20% of Irish live abroad

March 21st, 2006 | by aobaoill |

Interesting statistics from Foinse, reporting that 20% of people born in Ireland currently live abroad – that’s a total of between 750 and 800 thousand people. Figures Foinse got from the Department of Foreign Affairs, and which seem to be based largely on foreign census results, indicate that most, just under half a million, live in England and Wales, with 156,475 in the United States (both of these figures from recent censuses). 74,494 is the number for Australia, though since this is a 1996 figure the true figure may be somewhat higher. The figure for Canada is also somewhat old, but indicates something in the region of 28,000. The Scottish figure is from the relatively recent British census, but listed as an estimate, and is 21,7000. Most other countries – including various EU countries, New Zealand, etc. – seem to be under 20,000 each.
There are of course many caveats to the figures, as discussed in the Foinse piece. I wonder, for instance, what proportion of the undocumented Irish emigrants in the United States are listed in the US census figures.

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