Calculation notes
“Other stated languages (incl. not stated)” is a CSO category and is kept.
How well do speakers of other home languages speak English?
Ireland·Census 2022·% of other-language speakers
People who reported speaking a language other than English or Irish at home.
In Census 2022, 83.2% of these speakers said they spoke English well or very well, and 12.7% said not well or not at all.
Calculation notes
Self-reported ability. Not stated is shown.
Irish Travellers
Roma are a separate category in the census and are not included in these figures.
How does the Traveller age profile compare with Ireland overall?
Ireland·Census 2022·% of each group
32,949 people described themselves as White Irish Traveller in Census 2022.
In Census 2022, 36.4% of Irish Travellers were under 15, compared with 19.7% of the whole population. 4.5% were aged 65 or over, compared with 15.1%.
Calculation notes
Both profiles come from the same table, base and age bands.
How has accommodation for Traveller families changed?
Ireland·2022–2025·% of Traveller families
Annual estimate by local authorities of Traveller families in each type of accommodation.
The Department of Housing counted 13,128 Traveller families in 2025, compared with 12,183 in 2022. 69.4% were accommodated by or with the assistance of a local authority.
Calculation notes
Each year is taken from the latest annual release that covers it. Own resources and private rented accommodation are estimates in the source.
Data notes & limitations
Note: These administrative statistics count families and use different definitions from the census population count.
Socioeconomic groups
What socioeconomic groups make up Ireland?
Ireland·Census 2022·% of population aged 15 and over
Everyone aged 15 and over, including people not in the labour force.
In Census 2022, ordered by size, the first two groups of people aged 15 and over were non-manual (37.1%) and employers and managers (12.5%).
Data notes & limitations
Note: Groups are based on occupation and employment status. Some people are classified using another family member’s occupation.
How is the workforce changing by citizenship?
Ireland·2021 Q1–2026 Q2·% of people in employment
Labour Force Survey, quarterly, not seasonally adjusted.
In 2026 Q2, 21.5% of people in employment were not Irish citizens, up from 16.0% in 2021 Q1.
Calculation notes
Survey estimates have sampling error; small quarter-to-quarter moves may not be meaningful. Q3 and Q4 2025 were revised by the CSO on 21 May 2026.
Counties
Census 2022 county profiles. Shares are summed counts divided by summed totals; county percentages are never averaged.
Display
What share of each county's residents were born outside the State?
Ireland and 26 counties·Census 2022·% of usually resident and present population of the county
Denominator: Usually resident and present population of the county.
In Census 2022, born outside ireland (republic) ranged from 13.9% in Kilkenny to 25.2% in Dublin, against 20.0% for Ireland.
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Contains Tailte Éireann National Statutory Boundaries 2019 (Generalised 20m). CC BY 4.0.
Choose a county. Select a county on the map or in the Place list to compare its profile with Ireland.
Ireland in Europe
Eurostat comparisons by country of birth, for one common reference year. Countries without a value for that year are listed, never filled from another year.
What share of each country's population was born abroad?
27 EU member states·2025·% of population
Ireland's foreign-born share in 2025 was 23.3%, placing it 4 of 27 member states with 2025 data, ordered from the top.
Calculation notes
Eurostat does not publish an EU27 figure for this measure and year, so none is shown.
Data notes & limitations
Note: Eurostat flags in brackets — e: estimated; p: provisional.