The island of Ireland is split into 32 different counties, and from 1800 until 1921 the whole island was a part of the United Kingdome of Great Britain and Ireland (although Britain had been a controlling presence on the island for considerably longer than this). In 1921 the island was split into two separate states, where the six counties with the highest population of Protestants formed part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the other 26 counties became the Independent Republic of Ireland. From 1821 until 1841, the population of these 26 counties was growing steadily, until the Great Famine from 1845 to 1849 swept across the island, particularly devastating the west and south.

The famine was caused by a Europe-wide potato blight that contributed to mass starvation and death throughout the continent, although it's impact on Ireland was much harsher than anywhere else. The potato blight affected Ireland so severely as the majority of potatoes in Ireland were of a single variety which allowed the disease to spread much faster than in other countries. People in the west and south of Ireland were particularly dependent on potatoes, and these areas were affected more heavily than the north and west, where flax and cereals were the staple. As the potato blight spread, the population became increasingly reliant on dairy and grain products, however a lot of these resources were relocated by the British military to combat food shortages in Britain. Due to disproportional dependency on potatoes, and mismanagement by the British government, over one million people died and a further one million emigrated. The Great Famine lasted from just 1845 to 1849, but it's legacy caused almost a century of population decline, and to this day, the population of Ireland has never exceeded it's pre-famine levels.

The population decline continued well into the twentieth century, during which time the Republic of Ireland achieved independence from the British Empire. After centuries of fighting and rebellion against British rule, Irish nationalists finally gained some independence from Britain in 1921, establishing an Irish Republic in the 26 counties. There was a lot of conflict in Ireland in the early 1900s, through the War of Independence and Irish Civil War, however the population of the Republic began growing again from the 1960s onwards as the quality of life improved and the emigration rate declined. The population was at it's lowest from 1926 to 1971, where it remained at just under three million, but in the following fifty years the population has grown by over two million people.

From 1821 until 2011, the male and female populations of the 26 counties of the modern-day Republic of Ireland grew at a relatively similar rate, however some fluctuations did occur. During this time, the entire island of Ireland was a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, after both islands were united by the Acts of Union in 1800. This graph shows the populations of the 26 counties that would later form the Republic of Ireland in 1921, and does not include the six counties that became known as Northern Ireland.

As we can see, both populations follow a relatively similar trend throughout their respective histories. In the first three entries, women outnumber men by 70,000 to 120,000, although these figures do not include military personnel which would narrow this margin. Both populations fall at a similar rate during and after the famine, however the male population does fall slightly faster, possibly due to an increased rate of emigration among males. Another point where both populations differ is in the early twentieth century, where the female population declines in a relatively smooth curve, although the male populations peak in the census data before and after both world wars. From 1956 onwards both populations follow a very similar trend, and grow at the same rate. The difference in population sizes never exceeds 30,000 people, until the final entry in 2011 where the population of men is 2.27 million and the population of women is 2.31 million.

Between 1821 and 1921, the entire island of Ireland was a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, after both islands were united by the Act of Union in 1800. This graph shows only the population of the six counties of Ireland that would go on to become Northern Ireland. The population was just under 1.4 million in 1821 and grew to 1.7 million in the next twenty years.

Between 1845 and 1849 the Great Famine devastated the overall population of Ireland, causing the deaths of approximately one million people, and causing a further million to emigrate. Although the famine affected the population of the west and south of Ireland much more severely than the north, the population of the six counties still fell by over 200,000 people between 1841 and 1851. The population then continued to fall, reaching it's lowest point in the 1890s where it was 1.2 million. The Northern Irish population then grows slowly until the mid to late 1900s, during which time the state of Northern Ireland was founded in 1921. The population the reaches over 1.54 million in the 1960s, before it falls again in the 1970s. This drop in population coincides with the outbreak and the most violent decade of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, which was a conflict that dominated Northern Irish daily life for decades. However, from 1981 onwards the population grows by 70,000 to 12,000 every ten years, surpassing it's pre-famine level in the 1990s.

