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In 2022, the population of the island of Ireland stood at 7.1 million people, an increase of 26%, or 1.5 million people, over the 20 years since 2002.
This was the first time the population on the island of Ireland exceeded 7 million people since 1851.
Between 2002 and 2022, the population in Ireland increased by 31% and by 13% in Northern Ireland.
The 5.15 million people living in Ireland in 2022 accounted for 73% of the all-island population, while the 1.91 million people in Northern Ireland accounted for 27%.
Northern Ireland’s population density (141 people per km²) was almost twice that of Ireland (73 people per km²).
The median age of the population was 38 years in Ireland and 40 years in Northern Ireland, both below the EU average of 44 years.
Northern Ireland had a higher proportion of people aged 65 years and over (18%) compared with Ireland (15%).
Chapter One looks at how the population in Ireland and Northern Ireland has changed over time. Data are taken from the census of population in Ireland and uses both census data and the mid-year estimates for Northern Ireland. Chapters Two to Six compare data from Census 2021 in Northern Ireland with data from Census 2022 in Ireland. Further information can be found in the Background Notes of the publication.
In Ireland, the area with the largest population growth in the 11 years between 2011 and 2022 was Fingal at 21%, while growth was lowest in Donegal at 4%.
The area with the largest population growth between 2011 and 2022 in Northern Ireland was Lisburn and Castlereagh at 11% and the lowest rate of increase was in Causeway Coast and Glens at 0.3%.
Just under half of the population aged 15 and over in both Ireland and Northern Ireland (49%) were either married or separated.
Close to two-fifths of the population of the island of Ireland were single, (43% in Ireland and 39% in Northern Ireland). A greater proportion of the population in Northern Ireland were divorced than in Ireland (6% compared with 3%).
Just over one-third (34%) of all households in Ireland consisted of a couple with children (of any age), compared with 28% of households in Northern Ireland.
The proportion of one-parent households was 10% of total households in Ireland and 14% in Northern Ireland.
In Ireland, 86% of the population identified as White, compared with 97% in Northern Ireland.
Ireland had a higher proportion of residents born outside the country at 20%, compared with 13% in Northern Ireland.
In Ireland, 15% of the population aged three years and over reported a main language other than English or Irish. In Northern Ireland, the equivalent proportion was 4%. Polish was the most widely spoken foreign language in both jurisdictions.
The most common religion in both parts of the island was Roman Catholic (69% of people in Ireland and 42% in Northern Ireland). A further 7% of people in Ireland and 37% in Northern Ireland identified as Protestant and other Christian denominations. The proportion of the population who reported having no religion was 17% in Northern Ireland and 15% in Ireland.
A greater proportion of people reported their general health as good or very good in Ireland (83%) compared with Northern Ireland (79%).
There was a higher proportion of people reporting their general health as either bad or very bad in Northern Ireland at 8%, compared with 2% in Ireland. Despite having a significantly larger population overall, 57,000 fewer people in Ireland reported having bad health.
At 12%, the percentage of the total population aged five years and over providing regular unpaid care was higher in Northern Ireland compared with 6% in Ireland.
There were almost 2.5 million people aged 16 and over in the labour force in Ireland and more than 891,000 people in the labour force in Northern Ireland.
The industries with the largest numbers of workers in both Ireland and Northern Ireland were Human Health & Social Work Activities, and Wholesale & Retail Trade (each accounted for 16% of workers in Northern Ireland and 12% of workers in Ireland).
There were 7,777 people travelling from Ireland to work in Northern Ireland and there were 10,541 people travelling to work in the opposite direction from Northern Ireland to Ireland.
There were over 2.1 million permanent housing units in Ireland, of which 89% were occupied and 11% were unoccupied.
In Northern Ireland, there were approximately 820,000 permanent housing units, of which 94% were occupied and 6% were unoccupied.
This statistical release brings together population and housing statistics from Ireland and Northern Ireland allowing for comparisons of trends, similarities, and differences. It analyses key topics such as demographics, households, ethnicity, place of birth, religion, health, unpaid care, housing, and employment.
The data mainly comes from the censuses held in Northern Ireland in 2021 and in Ireland in 2022. The census in Ireland was delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the overall population totals in Chapter One, Northern Ireland data for 2022 is from the mid-year population estimates.
In Northern Ireland, the census and mid-year population estimates are based on the usually resident population, meaning individuals are recorded at their usual address, regardless of where they are on census night. In contrast, Ireland’s main published census results reflect the de facto population, with individuals counted at the location where they spent census night. Some additional questions help capture data on usual residents who were temporarily absent, allowing key demographic statistics to be produced on a usually resident basis. In practice, the difference between the de facto and usually resident measure is not significant.
The publication presents an infographic along with detailed visualisations, incorporating interactive tables, figures, and thematic maps to compare the population across various topics. In Ireland, data is categorised by Counties and City Councils, while in Northern Ireland, Local Government Districts (LGDs) are used for representation. Additionally, a dedicated section on cross-border travel offers insights into the number of individuals commuting for work on either side of the border.
Many of the questions asked in the censuses in Ireland and Northern Ireland are broadly comparable. However, variations may exist in the wording of questions, response options, and categories. For further details on the methodology used to produce the statistics in this publication, please refer to the Background Notes.
The results of Census 2021 in Northern Ireland and Census 2022 in Ireland have been extensively published and are available to view and download on the websites of NISRA and the CSO. NISRA offers tools like the Flexible Table Builder, which lets the users create custom data tables, and the Area Explorer, which provides access to maps and summary statistics for Northern Ireland and the areas within. Similarly, the CSO offers downloadable Census 2022 reports and interactive tables. With Census Interactive Maps, you can explore thematic data to learn more about specific areas of interest.
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) have today (02 July 2025) published Ireland and Northern Ireland – A Joint Census Publication 2021/2022. This is the second such collaboration between the CSO and NISRA following on from a Joint Census Publication in 2014.
Describing how the publication was developed, Maria Yasin, Statistician in the Census Division of the CSO, said:
“This statistical release is the product of collaboration between the CSO and NISRA, bringing together census results for both Ireland and Northern Ireland in a single publication. This release combines population and housing statistics from Ireland and Northern Ireland allowing for comparisons of trends, similarities, and differences. It analyses key topics such as demographics, households, ethnicity, place of birth, religion, health, unpaid care, housing, and employment.”
This release presents findings from the 2021 census of population in Northern Ireland and the 2022 census of population in Ireland, offering a comprehensive look at statistics across the island of Ireland.
Commenting on the findings, Daniel McConville, Statistician in Census Office, NISRA said:
“Through our ongoing collaboration, NISRA and the CSO are committed to delivering high-quality analysis of census data from both jurisdictions, providing the public and policymakers with a richer understanding of life across the island. This most recent publication tells us that the population of the island of Ireland stood at almost 7.1 million in 2022 with 73% of the population in Ireland and 27% in Northern Ireland. The combined population of Ireland and Northern Ireland increased by 1.5 million between 2002 and 2022.”
Appreciation
The publication of Census 2022 results in Ireland and Census 2021 results in Northern Ireland could not have been achieved without the overwhelmingly positive response from the public to the census, and we thank everyone who completed their census form. We would also like to thank everyone involved in the preparation of this release in the CSO and NISRA culminating in today’s successful publication of the results.