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Historically a census of population has been carried out every 10 years in both Ireland and Northern Ireland, although Ireland has carried out a census every 5 years from 1946 onwards. While a decennial census of population has generally been carried out in the same year in both Ireland and Northern Ireland, this has not been the case on a number of occasions (notably in 2021/2022 when Ireland’s census was postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
Chapter one of the report presents historical census data from 1841 to 2022. For Ireland, census data are provided for all years. For Northern Ireland, census data are provided for 1841 to 1891, and mid-year estimates are provided for 1901 to 2022. Note that prior to 1926, the census was taken on an all-Ireland basis. The Ireland and Northern Ireland census figures and the Northern Ireland mid-year estimates presented for 1841 to 1911 are a summation of the constituent counties.
The most recent census in Ireland took place on the night of Sunday, 03 April 2022. The 26th census in Ireland was originally scheduled to take place on the night of Sunday, 08 April 2021. Following advice from the CSO, the government decided in September 2020 to postpone the census for approximately one year owing to the ongoing difficulties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Census 2022 in Ireland operated as a traditional census. For the purposes of census enumeration, the State was divided into 6 Census Liaison Areas, 46 Regions, 466 Field Districts and 5,100 Enumeration Areas. Census Enumerators were assigned to these Enumeration Areas and, during the five weeks before Census Night, delivered census questionnaires to all dwellings that were expected to be occupied on Sunday, 03 April 2022. Each address within an Enumeration Area was recorded as either occupied, unoccupied or not suitable for habitation. The collection of completed questionnaires took place between Monday, 04 April and Friday, 06 May 2022.
The data in this report is based on the information handwritten on the census forms. After collection, the census forms were returned to CSO where they were scanned to capture and digitize the handwritten information. This digitized information was then processed to prepare it for publication.
The most recent census in Northern Ireland took place on Sunday, 21 March 2021. The data collected were processed, coded, and quality checked to create the results presented in this report. Census 2021 was successfully delivered with a high level of self-completion and public engagement. The levels of response were the highest since the 1991 Census in terms of percentages and the highest ever in terms of numbers. Census 2021 was a predominantly online census with over 80% of returns made online. The collection of returns for Census 2021 is discussed in the Census 2021 operational report.
Ireland - The full Census 2022 Household form in English is available on the CSO website in PDF format.
Northern Ireland - The full Census 2021 Household form in English is available on the NISRA website in PDF format.
The date of the census in Ireland was chosen to coincide with a period when as many people as possible were at their home address and consequently the figures closely approximate the normally resident population.
The de facto measure of the population represents all persons who were present in the State on Census Night, irrespective of whether they were usually resident in the State at the time of the census. The usually resident and present measure of the population refers to all persons who usually live in Ireland and who were present in the State on Census Night. It excludes persons who were not usually resident in the State on Census Night but who were present and persons who were usually resident in the State but were outside the State on Census Night.
De facto population is used in Chapter one for historical census data. For greater comparability, the usually resident and present measure is used in subsequent chapters.
The Northern Ireland census and subsequent mid-year population estimates are based on the usually resident population, that is, people are recorded at the address where they are usually resident irrespective of where they are on Census Night.
In Northern Ireland, a usual resident of the UK is anyone who, on 21 March 2021 was in the UK and was staying in the UK for a period of 3 months or more; or had a permanent UK address and was outside the UK and staying outside the UK for less than 12 months.
In Ireland, item non-response are generally not imputed and included as ‘not stated’ values in output tables and statistics. CSO use administrative data (i.e. data derived from people’s interactions with government bodies and agencies) to correct for non-responding households and for some questions which have not been answered on census forms. Further information on CSO’s use of administrative data in producing statistics can be found in the Methodologies and Practices section on the CSO website.
In Northern Ireland, the census data collection operation was supported by an independent coverage survey. The coverage survey along with administrative data and information from the field operation were combined to allow statistical estimates to be made of the small proportion of people who did not make a return. The statistical estimates in this report reflect the full population of Northern Ireland.
