Commuting in Ireland, 1986-2016

Figure 1.1 shows the results since 1986 for those who commute outside the home to work or study.

Commuter numbers for both workers and students totalled almost 3 million in April 2016 (2,962,550), an increase of 9.3 per cent on the 2011 figure of 2.7 million and an increase of 62 per cent over the 30 year period since 1986 when it was 1.8 million.

In 2016, 1.88 million workers indicated they travelled to work, an increase of 10.7 per cent on the 1.7 million in 2011, which surpassed the highest previous figure of 1.79 million in 2006.

There were 546,614 primary students and 349,961 secondary students travelling to school in 2016, an increase of 9.1 per cent and 8.6 per cent respectively compared to 2011.

The only category to show a reduction in numbers was third level commuters, whose numbers decreased from 191,238 in 2011 to 190,202 in 2016, a decrease of 0.5 per cent.

Interactive table: StatBank Link E6010

Numbers at work

The total number commuting each day was driven by the overall numbers at work. 

The number of employees reached 1,582,973 in 2006 and then fell to 1,470,374 in 2011, driven mainly by reductions in the construction industry, but have since recovered to 1,657,744 in 2016. This was an increase of 187,370 (13%) in the last five years and 74,771 (5%) above the peak in 2006. Female employees increased steadily over the period, from 772,960 in 2011 to 840,801 (+9%) in 2016. This was 23,858 (3%) greater than the 2016 male employee figure of 816,943.

Self-employment rose during the period and stood at 308,411 in 2016, an increase of 1 per cent since 2006. Males represented 77 per cent of the self-employed workforce in 2016 and numbers remained virtually unchanged between 2011 and 2016. However, female self-employment reached 69,981, an increase of 6,957 (11%) since 2011 and 16,585 (31%) since 2006.

Working at home

There were 94,955 persons who stated they worked 'mainly at or from home' in 2016. While this was still below the 2006 peak of 105,706, it represents an increase of 14 per cent on the 2011 figure of 83,326.

Mobile workers

174,628 workers noted that they had no fixed place of work, up 26,451 (18%) on the 148,117 in 2011.

Figure 1.2 shows the changes in the usually resident workforce over the ten year period 2006 to 2016.

Interactive table: StatBank Link E6038

Changes in persons at work since 2011

All counties have seen an increase in the number of people at work between 2011 and 2016. However, the level of this increase varied substantially.

The cities of Cork and Dublin had the highest percentage increase in numbers at work, both increased by 17 per cent and brought the numbers at work in Cork City to over 50,000 and Dublin City to over 265,000.

At the other end of the scale, the numbers at work in Sligo grew by only 2 per cent to 26,000. Counties in the west and midlands generally grew by less than 10 per cent, with the exception of Galway city which grew 11 per cent to almost 35,000.