The population has grown by 88,000 in the last year, the biggest yearly increase in Ireland in 14 years.

  Studies from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that Ireland's population has seen its biggest increase in a single year since 2008. At the end of April the population rested at 5.1 million, meaning it rose by 88,800 people since last year. According to The Journal, this increase is mostly down to immigrants arriving into Ireland, of which there were 120,700 in the past 12 months. The Journal stated that:

"This is the highest number of immigrants arriving into Ireland in 15 years, with 28,900 of those immigrants being returning Irish nationals."

The influx of Ukrainians fleeing the war (28,000) also plays a significant part in the population increase in Ireland. The Journal also reported that with the huge numbers coming into Ireland, a significant number have emigrated; 59,600 people have left the state in the last 12 months compared to 54,000 the year before. As for the captial, Dublin has seen an increase in residents in the last decade, now containing 28.4% of the population. In 2011 it contained 27.6%. This year's census showed Ireland had finally returned to its pre-famine population. Header image via Shutterstock READ ON: The best restaurants in Ulster, according to the Irish Restaurant Awards 2022