Measuring Ireland's Progress 2026

Ireland: Population distribution by age group

• Table 1.1 shows Ireland’s population was estimated at 5.5 million in April 2026, an increase of 1.2% (i.e. 66,900 persons) on 2025. The population has risen by 786,000 persons, or 16.6% since 2016.
• The proportion of the population aged 65 years or over increased from 13.3% in 2016 to 16.1% in 2026. The proportion aged 45-64 years also increased, from 23.8% in 2016 to 26.1% in 2026.
• Conversely, the proportion of the population aged 25-44 years decreased from 29.6% in 2016 to 27.0% in 2026, while the proportion aged 0-14 years decreased from 21.2% in 2016 to 18.0% in 2026. The proportion aged 15-24 rose slightly from 12.1% in 2016 to 12.8% in 2026.
• The proportion of the population aged 15-64, often called the “working age population”, increased slightly over the period from 65.5% in 2016 and 65.9% in 2026. However, Ireland can be seen to have an ageing population, as the proportion aged 45 or over increased from 37.1 % in 2016 to 42.2 % in 2026, whereas the proportion aged under 45 decreased from 62.9% to 57.8%.

By country: Population

• Ireland had the third highest percentage increase (16.3%) in population among the European Union 27 (EU27) countries between 2015 and 2025, after Malta (30.9%) and Luxembourg (21.1%). Overall the EU27 population increased by 1.7% (see Table 1.2) between 2015 and 2025.
• Ten countries in the EU27 saw a decline in population between 2015 and 2025: Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia, Romania, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, and Slovakia (see Figure 1.1). Bulgaria had the biggest percentage fall at -8.4%.
• Germany had the largest population in the EU27 in 2025 at 83.6 million people, which was just below that of EU candidate country Türkiye at 85.7m people. Ireland had the 18th highest population in the EU27 at 5.4m in 2025.

Ireland: Migration and natural increase

• The number of emigrants leaving Ireland is estimated to have fallen by 4.7%, from 65,600 in the 12 months to April 2025 to 62,500 in the 12 months to April 2026 (see Table 1.3).
• Inward migration to Ireland in the 12 months to April 2026 is estimated at 110,600, a decrease of 11.7% from 125,300 in the previous 12 month period.
• The combined effect of these trends resulted in a positive net migration of 48,100 in 2026 (meaning more people moved to Ireland than left).
• Over the last 10 years, Ireland has consistently recorded positive net migration. However, net migration in 2026 fell by 19.4% compared with the previous year. Net migration peaked at 79,300 in 2024.
• There were 54,300 births in Ireland in the 12 months to April 2026, a slight decrease on 2025, while down 17.0% on the 65,400 births 2016. Over the last 10 years, the natural increase in the population (i.e. births minus deaths) has almost halved, from 35,600 in 2016 to 18,800 in 2026.

Ireland: Immigration and emigration by country of origin/destination

• In the 12 months to April 2026, there were 110,600 immigrants into Ireland, a decrease of 11.7% on the 12 months to April 2025. There was an increase in immigration compared with the previous year from EU15 to EU27 (+1.5%), the United Kingdom (+33.6%), the United States (+4.2%) and Canada (+46.9%). A decrease in immigration was seen from EU14 (-18.8%), Australia (-17.8%) and the rest of the world (-23.2%) (see Table 1.4).
• Of those who immigrated, just under half (52,200 persons) arrived from the ‘rest of the world’ (i.e. countries other than the European Union, UK, USA, Australia or Canada). This was down from 68,000 in 2025 and was the lowest figure since 2023.
• In the 12 months to April 2026, a total of 62,500 people emigrated from Ireland, representing a decrease of 4.7% on the previous 12 month period. Emigration to the EU14 increased by 11.5%, and there were also increases to the EU15-EU27 (+30.0%) and Canada (2.0%) compared with April 2025. In contrast, emigration to all other regions declined over the same period, including the UK (-15.9%), the US (-1.6%), Australia (-12.6%), and the rest of the world (-16.2%).
• The numbers immigrating to Ireland exceeded the numbers emigrating in every region except Australia, EU14 and Canada. The classification ‘rest of the world’ had the highest net migration at 42,900 persons.

