Measuring Ireland's Progress 2023

Ireland: Population distribution by age group

• Table 1.1 shows Ireland's population was estimated at 5.4 million in April 2024, an increase of 1.9% (i.e. 98,700 persons) on 2023. The population has risen by 734,900 persons, or 15.8%, since 2014.
• The proportion of the population aged 65 years or over increased from 12.7% in 2014 to 15.5% in 2024. The proportion aged 45-64 years also increased, from 23.3% in 2014 to 25.6% in 2024.
• Conversely the proportion of the population aged 25-44 years decreased from 30.3% in 2014 to 27.5% in 2024, while the proportion aged 0-14 years decreased from 21.5% in 2014 to 18.8% in 2024. The proportion aged 15-24 rose slightly from 12.2% in 2014 to 12.7% in 2024.
• The proportion of the population aged 15-64, often called the "working age population", was stable over the period at 65.8% in 2014 and 65.7% in 2024. However Ireland can be seen to have an ageing population, as the proportion aged 45 or over increased from 36.0% in 2014 to 41.1% in 2024, whereas the proportion aged under 45 decreased from 64.0% to 58.9%.

By country: Population

• Ireland had the third highest percentage increase (15.4%) in population among the European Union 27 (EU27) countries between 2014 and 2024, after Malta (31.6%) and Luxembourg (22.3%). Overall the EU27 population increased by 1.6% (see Table 1.2).
• Nine countries in the EU27 saw a decline in population between 2014 and 2024: Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia, Greece, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Italy and Lithuania (see Figure 1.1). Bulgaria had the biggest percentage fall at -9.4%.
• Germany had the largest population in the EU27 in 2024 at 83.5 million people, which was just below that of EU candidate country Türkiye at 85.4m people. Ireland had the 19th highest population in the EU27 at 5.4m.

Ireland: Migration and natural increase

• The number of emigrants leaving Ireland is estimated to have increased to 69,900 in the 12 months to April 2024, up 9.2% from 64,000 in 2023 (see Table 1.3).
• Inward migration to Ireland in the 12 months to April 2024 is estimated at 149,200, an increase of 5.4% from 141,600 in 2023.
• The combined effect of these trends was positive net migration of 79,300 in 2024 (i.e. more people moved to Ireland than left). This was the highest annual level in the last 10 years and contrasts with the year 2014 when there were more emigrants than immigrants.
• There were 54,200 births in Ireland in 2024, which was 1,300 less (-2.3%) than in 2023 and down 20.8% on the 68,400 births in 2014. Over the last 10 years the natural increase in the population (i.e. births minus deaths) has almost halved from 39,200 in 2014 to 19,400 in 2024.
• The population is estimated to have increased by 98,700 persons in 2024 compared to the previous year. Overall the population is up by 734,900 persons since 2014.

Ireland: Immigration and emigration by country of origin/destination

• In 2024 there were 149,200 immigrants into Ireland, an increase of 5.4% on 2023. There was an increase in immigration from all regions classified except the United States, Australia and Canada (see Table 1.4).
• Of those who immigrated, over half (84,500 persons) arrived from the 'rest of the world' (i.e. countries other than the European Union, UK, USA, Australia or Canada). This was up 11.5% from 75,800 in 2023.
• About 20,500 persons immigrated to Ireland from the UK in 2024, which was up 11.4% on the previous year, and there were also increases from the EU14 (+6.8%) and EU15 to EU27 (+23.6%).
• The number of people emigrating from Ireland to Australia more than doubled to 10,600 in 2024. The number emigrating to the UK in 2024 was 15,200 (+4.1%), while a total of 21,500 persons emigrated to EU countries (-5.3%), 5,000 to the US (+2.0%), and 5,200 to Canada (-1.9%).
• A total of 69,900 persons emigrated from Ireland in 2024, up 9.2% from 2023. The numbers immigrating to Ireland exceeded the numbers emigrating in every region except Australia, Canada and the United States. The classification 'rest of the world' had the highest net migration at 71,900.

