The 2017 Population and Migration Estimates released by the Central Statistics Office show that the number of immigrants has increased by 2.8 per cent year-on-year from 82,300 to 84,600. Of the 84,600 people who immigrated to Ireland in the year to April 2017, some 27,400 (32.4 per cent) were estimated to be Irish nationals
The number of emigrants has decreased by 2.1 per cent from 66,200 in April 2016 to 64,800 in the year to April 2017.
These combined changes have resulted in the highest net inward migration for Ireland (+19,800) since 2008.
Key figures from 2017 estimates:
- Irish nationals continued to experience net outward migration but at a lower rate than the previous year, decreasing from -8,800 in the year April 2016 to –3,400 over the year to April 2017.
- Net inward migration among non-Irish nationals decreased from 25,000 to 23,200.
- Irish nationals remained the largest constituent group among emigrants, accounting for 30,800 (47.5 per cent) of the 64,800 people who emigrated. This represents a decrease of 6,300 (-17 per cent) on the year to April 2016 when 37,100 Irish nationals emigrated.
- Non Irish-nationals from outside the EU continued to display strong migration flows, accounting for 29,400 (34.8 per cent) of total immigrants and 13,700 (21.1 per cent) of total emigrants. This resulted in estimated net inward migration among non-Irish nationals from outside the EU of 15,700.
- The combined effect of natural increase and positive net migration resulted in an overall increase in the population of 52,900 bringing the population estimate to 4.79 million in April 2017.
For more information:
See CSO statistical release: Population and Migration Estimates (April 2017).
See also: Useful Statistics.