Any ‘missing items’ in responses were statistically imputed using a donor imputation methodology designed and developed by the Canadian Census Bureau called CANCEIS. The primary objective of the 2021 process was to produce a complete and consistent database, and to adjust for non-response bias by estimating the non-responses. There were two variables in Northern Ireland where missing data were not imputed: religion and sexual orientation. More information on CANCEIS (CANadian Census Edit and Imputation System) is available in the online journal article: Efficient methodology within the Canadian census edit and imputation system (CANCEIS)
In Ireland, the CSO has applied Statistical Disclosure Control techniques to the Census 2022 data prior to release of outputs from Census 2022 results. These techniques are in line with international norms to add greater protection to the privacy of individuals and households who responded to the census. Further details on CSO data protection policy can be found in the Trust and Transparency section on the CSO website.
NISRA has taken steps to ensure that the confidentiality of respondents is fully protected. All published results from the census have been subject to statistical processes to ensure that individuals cannot be identified while also minimising the impact on the quality of results.
For Census 2021, NISRA applied two strategies: Targeted Record Swapping (TRS) and Cell Key Perturbation (CKP). CKP may add small amounts of noise to some cells. Where two or more different tables are constructed, the totals of all cells may in turn be different. Overall, the differences will be small and should not change the conclusions of any analysis or research. For more information, please refer to the statistical disclosure control methodology.
The layer of geography used for Ireland is the Administrative Counties. This corresponds to LAU-1 in the NUTS classification, of which there are 31 subdivisions corresponding to the 31 administrative counties and cities (County and City Councils).
The layer of geography used for Northern Ireland is the Local Government District (LGD); this also corresponds to LAU-1 in the NUTS classification, of which there are 11 subdivisions, corresponding to the 11 LGDs.
Census 2021 in Northern Ireland was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that caused significant changes to how people lived, worked, studied, and moved at the time. In Ireland, the census was originally planned for the night of Sunday, 8 April 2021. However, following guidance from the CSO, the government decided in September 2020 to postpone it by approximately one year due to the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic. As a result, comparisons between Census 2021 in Northern Ireland and Census 2022 in Ireland should be treated with care. See also Impact of COVID-19 on Census 2021 in Northern Ireland for further information.
The CSO is the National Statistics Institute (NSI) of Ireland, producing independently verified official statistics on society, the economy, and the environment. The CSO adheres to internationally agreed principles and standards that underpin the creation of official statistics and ensure our statistics are compiled using strict professional standards and methods.
Our statistics must not only meet legislative requirements, they must also meet the highest international standards. They are subject to rigorous checks and verification by international bodies such as Eurostat and the European Central Bank. Census results compiled by the CSO are designated official statistics. Further details are available in the Trust and Transparency section on the CSO website.
Census 2021 statistics for Northern Ireland are accredited official statistics. Accredited official statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. Accredited official statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. They are produced free from any political interference.
These accredited official statistics were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation in May 2022. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and should be labelled 'accredited official statistics'.
This refers to age at last birthday. Data are classified according to various age groups in the report depending on the analysis, with the relevant age groups referenced in the accompanying titles and text.
Population density (population per square kilometre) is calculated based on 2021/2022 geographical areas in Ireland and Northern Ireland. See Geography – Administrative Areas for more information.
This refers to the age at which half of the population is younger and half is older.
In accordance with World Bank methodology, dependency is defined for statistical purposes as people outside the working age of 15 to 64. The age range for the young population is 0 to 14 years, while older people are classed as those aged 65 and over. Dependency ratios are used to give an indication of the age structure of a population with young and older shown as a percentage of the population of working age. The total dependency ratio is the sum of the young and old ratios.