By country: Young and old age dependency ratios

• In 2023 Ireland had the highest young-age dependency ratio in the EU at 29.5% (see Table 1.5). This ratio measures the number of children aged under 15 years as a proportion of the 'working-age population' aged 15-64.
• Ireland had the second lowest old-age dependency ratio (the number of people aged 65 or over as a proportion of those aged 15-64) in the EU27 at 23.2%.
• This had the effect of a combined young and old age dependency ratio of 52.7% in Ireland, which was the seventh lowest in the EU, and 4 percentage points below the EU27 ratio of 56.7% in 2023.
• France had the highest combined dependency ratio in the EU in 2023 at 62.5% while Luxembourg had the lowest at 44.4%.

By country: Total fertility rate

• Ireland had a fertility rate of 1.54 in 2022, which was the ninth highest of any country in the European Union. France had the highest rate at 1.79.
• Malta had the lowest fertility rate in the EU27 in 2022 at 1.08 and Spain was second lowest at 1.16. Most Mediterranean countries had lower fertility rates than the EU27 average of 1.46.
• All countries in the EU27 fell below the theoretical replacement fertility rate of 2.1 in 2022.

By country: Proportion of live births outside of marriage and mean age of woman at birth of first child

• The average age of first time mothers in Ireland increased from 30.3 years in 2017 to 31.5 in 2022, the third highest in the European Union (see Table 1.7). 
• The EU27 average age of first time mothers in 2022 was 29.7 years. Italy (31.7) years and Spain (31.6) were the only countries with a higher average age than Ireland. Bulgaria had the lowest average age at 26.6 years.
• The proportion of live births outside marriage in Ireland was 42.9% in 2022, up from 37.6% in 2017.
• More than half of live births occurred outside marriage in seven EU countries in 2022, and the rate was highest in France at 65.2%. Greece had the lowest proportion of births outside marriage in 2022 at 19.2%.

By country: Divorce rates

• Ireland and Malta had the joint lowest divorce rate in the EU27 in 2022, at 0.9 divorces per 1,000 persons (see Table 1.8). Ireland's divorce rate has risen from 0.6 per 1,000 in 2012.
• Across the EU27 as a whole the divorce rate in 2022 was 1.6 divorces per 1,000 persons. This has fallen from 1.9 per 1,000 persons a decade earlier.
• Latvia had the highest divorce rate in the EU27 in 2022 (of the countries for which data was available), at 2.9 per 1,000 persons, followed by Lithuania at 2.6 and Sweden at 2.1.

By country: At risk of poverty rates

• In 2023 Ireland had an at risk of poverty rate of 38.0% before social transfers and pensions. This was 4.9 percentage points below the European Union rate of 42.9% (see Table 1.9).
• After social transfers and pensions, the proportion of those at risk of poverty in Ireland decreased by 26 percentage points down to 12.0%. This was the third lowest in the EU27 and 4.2 percentage points below the EU27 rate of 16.2%.
• In the EU27 in 2023, Estonia and Latvia had the highest at risk of poverty rate after social transfers and pensions at 22.5%, while Czechia had the lowest at 9.8%.

Ireland: At risk of poverty and consistent poverty rates by age group

• In 2024, 11.7% of all persons in Ireland were considered at risk of poverty. People aged 0-17 years had the highest at risk of poverty rate at 15.3% and people aged 18-34 had the lowest rate at 8.8% (see Table 1.10).
• One in twenty people in Ireland was in consistent poverty in 2024 (5.0%). This was up from 3.6% in 2023.
• People aged 0-17 had the highest rate of consistent poverty in 2024 at 8.5%. People aged 65+ had the lowest rate of consistent poverty at 2.0%.
• All age groups saw increases in the at risk of poverty rate in 2024 compared with 2023 while all age groups except those aged 50-64 saw increases in consistent poverty rates.

