2011 census of Ireland

Last updated

Census of Ireland, 2011

 200610 April 2011 (2011-04-10) 2016  

Logo of the 2011 Census of Ireland.png
General information
CountryIreland
Results
Total population4,588,252 (Increase2.svg 6.86%)
Most populous county Dublin (1,273,069)
Least populous county Leitrim (31,796)

The 2011 census of Ireland was held on Sunday, 10 April 2011. It was administered by the Central Statistics Office of Ireland and found the population to be 4,588,252 people. [1] Before the census, the latest population estimate was published in September 2010 and calculated that the Irish population had been 4,470,700 in April 2010. [2] The previous census took place five years earlier, on Sunday, 23 April 2006. [3] The subsequent census took place five years later, on 24 April 2016. [4]

Contents

The 2011 census was held during the same year as the 2011 United Kingdom census in which the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency administered a census of Northern Ireland, covering those areas of the island that are not part of the Republic of Ireland.

Preparation

The Central Statistics Office carried out a census pilot survey on 19 April 2009 to test new questions and methods for the 2011 census. The Irish government met on 11 December 2009 and scheduled the census to take place on 10 April 2011. The meeting also defined the questions that would be asked in the questionnaire.

Atheist Ireland and Humanist Association campaigns

There were also campaigns by the Atheist Ireland group, and by The Humanist Association of Ireland, asking people to consider carefully their answer to the question about religion. [5] [6] [7] [8]

Recruitment

The Central Statistics Office hired a temporary field force of 5,500 people. The recruitment was performed in a pyramid structure, with 50 senior managers, 440 field supervisors, and 5,000 enumerators hired in succession. [9] Hiring of senior managers for the census took place between 29 April and 12 May 2010. Recruitment of 440 census field supervisor positions began on 16 September 2010. The supervisors worked from their own homes around the country for a six-month contract. The 5,000 census enumerator positions were advertised on 29 December 2010, and these worked for ten weeks from 8 March 2011.

Field work

Enumerators began a field campaign on 10 March 2011 to deliver about 1.8 million census forms to every household in Ireland in the month before Census Day. [10] Following the census, the forms were collected between 11 April and 9 May 2011. [11]

Questions on the census form

Household questions [12]
H1What type of accommodation does your household occupy?
H2When was your house, flat or apartment first built?
H3Does your household own or rent your accommodation?
H4If your accommodation is rented, how much rent does your household pay?
H5How many rooms do you have for use only by your household?
H6What is the main type of fuel used by the central heating in your accommodation?
H7What type of piped water supply does your accommodation have?
H8What type of sewerage facility does your accommodation have?
H9How many cars or vans are owned or are available for use by one or more members of your household?
H10Does your household have a personal computer (PC)?
H11Does your household have access to the Internet?
H12Go to next page.
Individual questions
1What is your name?
2Sex?
3What is your date of birth?
4What is your relationship to Persons 1, 2, 3 and 4?
5What is your current marital status?
6What is your place of birth?
7Where do you usually live?
8Where did you usually live one year ago?
9Have you lived outside the Republic of Ireland for a continuous period of one year or more?
10What is your nationality?
11What is your ethnic or cultural background?
12What is your religion?
13How many children have you given birth to?
14Can you speak Irish?
15Do you speak a language other than English or Irish at home?
16Do you have any of the following long-lasting conditions or difficulties?
17It you answered "Yes" to 16, do you have any difficulty in doing any of the following?
18How is your health in general?
19How do you usually travel to work, school or college?
20What time do you usually leave home to go to work, school or college?
21How long does your journey to work, school or college usually take?
22Do you provide regular unpaid personal help for a friend or family member with a long-term illness, health problem or disability?
23If you are aged under 15 go to Question 34.
24Have you ceased your full-time education?
25What is the highest level of education/training (full-time or part-time) which you have completed to date?
26What is the main field of study of the highest qualification you have completed to date?
27How would you describe your present principal status?
28If you are working, unemployed or retired go to Question 29.
If you are a student go to Question 34.
Otherwise go to Question 35.
29Do (did) you work as an employee or are (were) you self-employed in your main job?
30What is (was) your occupation in your main job?
31if you are retired go to Question 35.
32What is (was) the business of your employer at the place where you work(ed) in your main job?
33If you are unemployed go to Question 35.
34What is the full name and address of your place of work, school or college?
35Answer questions for Person 2 starting on the next page. If there is only one person present in the household on the night of 10 April go to page 22.
Absent persons who usually live in the household[page 22]
A1What is this person's name?
A2Sex?
A3What is this person's date of birth?
A4What is the relationship of this person to Person 1 on page 4?
A5What is this person's current marital status?
A6How long altogether is this person away for?
A7Was this person in the Republic of Ireland on Sunday 10 April?
A8Is this person a student away at school or college?