Analysis on marital status is based on people aged 15 years and over. In Northern Ireland marital and civil partnership status applied to persons aged 16 years and over. Persons aged 15 have been added to the 'single' category. The categories are shown in table 1 below.
| Classification groups | Ireland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Single | Single (never married or never in a same-sex civil partnership) | Single (never married and never in a civil partnership) |
| Married | Married; Re-married; In a registered same-sex civil partnership | Married; In a civil partnership |
| Separated | Separated | Separated, but still legally married; Separated, but still legally in a civil partnership |
| Divorced | Divorced | Divorced; Formerly in a civil partnership which is now legally dissolved |
| Widowed | Widowed | Widowed; Surviving partner from a civil partnership |
The determination of household composition is based on responses to the question dealing with relationships within the household. The categories are shown in table 2 below.
| Classification groups | Ireland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| One Person, aged 66 years or over | One Person, aged 66 years or over | One person household: Aged 66 and over |
| One Person, aged 65 years or under | One Person, aged 65 years or under | One person household: Other |
| Couple without children | Married/Cohabiting couple without children | Single family household: Couple family household: No children |
| Couple with children | Married/Cohabiting couple with children | Single family household: Couple family household: 1 or more child(ren) of any age |
| One parent with children | One parent mother or father with children | Single family household: Lone parent family: 1 or more child(ren) of any age |
| Other household types | Married/Cohabiting couple or One parent mother or father with or without children and other persons | Single family household: Other family composition (including all aged 66 and over); Other household types |
A family consists of a couple (married, civil partnership or cohabiting) with or without children, or a lone parent and their children. It also includes a married, civil partnership or cohabiting couple with their grandchildren or a lone grandparent with their grandchildren, if there is no parent in the intervening generation in the household. Children in couple families do not need to belong to both members of the couple.
Household size consists of the total number of usually resident persons in a household, including those absent from the household for less than 12 months. Visitors present in the household on Census Night are excluded.
To compare data on ethnic groups in Ireland and Northern Ireland, the population has been aligned into 5 categories. Statistical techniques to impute for non-response were used in Northern Ireland but not in Ireland. The categories are shown in table 3 below.
| Classification groups | Ireland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| White | White - Irish, Any other white background | White |
| Irish Traveller | White - Irish Traveller | Irish Traveller |
| Asian | Asian or Asian Irish - Chinese, Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi, Any other Asian background | Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Pakistani, Arab, and Other Asian |
| Other, including mixed group/background - Arabic | ||
| Black | Black or Black Irish - African, Any other Black background | Black African and Black Other |
| Other including mixed background | Other, including mixed group/background - Mixed, write in description, Other, write in description | Mixed, Other ethnicities |
| White - Roma | Roma |
In Ireland the question asks, ‘What is your place of birth’, requesting details of either county (if Ireland or Northern Ireland) or country if elsewhere abroad. The question on the Northern Ireland census form asks, ‘What is your country of birth’? including tick box response options for Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Republic of Ireland or country if elsewhere abroad. In the tables, ‘Ireland’ includes all counties in Ireland and ‘Great Britain’ includes England, Wales, or Scotland as country of birth.
For Ireland the census question asked respondents if they spoke a language other than English or Irish at home and, if so, what that language was. In Northern Ireland the census question asked respondents what their main language was.
See Q14 on the Census 2022 Population of Ireland Household Form for Ireland
See Q15 on the Census 2021 Household Questionnaire Northern Ireland
Data presented relate to persons aged 3 years and over whose main language/language spoken at home was other than English or Irish.
The religion people belong to. In Northern Ireland, this may also be referred to as current religion, including religious denomination, or body. Those people who do not regard themselves as belonging to any religion are classified as no religion. In Northern Ireland, unlike other topics, missing answers for religion are not imputed, so the output classifications include a not stated category. See non-response and imputation.