Ireland: At risk of poverty and consistent poverty by household composition

• In 2024, households of one adult aged 65 years or over had the highest at risk of poverty rate at 25.9%, followed by households of one adult with children under 18 years at 24.2% (see Table 1.11).
• Consistent poverty rates in 2024 were highest in households of one adult with children under 18 years, at 11.0%, followed by households of one adult aged less than 65 years at 10.1%.
• Households of two adults, both aged less than 65 years, had the lowest at risk of poverty rate in 2024 at 5.0%. Households with two adults, at least one aged 65 years or over, had the lowest consistent poverty rate at 1.6%.
• Between 2023 and 2024 consistent poverty rates rose for all household types, with the exception of households of one adult aged less than 65 years.  
• The at risk of poverty rate increased for most household types between 2023 and 2024, with the exception of households of one adult aged less than 65, and households of two adults with 1-3 children under 18 years. 

Ireland: At risk of poverty and consistent poverty rates by principal economic status

• In 2024, the economic group in Ireland with the highest at risk of poverty rate was those who were unemployed at 34.1%, followed by those who were unable to work due to long-standing health problems at 32.5% (see Figure 1.6 and Table 1.12).
• The consistent poverty rate in 2024 was highest among persons who were unable to work due to long-standing health problems, at 19.0%, while for those who were unemployed it was 18.9%. The consistent poverty rate increased for all economic groupings since 2023.
• People who were employed had the lowest at risk of poverty rate in 2024 at 5.4% and the lowest consistent poverty rate at 1.7%.

Ireland: Median weekly earnings by sex

• Between 2013 and 2023, the median weekly earnings across both sexes combined increased from €530.00 to €699.28 (see Table 1.13).
• Median weekly earnings in 2023 were €770.52 for males and €623.22 for females. 
• The difference in median weekly earnings between males and females increased from €120.89 in 2013 to €147.30 in 2023 (see Figure 1.7). This meant men's median weekly earnings were 23.6% higher than women's in 2023, down from 25.7% in 2013.

By country: Gender pay gap

• The gender pay gap is defined as the difference between male and female gross hourly earnings as a percentage of average gross hourly male earnings. 
• In 2012, Ireland had a gender pay gap of 12.2% and this increased to 14.4% in 2017. The gender pay gap decreased to 9.9% by 2020, increasing to 11.3% in 2021 before falling again to 9.9% in 2022 (see Figure 1.8).
• Ireland's gender pay gap was the eighth lowest in the EU27 in 2022 (of the countries for which data was available), and was 3.4 percentage points below the EU27 average of 12.7% (see Table 1.14).
• Estonia had the highest gender pay gap in 2022, at 21.3%. Luxembourg had the lowest, at -0.7% (meaning women's hourly earnings were higher than men's).

By country: Net Official Development Assistance

• Table 1.15 shows that in 2023, Net Official Development Assistance (ODA) was 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) for Ireland. Additionally, it accounted for 0.9% of Ireland's Modified GNI (GNI*). ODA costs include eligible first-year costs of hosting refugees and temporary protection recipients from Ukraine and other countries (see Background Notes).
• The proportion of Ireland's GNI spent on ODA in 2023 (0.7%) and 2022 (0.6%) increased from 0.3% in each of the years 2015 to 2021 (see Figure 1.9), while the proportion of GNI* spent in 2023 and 2022 (0.9% in both years) increased from 0.4% in each of the years 2015 to 2021.
• Excluding costs relating to Temporary Protection recipients from Ukraine, Ireland's ODA amounted to 0.4% of GNI in 2023 and 0.5% of GNI* (see Table 1.15).
• Six other countries in the EU27 attained the United Nations (UN) target ODA of 0.7% of GNI in 2023: Luxembourg (1.0%), Sweden (0.9%), Germany (0.8%), Denmark (0.7%) and Netherlands (0.7%). Outside the EU27, Norway (1.1%) also attained the target.

Private households with internet access

• The proportion of households in Ireland with access to the internet increased from 92% in 2020 to 93% in 2024 (see Table 1.16).
• Ireland's rate of household internet access was below the EU27 average of 94% in 2024, and equal to that of Italy, Estonia and Germany, but lower than 16 other countries.
• Nearly all households (99%) in the Netherlands and Luxembourg had access to the internet, while in Finland, Denmark and Spain it was 97%.
• Greece had the lowest rate of household internet access in the EU27 in 2024 at 87% and Croatia was second lowest at 88%.

View Eurostat internet access data