Population by religion by Local Authorities. (Census 2022 Theme 2 Table 4 )Census 2022 table 2.4 is the total population by religion. Details include population by religion. Census 2022 theme 2 is Migration, Ethnicity, Religion and Foreign Languages. The country is divided into 31 administrative counties/cities. Outside Dublin, there are 23 administrative counties and four cities: Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway. There are four local authority areas in Dublin: Dublin City and the three administrative counties of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin. The Local Government Reform Act 2014 Section 9 provided for the amalgamation of the city and county councils in Limerick, Waterford, and North Tipperary and South Tipperary County Councils.Coordinate reference system: Irish Transverse Mercator (EPSG 2157). These boundaries are based on 20m generalised boundaries sourced from Tailte Éireann Open Data Portal. This dataset is provided by Tailte Éireann, Administrative Counties 2019

In 1821, Ireland's population was just over 6.8 million people. During this time, the entire island was a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, after both islands were united by the Acts of Union in 1800. From the graph we can see that the population enjoyed steady growth between 1821 and 1841, and it rose by almost 1.4 million people in this time. However the Great Famine, which lasted from 1845 to 1849, had a devastating impact on the population, causing it to drop from 8.18 million in 1841 to 6.55 million in 1851. The Great Hunger The famine was caused by a Europe-wide potato blight that contributed to mass starvation and death throughout the continent, although it's impact on Ireland was much harsher than anywhere else. The potato blight affected Ireland so severely as the majority of potatoes in Ireland were of a single variety which allowed the disease to spread much faster than in other countries. As the potato blight spread, the population became increasingly dependent on dairy and grain products, however a lot of these resources were relocated by the British military to combat food shortages in Britain. Due to disproportional dependency on potatoes, and mismanagement by the British government, over one million people died and a further one million emigrated. The Great Famine lasted from just 1845 to 1849, but it's legacy caused almost a century of population decline, and to this day, the population of Ireland has never exceeded it's pre-famine levels. Road to recovery The population decline continued well into the twentieth century, during which time the Republic of Ireland achieved independence from the British Empire. After centuries of fighting and rebellion against British rule, Irish nationalists finally gained independence from Britain in 1921, although the six counties with the largest Protestant populations formed Northern Ireland, which is still a part of the United Kingdom today. In spite of the conflict that overshadowed Ireland for much of the twentieth century, which claimed the lives of thousands of people (particularly during the Northern Irish Troubles), and despite Ireland's high emigration rate, the population began growing again in the second half of the 1900s. The population was at it's lowest from 1926 to 1961, where it remained around 4.3 million, but in the following half-century the population grew by over two million people, reaching 6.4 million in 2011, although this number is still lower than in 1821. Gender stats The difference between the male and female populations throughout Ireland's recent history has also remained relatively low. The largest difference occurred in 1831, where there are 170,000 more women than men, although these figures do not include military personnel which would reduce the difference significantly. The gap then remains under 60,000 throughout the twentieth century.

National and subnational mid-year population estimates for the UK and its constituent countries by administrative area, age and sex (including components of population change, median age and population density).

In 1821, the population of the island of Ireland was just over 6.8 million people. During this time, the entire island was a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, after both islands were united by the Act of Union in 1800. The population enjoyed steady growth between 1821 and 1841, and it rose by almost 1.4 million people in this time, however the Great Famine, which lasted from 1845 to 1849, had a devastating impact on the population, causing it to drop from 8.18 million in 1841 to 6.55 million in 1851. If applying modern-day borders, the population of Northern Ireland was not growing as fast as the population of the Republic of Ireland before 1841, however it was not as severely affected by the famine, which was hardest felt in the east and south. The Great Hunger The famine was caused by a Europe-wide potato blight that contributed to mass starvation and death throughout the continent, although it's impact on Ireland was much harsher than anywhere else. The potato blight affected Ireland so severely as the majority of potatoes in Ireland were of a single variety which allowed the disease to spread much faster than in other countries. As the potato blight spread, the population became increasingly dependent on dairy and grain products, however a lot of these resources were relocated by the British military to combat food shortages in Britain. Due to disproportional dependency on potatoes, and mismanagement by the British government, over one million people died and a further one million emigrated. The Great Famine lasted from just 1845 to 1849, but it's legacy caused almost a century of population decline, and to this day, the overall population of Ireland has never exceeded it's pre-famine levels. Decline continues through partition The population decline continued well into the twentieth century, during which time the Republic of Ireland achieved independence from the British Empire. After centuries of fighting and rebellion against British rule, Irish nationalists finally gained independence from Britain in 1921, although the six counties with the largest Protestant populations formed Northern Ireland, which is still a part of the United Kingdom today. Although there was much conflict in Ireland in the twentieth century which claimed the lives of thousands of people (particularly during the Northern Irish Troubles), and despite Ireland's high emigration rate, the overall population began growing again in the second half of the 1900s. Recovery The population of the Republic of Ireland was at it's lowest in 1961, with 2.8 million people, which is almost four million fewer people than before the famine. Since then it has grown consistently, reaching 4.6 million in 2011 and expected to reach 5 million people by 2020. In Northern Ireland, the population began growing again from the beginning of the 1900s, but growth has been very slow. The only time it fell was in the 1970s, at the peak of The Troubles, where high unemployment and violence contributed to a lower birth rate and an increase in emigration. From the 1980s onwards, living standards improved and the population began growing again, reaching 1.8 million people in 2011.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner. To collect social, demographic, electoral and linguistic data for each of 118 British and Irish counties in the period 1851 - 1966, in order to study national development in the UK and Ireland. Main Topics: Variables County. Population: growth, proportion aged 65 and over, sex ratio, density, marriage rate, per capita income, proportion in agriculture/manufacturing/middle class/civil service, proportion who were female domestics. Proportion urban, city size, index of ethnic diversity, vote residual and income residual. Proportion voting Conservative, Labour, Liberal, Nationalist Party. Proportion Celtic speakers. Religiosity, literacy. Proportion of Church of England, non-conformists, Roman Catholics. Proportion English born, Welsh born, Scottish, Irish and French. Voting turnout, birth rate, infant mortality rate. See Hechter (AJS 79 2 Sept 1973). Please note: this study does not include information on named individuals and would therefore not be useful for personal family history research. No information recorded Compilation or synthesis of existing material

