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Life in 1916 Ireland: Stories from statistics

Emigration

1.8 Estimated Emigration by sex, age group and nationality, 1916-19201 and 2011-20151,2
    number
Age group19161917191819191920 20112012201320142015
Persons             
0 - 14 1,0138354578591,330 5,3004,9006,8006,0005,400
15 - 24 4,2424221088099,646 34,50035,80034,80033,50030,400
25 - 44 1,6997463571,1744,074 31,30039,50041,00037,60039,700
45 - 59 35310856207419 4,9004,4004,6002,7003,600
60 and over 5918565116 4,7002,4001,9002,2001,700
Total persons 7,3662,1299833,11415,585 80,60087,10089,00081,90080,900
Of which:            
 Irish nationals7,3022,1119802,97515,531 42,00046,50050,90040,70035,300
 Non-Irish nationals6418346654 38,60040,60038,10041,20045,600
             
Males            
0 - 14 538465240451673 2,5002,3003,9002,2002,900
15 - 24 44297402443,182 15,90017,40015,10015,80013,200
25 - 44 5192141234012,027 17,90024,70022,50022,30022,100
45 - 59 255653893153 2,4003,0002,5001,1002,800
60 and over 321123940 3,1001,4001,0007001,300
Total males 1,7868524431,2286,075 41,80048,90045,00042,00042,200
Of which:            
 Irish nationals1,7438384421,1376,044 24,50026,00027,10022,70018,800
 Non-Irish nationals431419131 17,40022,90017,80019,30023,400
             
Females            
0 - 14 475370217408657 2,7002,6002,9003,8002,600
15 - 24 3,800325685656,464 18,60018,40019,60017,70017,300
25 - 44 1,1805322347732,047 13,30014,80018,50015,30017,600
45 - 59 984318114266 2,4001,4002,1001,600900
60 and over 27732676 1,6001,0009001,500400
Total females 5,5801,2775401,8869,510 38,80038,20044,00039,90038,700
Of which:            
 Irish nationals5,5591,2735381,8389,487 17,50020,60023,80018,00016,500
 Non-Irish nationals21424823 21,30017,60020,20021,90022,200
Source: Emigration Statistics of Ireland in House of Commons Parliamentary Report, Population and Migration estimates, CSO
1 The data for years 1916-1920 refers to the island of Ireland while the data for years 2011-2015 refers to the Republic of Ireland.
2 Data for years 2011-2015 is sample data rounded to the nearest 100.

 Steam ship, River Lee, Cork

Photo: Steam ship, River Lee, Cork

  • The total number of emigrants who boarded a ship at a port on the island of Ireland during the year 1916, with the intention of settling permanently elsewhere, was 7,366.
  • Almost all of these emigrants were Irish Nationals. About three quarters of all emigrants in 1916 were female. 
  • Emigration from Ireland in the year to April 2015 was estimated to be 80,900 people. 
  • Just under half (44%) of emigrants in 2015 were Irish Nationals and 52% were male.
  • Emigrants were younger in 1916 compared to 2015. In 1916 58% of emigrants were aged between 15 and 24 years of age while in 2015 nearly half were aged 25-44 years of age.                                                                                                                                       
19162015
0 - 1410135400
15 - 24424230400
25 - 44169939700
45 - 593533600
60 and over591700
1.9 Estimated emigration classified by destination, 1912-19201 and 2011-20152
          
 Destination
YearsUKUSACanadaAustralia Rest of world3Rest of EU284Total personsEstimated PopulationRatio of Emigrants (per 1,000 population)
19121,86720,4665,788842381 29,3444,384,7106.7 
19131,14921,7586,673915472 30,9674,379,0127.1 
19141,04715,2722,909768318 20,3144,381,3084.6 
19152,8986,681597347136 10,6594,337,0002.5 
19162,4464,20748510064 7,3024,337,0001.7 
19171,90888791323 2,1114,390,2190.5 
19188791254323 9804,390,2190.2 
19191,0738489476047 2,9754,390,2190.7 
192058212,2882,109212340 15,5314,390,2193.5 
           
201120,0004,7002,10013,40016,20024,30080,6004,574,90017.6 
201219,0008,6003,00018,20014,40024,00087,1004,585,40019.0 
201321,9006,2005,30015,40014,40025,70089,0004,593,10019.4 
201417,9006,9004,70010,00017,50024,90081,9004,609,60017.8 
201519,2005,9007,7007,50018,40022,10080,9004,635,40017.5 
Source: Emigration Statistics of Ireland in House of Commons Parliamentary Reports, Population and Migration estimates CSO 
1 Data for years 1912 to 1920 refers to the island of Ireland and is for Irish nationals only.
2 Data for years 2011-2015 is for the Republic of Ireland and is sample data rounded to the nearest 100.
3 Rest of World includes EU28 countries for years 1912 to 1920.
4 Rest of EU28 excludes Ireland and the UK.
  • The number of Irish nationals who emigrated from the island of Ireland was about 30,000 in 1912 and 1913 but fell during the years of World War I to just 980 by 1918 and rose again after the war ended to reach 15,531 in 1920.
  • In recent years in Ireland emigration has been about 80,000 to 90,000 each year.
  • More than half of emigrants from Ireland in the years 1912 to 1916 went to the USA. During the years of World War I however, when the total number of emigrants fell, the United Kingdom grew in significance as a destination. A third of Irish nationals who emigrated in 1916 went to the United Kingdom.
  • About a fifth of Irish emigrants went to Canada in 1912 and 1913 but numbers travelling there fell during the war years.
  • In 2015 the main destination for emigrants from Ireland were the EU28 countries, with nearly 30% of emigrants travelling to these countries.
  • Close to a quarter of emigrants in 2015 went to the United Kingdom, while almost another quarter went to “Rest of World” countries.
  • In 1916 the number of emigrants was 1.7 per 1,000 of the population on the island of Ireland, considerably lower than the pre-war rate of about 7 in 1912 and 1913.
  • The number of emigrants in 2015 was 17.5 per 1,000 of the population in the Republic, nearly ten times higher than the emigration rate in 1916.
19162015
UK244619200
USA42075900
Canada4857700
Australia 1007500
Rest of EU28022100
Rest of World6418400

 

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