By country: Young and old age dependency ratios

• In 2025, Ireland had the highest young-age dependency ratio in the EU at 28.1% (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 23.8%.
• This had the effect of a combined young and old age dependency ratio of 51.9% in Ireland, which was the fifth lowest in the EU, and 5.2 percentage points below the EU27 ratio of 57.1% in 2025.
• France had the highest combined dependency ratio in the EU in 2024 at 62.5% while Luxembourg and Malta had the lowest at 44.7% and 44.0% respectively.

By country: Total fertility rate

• Ireland’s fertility rate was 1.47 in 2024, making it the joint fourth highest with Demark in the European Union (down from 1.50 in 2023). This represented the lowest rate recorded over the 2020-2024 period (see Table 1.6). 
• Malta had the lowest fertility rate in the EU27 in 2024 at 1.01 and Spain was second lowest at 1.10, while Bulgaria had the highest rate at 1.72.
• All countries in the EU27 fell below the theoretical replacement fertility rate of 2.1 in 2024.

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 30.7 years in 2019 to 31.2 years in 2024. This was the fourth highest rate in the European Union in 2024, with Greece recording the same figure (see Table 1.7) 
• The EU27 average age of first time mothers in 2024 was 29.9 years. Italy had the highest average age of first time mothers at 31.9 years and Bulgaria had the lowest average age at 26.9 years.
• The proportion of live births outside marriage in Ireland was 40.5% in 2024, up from 38.2% in 2019; however, in should be noted that the 2024 value is based on year of registration rather than year of birth, unlike all other figures shown in Table 1.7.
• More than half of live births occurred outside marriage in six EU countries in 2024, with the highest rate recorded in Bulgaria at 61.9%.
• Greece reported the lowest proportion among countries with available data, at just 9.8%. However, it should be noted that there was a break in the time series for Greece between the 2019 and 2024 figures. Starting from 2023, registered partnership is included under "In marriage" category. Before 2023, it was included in the category "Outside marriage".

By country: Divorce rates

• Ireland and Malta had the joint lowest divorce rate in the EU27 in 2024, among the countries for which data was available, at 0.9 divorces per 1,000 persons (see Table 1.8). Ireland’s divorce rate has risen from 0.6 per 1,000 persons in 2014.
• Across the EU27 as a whole, the divorce rate in 2024 was 1.6 divorces per 1,000 persons. This has fallen from 1.8 per 1,000 persons a decade earlier.
• Latvia had the highest divorce rate in the EU27 in 2024 (of the countries for which data was available), at 2.8 per 1,000 persons, followed by Lithuania at 2.5 and Finland, Sweden and Estonia at 2.1.

By country: At risk of poverty rates

• In 2025, Ireland had an at risk of poverty rate of 37.2% before social transfers and pensions. This was 5.6 percentage points below the European Union rate of 42.8% (see Table 1.9).
• After social transfers and pensions, the proportion of those at risk of poverty in Ireland decreased by 24.2 percentage points down to 13.0%. This was the fifth lowest in the EU27 and 3.3 percentage points below the EU27 rate of 16.3%.
• In the EU27 in 2025, Lithuania recorded the highest at risk of poverty rate after social transfers and pensions at 22.6%, followed by Latvia at 22.0%, while Czechia had the lowest rate at 9.6%.

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

• In 2025, 12.6% 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 16.9% and people aged 18-34 had the lowest rate at 9.3% (see Table 1.10).
• Less than one in twenty people in Ireland were in consistent poverty in 2025 (4.7%). This was up from 3.6% in 2023 but down from 5.0% in 2024.
• People aged 0-17 had the highest rate of consistent poverty in 2025 at 7.8%. People aged 65+ and between 18-34 years of age had the lowest rate of consistent poverty at 3.4%.
• All age groups saw increases in the at risk of poverty rate in 2025 compared with 2024, except those aged 50-64. In contrast, in relation to consistent poverty rates, all age groups except those aged 65+ saw decreases compared with 2024.
• The overall at risk of poverty rate reached its highest level since 2021 in 2025. However, the consistent poverty rate peaked in 2024 at 5.0% before declining to 4.7% in 2025.