Counties Ireland 1911: 34 counties which includes thirty two counties and two urban areas of Belfast and Dublin.This boundary has been generated by aggregation and dissolving boundaries based on common value of County code. Slivers and gaps removed in this processing.The boundaries established for these areas were created from scanned maps and some boundaries were provided from other organizations who previously worked on this. Areas stated on the census tables were used to quality check the areas of each DED. There is no singular and accurate source for mapping representation available - this map is a best effort and indicative of location only.A special thanks to the open source OpenStreetMap (OSM) for providing data for Northern Ireland, and also to Mike Murphy at UCC who provided a map of Ireland at DED level that we could use to reference boundaries.Taillte Éireann provided 1911 boundary maps to the CSO with the following disclaimer: "This cartographic data is a digital representation of the 1911 ED and Poor Law Union datasets. It is for display purposes only and legal boundaries past or present cannot and should not be inferred from this map."OpenStreetMap shapefiles were provided in accordance with their copyright requirements.Scanned copies of Census 1911 Original Reports : Area, houses and population are available here Implements CSO classificationsC04131V04897 - Census 1911 County Classification number

In 2023, almost nine million people lived in Greater London, making it the most populated ceremonial county in England. The West Midlands Metropolitan County, which contains the large city of Birmingham, was the second-largest county at 2.98 million inhabitants, followed by Greater Manchester and then West Yorkshire with populations of 2.95 million and 2.4 million, respectively. Kent, Essex, and Hampshire were the three next-largest counties in terms of population, each with around 1.89 million people. A patchwork of regions England is just one of the four countries that compose the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with England, Scotland and Wales making up Great Britain. England is therefore not to be confused with Great Britain or the United Kingdom as a whole. Within England, the next subdivisions are the nine regions of England, containing various smaller units such as unitary authorities, metropolitan counties and non-metropolitan districts. The counties in this statistic, however, are based on the ceremonial counties of England as defined by the Lieutenancies Act of 1997. Regions of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland Like England, the other countries of the United Kingdom have their own regional subdivisions, although with some different terminology. Scotland’s subdivisions are council areas, while Wales has unitary authorities, and Northern Ireland has local government districts. As of 2022, the most-populated Scottish council area was Glasgow City, with over 622,000 inhabitants. In Wales, Cardiff had the largest population among its unitary authorities, and in Northern Ireland, Belfast was the local government area with the most people living there.

Irish Travellers as a Proportion of the Total Population by Statistic, Province County or City, CensusYear and Sex

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Irish Travellers per 1000 of Total Population by Province County or City, Statistic and CensusYear

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This feature layer was created using Census 2016 data produced by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and Administrative Counties national boundary data (generalised to 50m) produced by Tailte Éireann. The layer represents Census 2016 theme 11.2, population aged 5+ by time leaving home to travel to work, school or college. Attributes include a breakdown of population by time leaving for work, school or college (e.g. 6.30 - 7.00, 8.30 - 9.00). Census 2016 theme 11 represents Commuting. The Census is carried out every five years by the CSO to determine an account of every person in Ireland. The results provide information on a range of themes, such as, population, housing and education. The data were sourced from the CSO. In census reports the country is divided into 29 counties/administrative counties and the five Cities which represent the local authority areas. Outside Dublin there are 26 administrative counties (North Tipperary and South Tipperary each ranks as a separate county for administrative purposes) and four Cities, i.e. Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway. In Dublin the four local authority areas are identified separately, i.e. Dublin City and the three administrative counties of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin.