To facilitate comparison on as consistent a basis as possible, an exercise was undertaken to apply the current approach to religion classification in Northern Ireland to the Ireland census data. By combining Protestants with those belonging to Other Christian or Christian-related religions, this approach has enabled the production of tabular output for: Catholic; Protestant and Other Christian (including Christian-related); Hindu; Islam; Other Religions; No Religion; and Not Stated. The categories are shown in table 4 below.
| Classification groups | Ireland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Roman Catholic | Roman Catholic | Catholic |
| Protestant and Other Christian religion, n.e.s. | Church of Ireland, England, Anglican, Episcopalian | Protestant and Other Christian (including Christian related) |
| Orthodox (Greek, Coptic, Russian) | ||
| Christian (Not Specified) | ||
| Presbyterian | ||
| Lapsed (Roman) Catholic | ||
| Apostolic or Pentecostal | ||
| Evangelical | ||
| Methodist, Wesleyan | ||
| Jehovah's Witness | ||
| Spiritualist | ||
| Baptist | ||
| Born Again Christian | ||
| Protestant | ||
| Lutheran | ||
| No religion | Atheist | No religion |
| No religion | ||
| Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Islam | Islam | Muslim |
| Other stated religions (1) | All other stated religions | Other religion |
| Hindu | Hindu | Hindu |
General health is a self-assessment of a person’s general state of health. People were asked to assess whether their health was very good, good, fair, bad, or very bad. This assessment is not based on a person’s health over any specified period of time.
The unpaid care question on the census differs in Ireland and Northern Ireland. In Ireland, respondents were asked if they provided ‘regular unpaid personal help or support to a family member, neighbour or friend with a long-term illness, health issue, an issue related to old age or disability?' If yes, respondents were asked to write in the number of hours per week.
In Northern Ireland, respondents were asked if they looked after or gave any help or support to anyone because they have long-term physical or mental health conditions or illnesses, or problems related to old age. Anything to do with paid employment was excluded. Hours of caring were banded: 1 to 19 hours a week; 20 to 34 hours a week; 35 to 49 hours a week; 50 hours or more a week.
See Q23 on the Census 2022 Population of Ireland Household Form for Ireland
See Q22 on the Census 2021 Household Questionnaire Northern Ireland
The census questions and methodologies used to compile data on economic status in Ireland and Northern Ireland differed in several key aspects. In Ireland the question on Principal Economic Status (PES) was used, in Northern Ireland the International Labour Organisation (ILO) measure was used. To facilitate comparison between data collected an exercise was undertaken to convert the data for Ireland to an ILO basis. More information is provided in the ‘Unemployment’ section below.
This report uses the term ‘labour force’ to refer to individuals who are either at work or unemployed.
In Ireland the ‘labour force’ consists of people aged 16 years and over who are at work, unemployed or looking for their first job. Other categories of economic status, such as students, people looking after home/family, retired people and those unable to work due to sickness or disability, are not included in the labour force for census purposes. This classification is based on the principal economic status reported by individuals completing the census.
In Northern Ireland, labour force data applies to economically active people aged 16 years and over. The categories included are shown in Table 5 below.
| Classification groups | Ireland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Persons at work | Working for payment or profit | Economically active: In employment (including full-time students) |
| All unemployed persons | Looking for first regular job | Economically active: Not in employment |
| Short-term unemployed (less than 12 months) Long-term unemployed (12 months or more) |
In Ireland, the count of 'persons at work' is determined based on responses to the principal economic status question, where individuals specified that they were 'Working for payment or profit'. Other economic status categories (such as students, homemakers, retirees, and those unable to work due to illness or disability), are not included in the definition of 'at work' for census purposes in Ireland. This is based on the self-declared principal economic status of people completing the census.
In Northern Ireland, under the International Labour Organisation (ILO) criteria, a person aged 16 and over is defined as employed (or in employment) if in the week before the census they carried out at least one hour’s paid work, either as an employee or self-employed. This includes casual or temporary work, being away from work ill, on maternity or paternity leave, on holiday or temporarily laid off.
Under the International Labour Organisation (ILO) criteria, a person aged 16 and over is classified as unemployed if they are without a job, have actively sought work in the last four weeks and are available to start work in the next two weeks; or are out of work, have found a job and are waiting to start it.
Different approaches were used in the measurement of unemployment in the censuses in Ireland and Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland, the ILO measure was used in the census. While the official measure of unemployment in Ireland is based on the ILO definition, the census measure of unemployment was based on the question on Principal Economic Status (PES), where respondents ticked one of a range of options to indicate whether they were unemployed, such as Looking for first regular job, Short-term unemployed (less than 12 months) or Long-term unemployed (12 months or more). This is based on the self-declared principal economic status of people completing the census.
To produce comparable data, the PES based measure of unemployment in Ireland was adjusted to an ILO basis. The methodology mapped ILO data from the Labour Force Survey at regional level to county data from the census. The number of unemployed people in the census at regional level was adjusted to the align with the unemployment rates in Quarter 1 and Quarter 2, 2022. The distribution of unemployed people at county level in the census was then applied to the new regional totals.
Ireland's census unemployment rate is calculated as the number of people unemployed or looking for their first job as a proportion of all people aged 16 years and over who were either at work, unemployed or looking for their first job. In Northern Ireland the unemployment rate is calculated as the number of unemployed persons as a proportion of the labour force.
The classification of people aged 16 and over by the industry they work in. This relates to their main job and is determined by the response to the question asking for a description of the main activity of the business of the person’s employer (or own business if self-employed).
In Ireland, the industry coding used in this publication is NACE REV2. See further details on NACE Rev.2 - Broad and Detailed Level of Industrial Groups in the Census of Population 2022, Summary Results Background Notes. In Northern Ireland, responses are coded to a modified version of the UK Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities 2007 - UK SIC (2007), which corresponds to NACE Rev.2 at four-digit level and above.
The education and qualification systems in Ireland and Northern Ireland differ considerably, as do the census questions asked in each jurisdiction in 2021 and 2022. In Ireland, respondents were asked to identify the highest level of education they had completed, whereas in Northern Ireland, the census focused on qualifications held. To ensure comparability between the two datasets, a mapping exercise was conducted to align equivalent levels of educational qualifications across both regions. The categories included are shown in Table 6 below.
| Classification groups | Ireland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Basic qualification | No formal education/ training, Primary education NFQ Levels 1 or 2, Lower Secondary NFQ Level 3 Junior/Inter/Group Certificate | No qualifications/Level 1: 1 to 4 GCSEs, O levels, CSEs (any grades); 1 AS Level; NVQ level 1; or equivalent |
| Intermediate and advanced qualification | Upper Secondary NFQ Levels 4 or 5 Leaving Certificate, Technical or Vocational NFQ Levels 4 or 5 | Level 2: 5 or more GCSEs (A*-C or 9-4), O levels (passes) CSEs (grade 1); 1 A level, 2-3 AS Levels; NVQ level 2, BTEC General, City and Guilds Craft; or equivalent |
| Advanced Certificate/Completed Apprenticeship NFQ Level 6, Higher Certificate NFQ level 6 | Level 3: 2 or more A Levels, 4 or more AS Levels; NVQ Level 3, BTEC National, OND, ONC, City and Guilds Advanced Craft; or equivalent | |
| Higher and professional qualification | Ordinary Bachelor NFQ level 7 up to Doctorate NFQ level 10 | Level 4 and above: Degree (BA, BSc), foundation degree, NVQ Level 4 and above, HND, HNC, professional qualifications (teaching or nursing, for example); or equivalent |
| Other qualification | Other: Other qualifications, equivalent unknown; Apprenticeship | |
| Qualification not stated | Not Stated |
In Northern Ireland and Ireland, this is the method of travel used for the longest part, by distance, of the usual journey to work or place of study (including school). The categories included are shown in Table 7 below.
