The population of the Irish Republic is in excess of 4,015,676 (2005) of whom
over one million live in Dublin. The other cities with large populations are,
Cork, 180,000, Limerick, 79,000 and Galway, 57,000. More than half the
population is under twenty-five years of age.
Towards the end of the twentieth century, emigration was replaced by immigration
from Britain, Europe and North America. More recently, refugees from Eastern
Europe and Africa have taken up residence.
FACTS
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Population:
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4,015,676 (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 20.9%
(male 434,225/female 406,730) 15-64 years: 67.5% (male 1,358,086/female 1,354,148) 65 years and over: 11.5% (male 203,614/female 258,873) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 33.7 years male: 32.9 years female: 34.49 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.16% (2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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14.47 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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7.85 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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4.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 5.39
deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.91 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population:
77.56 years male: 74.95 years female: 80.34 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.87 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Irishman(men),
Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural) adjective: Irish |
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Ethnic groups:
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Celtic, English |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 88.4%, Church of Ireland 3%, other Christian 1.6%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2%, none 3.5% (2002 census) |
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Languages:
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English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (official) (Gaelic or Gaeilge) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and
over can read and write total population: 98% (1981 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |