Population of Ireland 1841 - 2006
When was the Census held?
Since the foundation of the State, the Irish census has traditionally been held on a Sunday in April of a year ending with the number 6 and, since 1951, years ending with the numbers 1 and 6. The few exceptions to this were a May census in 1946, the cancellation of the 1976 and postponement of the 2001 census. The actual dates for each census are as follows:
| Year |
Census Day |
| 1926 |
Sunday, 18 April 1926
|
| 1936 |
Sunday, 26 April 1936 |
| 1946 |
Sunday, 12 May 1946 |
| 1951 |
Sunday, 8 April 1951 |
| 1956 |
Sunday, 8 April 1956 |
| 1961 |
Sunday, 9 April 1961 |
| 1966 |
Sunday, 17 April 1966 |
| 1971 |
Sunday, 18 April 1971 |
| 1979 |
Sunday, 1 April 1979 |
| 1981 |
Sunday, 5 April 1981 |
| 1986 |
Sunday, 13 April 1986 |
| 1991 |
Sunday, 21 April 1991 |
| 1996 |
Sunday, 28 April 1996 |
| 2002 |
Sunday, 28 April 2002 |
| 2006 |
Sunday, 23 April 2006 |
| 2011 |
Sunday, 10 April 2011 |
What was the population in each census?
| Year |
Total Population |
Males |
Females |
No. Of females per 100 males |
| 1841 |
6,528,799 |
3,222,485 |
3,306,314 |
103 |
| 1851 |
5,111,557 |
2,494,478 |
2,617,079 |
105 |
| 1861 |
4,402,111 |
2,169,042 |
2,233,069 |
103 |
| 1871 |
4,053,187 |
1,992,468 |
2,060,719 |
103 |
| 1881 |
3,870,020 |
1,912,438 |
1,957,582 |
102 |
| 1891 |
3,468,694 |
1,728,601 |
1,740,093 |
101 |
| 1901 |
3,221,823 |
1,610,085 |
1,611,738 |
100 |
| 1911 |
3,139,688 |
1,589,509 |
1,550,179 |
98 |
| 1926 |
2,971,992 |
1,506,889 |
1,465,103 |
97 |
| 1936 |
2,968,420 |
1,520,454 |
1,447,966 |
95 |
| 1946 |
2,955,107 |
1,494,877 |
1,460,230 |
98 |
| 1951 |
2,960,593 |
1,506,597 |
1,453,996 |
97 |
| 1956 |
2,898,264 |
1,462,928 |
1,435,336 |
98 |
| 1961 |
2,818,341 |
1,416,549 |
1,401,792 |
99 |
| 1966 |
2,884,002 |
1,449,032 |
1,434,970 |
99 |
| 1971 |
2,978,248 |
1,495,760 |
1,482,488 |
99 |
| 1979 |
3,368,217 |
1,693,272 |
1,674,945 |
99 |
| 1981 |
3,443,405 |
1,729,354 |
1,714,051 |
99 |
| 1986 |
3,540,643 |
1,769,690 |
1,770,953 |
100 |
| 1991 |
3,525,719 |
1,753,418 |
1,772,301 |
101 |
| 1996 |
3,626,087 |
1,800,232 |
1,825,855 |
101 |
| 2002 |
3,917,203 |
1,946,164 |
1,971,039 |
101 |
| 2006 |
4,239,848 |
2,121,171 |
2,118,677 |
100 |
Population by province (Thousands)
| Year |
Total Population |
Leinster |
Munster |
Connacht |
Ulster (Part) |
| 1841 |
6,528.8 |
1,973.7 |
2,396.2 |
1,418.9 |
740.0 |
| 1851 |
5,111.6 |
1,672.7 |
1,857.7 |
1,010.0 |
571.1 |
| 1861 |
4,402.1 |
1,457.6 |
1,513.6 |
913.1 |
517.8 |
| 1871 |
4,053.2 |
1,339.5 |
1,393.5 |
846.2 |
474.0 |
| 1881 |
3,870.0 |
1,279.0 |
1,331.1 |
821.7 |
438.3 |
| 1891 |
3,468.7 |
1,187.8 |
1,172.4 |
724.8 |
383.8 |
| 1901 |
3,221.8 |
1,152.8 |
1,076.2 |
646.9 |
345.9 |
| 1911 |
3,139.7 |
1,162.0 |
1,035.5 |
611.0 |
331.2 |
| 1926 |
2,972.0 |
1,149.1 |
969.9 |
552.9 |
300.1 |
| 1936 |
2,968.4 |
1,220.4 |
942.3 |
525.5 |
280.3 |
| 1946 |
2,955.1 |
1,281.1 |
917.3 |
492.8 |
263.9 |
| 1951 |
2,960.6 |
1,336.6 |
898.9 |
471.9 |
253.3 |
| 1956 |
2,893.3 |
1,338.9 |
877.2 |
446.2 |
235.9 |
| 1961 |
2,818.3 |
1,332.1 |
849.2 |
419.5 |
217.5 |
| 1966 |
2,884.0 |
1,414.4 |
859.3 |
402.2 |
208.3 |
| 1971 |
2,978.2 |
1,498.1 |
882.0 |
390.9 |
207.2 |
| 1979 |
3,368.2 |
1,743.9 |
979.8 |
418.5 |
226.0 |
| 1981 |
3,443.3 |
1,790.5 |
998.3 |
424.4 |
230.2 |
| 1986 |
3,540.6 |
1,852.6 |
1,020.6 |
431.4 |
236.0 |
| 1991 |
3,525.7 |
1,860.9 |
1,009.5 |
423.0 |
232.2 |
| 1996 |
3,626.1 |
1,924.7 |
1,033.9 |
433.2 |
234.3 |
| 2002 |
3,917.2 |
2,105.6 |
1,100.6 |
464.3 |
246.7 |
| 2006 |
4,239.8 |
2,295.1 |
1,173.3 |
504.1 |
267.3 |