Press Statement - Then and Now: Life in Ireland 1926 and 2022

Changing Ireland captured in unique comparison of census data from 1926 and 2022

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (20 April 2026) published Then and Now: Life in Ireland in 1926 and 2022. 

This analysis complements the release of the 1926 census forms by the National Archives and provides new insights and comparisons between life in the fledgling Free State and life in Ireland in 2022. It covers topics such as population changes, life expectancy, urban and rural living, occupations, language, religion and more to build a picture of how Ireland has evolved over almost 100 years.

Jennifer Banim, Director General of the Central Statistics Office, said: “It is fascinating to see how our lives, and our country, have changed in the intervening years, from a young state finding its feet to a modern, vibrant 21^st century nation. 

This release shows the value of gathering, and preserving, this data. The CSO is uniquely placed to compare 1926 data with our most recent census which took place in 2022. This analysis informs our understanding of long‑term trends that shape Ireland today. We in the CSO are proud to continue the long tradition of census taking in Ireland, and to share some insights on what the censuses of 1926 and 2022 tell us about the changing lives of our population. We are also looking forward to our next census in April/May 2027, and to delivering an online option for the first time in an Irish census.   

I would like to acknowledge the excellent work of the National Archives, and all those in the CSO, who have diligently and successfully delivered a much-anticipated resource, with the publication of the 1926 census forms. It will be much used, and appreciated, by people across the country, and by the Irish diaspora around the world.”

Brendan Murphy, Senior Statistician in the Census Division said: "Today’s release looks at some of the many changes in how Irish people lived and worked in 1926 compared with 2022. It shows that our population grew by 73% between 1926 and 2022, from 2.97 million people to 5.15 million people. Life expectancy for males has increased from 57 years to 81 years and for females from 58 years to 84 years. This analysis also shows how much our population has shifted from rural to urban. For example, Dublin’s share of the population has risen from 17% in 1926 to 28% in 2022. This release also includes interactive maps, graphs, and an infographic to help bring to life the stories being told.”

Commenting on the release, Eileen Murphy, Head of Digital Transformation for Census 2027, said: “The Census is a record of our past, a measure of the present, and a plan for the future. Looking back over the last 100 years, the census shows how far we have come, and mirrors societal changes through the years.

There is so much to absorb in this release, including the jobs and occupations that people had then that are not a feature of life today and the jobs now that could not have been imagined in 1926, for example there were 10,852 horse vehicle drivers and 211 chimney sweepers of whom one was female. Females made up 26% of the workforce then, by 2022, this was 47%.

Looking to the future, preparations are well underway in the CSO for Census 2027, which will for the first time offer people the opportunity to complete their census form either by paper or online. Recruitment of Census Field Staff kicks off this week, with further job opportunities in September and November of this year. Learn more about this recruitment drive on census.ie.”

While the forms from the 1926 Census in Northern Ireland did not survive, the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) has used information available from digitised 1926 Census reports and their 2021 Census to publish statistical tables and commentary relating to the century of change for Northern Ireland.