Irish Travellers per 1000 of Total Population by Province County or City, CensusYear and Statistic

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In 2024, the population of the Republic of Ireland was approximately 5.38 million, with approximately 1.5 million people living in County Dublin, the region with the highest population.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The purpose of the project was to provide machine-readable economic and social history statistics relating to the whole of Ireland for the period 1821-1971. Further information about the project is available on the QUB Centre for Data Digitisation and Analysis website. Main Topics: The dataset contains population census data covering population, housing, religion, birthplaces, language, occupations, age structures, conjugal status and family structure. All the relevant background material is incorporated either in the documentation files or in the scanned images of the tables of contents, prefaces, and notes in the original source. The main population census tables are: Total population grouped by county districts and gender (1881-1971). Total number of buildings, classified as either inhabited buildings, uninhabited buildings, or buildings under construction grouped by county districts. Also includes the area and valuation of each county district (1881-1971). Total number of Roman Catholics, Church of Ireland members, Presbyterians, Methodists and others grouped by county districts and gender (1926-1971). Total number of Roman Catholics, Church of Ireland members and others grouped by counties, gender and age groups (1926-1971). Total numbers born in each county grouped by county of residence and gender (1901-1971) Republic of Ireland only. Total numbers born in each province grouped by county districts of residence and gender (1926-1936) Republic of Ireland only Total numbers born in each county district grouped by county of residence and gender (1926-1971) Northern Ireland only. Irish/English speakers and English only speakers grouped by county districts (1926-1971) Republic of Ireland only. Occupations grouped by counties and gender (1926-1971). Total number of persons in each age group grouped by county districts and gender (1901-1971). Total number of married, single and widowed people grouped by county districts, age groups and gender (1926-1971). Total number of families grouped by duration of marriage, husband's age at marriage, wife's age at marriage and number of children born (1946, 1961 and 1971) Republic of Ireland only. Total number of families grouped by counties, duration of marriage, wife's age at marriage and number of children born (1946, 1961 and 1971) Republic of Ireland only. Total number of families grouped by religious affiliation, duration of marriage, wife's age at marriage and number of children born (1946, 1961 and 1971) Republic of Ireland only. Total number of dependent children grouped by counties, number of children in family and parent's marital status, gender and age (1926 and 1946) Republic of Ireland only. Please note: this study does not include information on named individuals and would therefore not be useful for personal family history research.

The 4 scenarios are: Baseline/Business as usual – based on medium term projections for the economy with an underlying assumption that net inwards migration would converge to 15,000 p.a. by 2024 and remain at that level throughout the projection horizon. 50:50 City – based on a similar outlook in terms of net inwards migration but whereby population growth is distributed in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework (See National Policy Objectives 1a and 2a of https://npf.ie/wp-content/uploads/Project-Ireland-2040-NPF.pdf) High Migration – assumes that net inwards migration stays at an elevated level throughout the projection horizon (net inwards migration of 30,000 p.a) Low Migration - assumes that net inwards migration falls to net inwards migration of 5,000 by 2022 before converging back to the business as usual levels (i.e. net inwards migration of 15,000 p.a.) by 2027 and remaining at that level thereafter.

This feature layer was created using Census 2016 data produced by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and Province boundary data (generalised to 100m) produced by Tailte Éireann. The layer represents Census 2016 theme 3.1, population aged 3+ by ability to speak Irish. Attributes include population breakdown by ability to speak Irish (e.g. yes, no, not stated). Census 2016 theme 3 represents Irish Language. The Census is carried out every five years by the CSO to determine an account of every person in Ireland. The results provide information on a range of themes, such as, population, housing and education. The data were sourced from the CSO. Province Boundaries Generalised to 100m. Ireland is divided into four provinces called Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht. Although they presently do not have any administrative functions, they are relevant for a number of historical, cultural and sporting reasons. The borders of the provinces coincide exactly with the boundaries of the administrative counties. Three of the nine counties in Ulster are within the jurisdiction of the State.

Population Aged 3 Years and Over (Thousand) by Province County or City, Irish Speakers and Non-Irish Speakers, CensusYear and Sex

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In 2022, Belfast was the local district that had the highest number of inhabitants in Northern Ireland, with an estimated population of 348,000, followed by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon which had approximately 220,000 people living there in this year.