Results

The first statistics were released in the Preliminary Population Report on 30 June 2011. The population on Census Night in April was 4,581,269, [13] a figure based on summary counts for each enumeration area compiled by enumerators on the front page of the census forms. [14] This figure was 110,569 more than the estimated population for April 2010. The definitive census publication, based on the scanned and processed census forms, is to be published between March and December 2012. [11]

County details

The population of each county in the Republic of Ireland recorded by the 2011 Census is listed below. The 26 traditional counties are ranked by population. Non-traditional administrative counties are indicated by a cream-coloured background. [15] [16]

RankCountyPopulationDensity (/ km2)ProvinceChange since
previous census
1 Dublin 1,273,0691,380.8LeinsterIncrease2.svg7.02%
2 Cork 519,03269.0MunsterIncrease2.svg7.84%
- Fingal 273,991600.6LeinsterIncrease2.svg14.17%
- South Dublin 265,2051,190.6LeinsterIncrease2.svg7.40%
3 Galway 250,54140.7ConnachtIncrease2.svg8.15%
4 Kildare 210,312123.8LeinsterIncrease2.svg12.87%
- Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown 206,2611,620.1LeinsterIncrease2.svg6.30%
5 Limerick 191,80969.4MunsterIncrease2.svg4.21%
6 Meath 184,13578.5LeinsterIncrease2.svg13.08%
7 Donegal 161,13732.9UlsterIncrease2.svg9.42%
8 Tipperary 158,75436.8MunsterIncrease2.svg6.37%
9 Kerry 145,50230.1MunsterIncrease2.svg4.05%
10 Wexford 145,32061.2LeinsterIncrease2.svg10.30%
11 Wicklow 136,64067.4LeinsterIncrease2.svg8.28%
12 Mayo 130,63823.3ConnachtIncrease2.svg5.49%
13 Louth 122,897148.7LeinsterIncrease2.svg10.45%
14 Clare 117,19633.8MunsterIncrease2.svg5.63%
15 Waterford 113,79561.2MunsterIncrease2.svg5.40%
16 Kilkenny 95,41946.0LeinsterIncrease2.svg8.98%
- South Tipperary 88,43239.2MunsterIncrease2.svg6.26%
17 Westmeath 86,16446.7LeinsterIncrease2.svg8.59%
18 Laois 80,55946.8LeinsterIncrease2.svg20.13%
19 Offaly 76,68738.3LeinsterIncrease2.svg8.21%
20 Cavan 73,18337.7UlsterIncrease2.svg14.34%
- North Tipperary 70,32234.4MunsterIncrease2.svg6.61%
21 Sligo 65,39335.5ConnachtIncrease2.svg7.39%
22 Roscommon 64,06525.0ConnachtIncrease2.svg9.01%
23 Monaghan 60,48346.7UlsterIncrease2.svg8.01%
24 Carlow 54,61260.8LeinsterIncrease2.svg8.47%
25 Longford 39,00035.7LeinsterIncrease2.svg13.40%
26 Leitrim 31,79619.9ConnachtIncrease2.svg9.84%
Average176,471
TotalIreland4,588,25265.3Increase2.svg6.86%

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