Dublin population hits 1.5 million

The population of Dublin has hit 1.5 million people for the first time.

Statistics from the Central Statistics Office show that Dublin now makes up 28.4% of the population of Ireland, as Ireland hit over 5 million people in last year’s census.

The population of Ireland stood at 5,281,600 in April 2023, with 85.7% of the population being Irish citizens and 14.3% of non-Irish citizens making up the remainder of the population.

Commenting on the data, Cathal Doherty, Statistician in Population Estimates and Projections, said “Ireland’s population was estimated to be 5.28 million, rising by 97,600 people in the year to April 2023. This was the largest 12-month population increase since 2008 when the population rose by 109,200.”

Dublin now has a population on a par with Munich, and ahead of Milan and Prague.

The figures were announced as part of a report by the Central Statistics Office detailing migration trends.

The report found that 141,600 immigrants entered Ireland last year, the highest figure since 2007 which saw 151,100 enter Ireland.

81,000 of those who immigrated to Ireland last year originated from outside the European Union, with most of them refugees who were fleeing the war in Ukraine.

The research found that more than half (53% or 75,100 people) of the total immigrants and half (50% or 32,300 people) of the total emigrants were aged between 25-44 years.

The number of Irish people moving in and out of the country saw 29,600 returning to Ireland while 30,500 leaving the country

A total of 64,000 emigrants left Ireland between April 2022 and April 2023, making for a net migration total of 77,600.

There was a natural of 20,000 people in the State, consisting of 55,500 births and 35,500 deaths in the same time frame.

Elsewhere in the report, findings showed that there were 806,300 over the age of 65 living in Ireland in April 2023.