Ire People - 2021

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Population

5,224,884 (July 2021 est.)

Nationality

noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural)

adjective: Irish

Ethnic groups

Irish 82.2%, Irish travelers 0.7%, other White 9.5%, Asian 2.1%, Black 1.4%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.6% (2016 est.)

Languages

English (official, the language generally used), Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official, spoken by approximately 39.8% of the population as of 2016; mainly spoken in areas along Ireland's western coast known as gaeltachtai, which are officially recognized regions where Irish is the predominant language)

Religions

Roman Catholic 78.3%, Church of Ireland 2.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Orthodox 1.3%, Muslim 1.3%, other 2.4%, none 9.8%, unspecified 2.6% (2016 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 21.15% (male 560,338/female 534,570)

15-24 years: 12.08% (male 316,239/female 308,872)

25-54 years: 42.19% (male 1,098,058/female 1,085,794)

55-64 years: 10.77% (male 278,836/female 278,498)

65 years and over: 13.82% (male 331,772/female 383,592) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 54.8

youth dependency ratio: 32.3

elderly dependency ratio: 22.6

potential support ratio: 4.4 (2020 est.)

Median age

total: 37.8 years

male: 37.4 years

female: 38.2 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate

0.97% (2021 est.)

Birth rate

12.6 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Death rate

6.72 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Net migration rate

3.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Population distribution

population distribution is weighted to the eastern side of the island, with the largest concentration being in and around Dublin; populations in the west are small due to mountainous land, poorer soil, lack of good transport routes, and fewer job opportunities

Urbanization

urban population: 63.9% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 1.15% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030

Major urban areas - population

1.242 million DUBLIN (capital) (2021)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female

total population: 1 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

30.7 years (2019 est.)

Maternal mortality rate

5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 3.52 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3.97 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 3.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 81.45 years

male: 79.12 years

female: 83.9 years (2021 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.93 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

73.3% (2010)

note: percent of women aged 18-45

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 97% of population

rural: 98.1% of population

total: 97.4% of population

unimproved: urban: 3% of population

rural: 1.9% of population

total: 2.6% of population (2017 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

6.9% (2018)

Physicians density

3.31 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Hospital bed density

3 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 97.7% of population

rural: 99% of population

total: 98.2% of population

unimproved: urban: 2.3% of population

rural: 1% of population

total: 1.8% of population (2017 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

7,800 (2020 est.)

note: estimate does not include children

HIV/AIDS - deaths

note: estimate does not include children

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

25.3% (2016)

Education expenditures

3.5% of GDP (2017)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 20 years

male: 19 years

female: 20 years (2018)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 12.5%

male: 14.2%

female: 10.6% (2019 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Ire on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Ire 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Ire 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.