| Classification groups | Ireland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Bicycle | Bicycle | Bicycle |
| Bus, minibus or coach | Bus, minibus or coach | Bus, minibus or coach (public or private) |
| Car or van | Driving a car; Passenger in a car or van | Driving a car or van; Passenger in a car or van; Car or van pool, sharing driving; Taxi |
| Motorcycle or scooter | Motorcycle or scooter | Motorcycle, scooter or moped |
| On foot | On foot | On foot |
| Train, DART or LUAS | Train, DART or LUAS | Train |
| Work mainly at or from home | Work mainly at or from home | Mainly at or from home |
| Other, incl. lorry | Other (including lorry) | Other |
| Not stated | Not at work, school, college or childcare. Not stated |
For Ireland this category refers to persons who indicated that their place of work was in Northern Ireland. For Northern Ireland this category refers to persons who travelled to an address in Ireland for their place of work.
In both Ireland and Northern Ireland, a private household comprises either one person living alone or a group of people (not necessarily related) living at the same address with common housekeeping arrangements, that is, sharing at least one meal a day or sharing a living room or sitting room. To be included in the household, a person had to be a usual resident at the time of the census. Therefore, visitors to the household on Census Night were excluded, while usual residents temporarily absent (for less than 12 months) were included.
A permanent private household is a private household occupying a permanent dwelling such as a house, flat or bed-sit. A temporary private household is a private household occupying a caravan, mobile home or other temporary dwelling.
Permanent housing units refer to the total number of permanent residential dwellings that were available for occupancy at the time of the census; this includes holiday homes, vacant houses or apartments and dwellings temporarily absent on Census Night, but excludes communal establishments, temporary private households (for example, caravans and mobile homes) and dwellings categorised as derelict or under construction. In Ireland, this is referred to as ‘Housing stock’.
The classification of permanent housing units as either occupied (with 1 or more usual residents) or unoccupied (with no usual residents). Dwellings under construction and derelict properties were excluded.
This refers to the type of accommodation used or available for use by a household. Examples include the whole of a terraced house, or a flat in a purpose-built block of flats.
Tenure provides information on whether a household owns or rents the accommodation that it occupies, and if rented, the type of landlord. The categories are shown in Table 8 below.
| Classification groups | Ireland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Occupied free of rent | Live here rent free | Lives rent free |
| Owner occupied with loan or mortgage | Own with mortgage or loan | Owner occupied: Owns with a mortgage or loan; shared ownership |
| Owner occupied without loan or mortgage | Own outright | Owner occupied: Owns outright |
| Rented from a local authority | Rent, Local Authority | Social rented: Northern Ireland Housing Executive |
| Rented from private landlord | Rent, Private landlord | Private rented: Private landlord or letting agency; Other |
| Rented from a voluntary body | Rent, Voluntary/Co-operative housing body | Social rented: Housing association or charitable trust |
| Not stated | Not stated |
Central heating is a central system that generates heat for multiple rooms. A household’s accommodation is classified as having central heating if it is present in some or all rooms (whether used or not). Central heating is classified by fuel type, for example, gas, electric (including storage heaters) or oil.
The census question in Ireland asked the main type of fuel used for central heating, directing respondents to select one option only. In Northern Ireland, respondents were asked to indicate all types of central heating present in the accommodation. There is therefore an additional category in Northern Ireland for more than one type of central heating. The categories are shown in Table 9 below.
| Classification groups | Ireland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| No central heating | No central heating | No central heating |
| Oil | Oil | Oil |
| Natural Gas | Natural Gas | Mains gas only |
| Electricity | Electricity | Electric (for example storage heaters) only |
| Selected solid fuels (coal/peat) | Coal (including anthracite) | Solid fuel (for example coal) only |
| Peat (including turf) | ||
| Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) | Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) | Tank or bottled gas only |
| Wood (incl. wood pellets | Wood (incl. wood pellets | Wood (for example logs or waste wood) only |
| Other fuels | Other | Renewable heating system/Other central heating only |
| Not stated | Not stated | |
| More than one type of heating | Two or more types of central heating |
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