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

• In 2025, households of one adult aged 65 years or over had the highest at risk of poverty rate at 30.3%, followed by households of one adult aged less than 65 years at 20.0% (see Table 1.11).
• At risk poverty rate of households with one adult and children under 18 years has dropped 7.1 percentage points from 24.2% in 2024 to 17.1% in 2025, and was the largest percentage point change between the two years among the household compositions listed in Table 1.11.
• Consistent poverty rates in 2025 were highest in households of one adult with children under 18 years, at 13.4%, followed by households of one adult aged 65 and over, at 9.6%.
• Households of two adults, both aged less than 65 years, had the lowest at risk of poverty rate in 2025 at 5.2%. Households with two adults, at least one aged 65 years or over, and households with 3 or more adults had the lowest consistent poverty rate at 1.8%.
• Between 2024 and 2025, consistent poverty rates increased for households with one adult aged 65 years and over (up by 4.4 percentage points), one adult with children under 18 years (up by 2.4 percentage points), two adults, both aged under 65 years (up by 0.8 percentage points), and two adults, at least one of whom was aged 65 years and over (up by 0.2 percentage points).

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

• In 2025, the economic group in Ireland with the highest at risk of poverty rate was those who were unemployed at 29.3%, followed by those fulfilling domestic tasks at 29.1% and those who were unable to work due to long-standing health problems at 28.4% (see Figure 1.6 and Table 1.12).
• The at risk of poverty rate for people fulfilling domestic tasks was the highest in 2025 (29.1%) since 2020.
• The consistent poverty rate in 2025 was highest among persons who were unemployed at 18.1%, while for those unable to work due to long-standing health problems it was 13.9%. 
• People who were employed had the lowest at risk of poverty rate in 2025 at 5.7% and the lowest consistent poverty rate at 1.5%.
• The at risk of poverty rate increased for most economic groups between 2024 and 2025, except for unemployed people (down by 4.8 percentage points) and for people unable to work due to long-standing health problems (down by 4.1 percentage points).
• In contrast, the consistent poverty rate decreased for most economic groups between 2024 and 2025, except for students/pupils (up by 1.4 percentage points) and retired people (up by 1.1 percentage points). In 2025, the consistent poverty rate for students/pupils was the highest since 2021.

Ireland: Median weekly earnings by sex

• Between 2015 and 2025, the median weekly earnings across both sexes combined increased from €533.90 to €759.21 (see Table 1.13).
• Median weekly earnings in 2025 were €832.71 for males and €681.01 for females. The difference in median weekly earnings between males and females increased from €116.70 in 2015 to €151.70 in 2025 (see Figure 1.7).
• In 2025, men’s median weekly earnings were 22.3% higher than women’s, down from 24.6% in 2015. 

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 2020, Ireland had a gender pay gap of 9.0% and this increased to 9.9% in 2021 before dropping to 8.3% in 2024 (see Figure 1.8).
• In 2024, Ireland had the eleventh lowest gender pay gap among EU27 countries, which was 2.8 percentage points below the EU27 average of 11.1% (see Table 1.14).
• Estonia had the highest gender pay gap in 2024, at 18.8%. Luxembourg had the lowest, at -0.8% (indicating that women’s average hourly earnings exceeded men’s).
• The gender pay gap decreased for most EU countries, for which data were available, between 2020 and 2024. The largest decrease was recorded in Latvia (from 23.2% in 2020 to 13.9% in 2024). It increased in Denmark, Slovakia, Sweden, Italy, Czechia, Cyprus, Romania and Slovenia. The largest increase was recorded in Slovenia (from 2.4% in 2020 to 8.0% in 2024).

By country: Net Official Development Assistance

• Table 1.15 shows that in 2025, Ireland’s Net Official Development Assistance (ODA) represented 0.44% of Gross National Income (GNI) and 0.56% of 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 allocated to ODA was 0.31% in 2021, peaked at 0.66% in 2023, and fell to 0.44% in 2025. Ireland’s ODA as a share of GNI* rose from 0.43% in 2021 to 0.90% in 2023, before declining to 0.56% in 2025.
• Excluding costs relating to Temporary Protection recipients from Ukraine, Ireland’s ODA in 2025 was 0.38% of GNI and 0.48% of GNI* (see Table 1.15). 
• In 2025, only three countries in the EU27 attained the UN target ODA of 0.7%: Luxembourg (0.99%), Sweden (0.85%) and Denmark (0.72%). Outside the EU27, Norway (1.03%) also attained the target.

Private households with internet access

• The proportion of households in Ireland with access to the internet increased from 93% in 2021 to 95.5% in 2025 (see Table 1.16).
• In 2024, Ireland’s rate of household internet access was below the EU27 average of 94.2%. However, in 2025, Ireland exceeded the EU average of 94.8%.
• Croatia had the lowest rate of household internet access in the EU27 in 2025 at 87.9% and Greece was second lowest at 88.7%. Netherlands had the highest at 99.3%.