The number of under-14s in Ireland continues to decline while the over-65s increases, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
In the 12 months to the end of April 2026, the headline figure is that the population of Ireland rose by 66,900 and stood at 5,525,600 people.
However, the number of people aged between 0 and 14 years fell below 1 million to 992,400, the first time this age bracket fell under 1 million people since 2014, while those aged 65 and over rose to 891,100 people. The decrease in the number of children has occurred despite the total population increasing. This is due to a falling birth rate.
Notably the number of babies aged under one has declined from 75,000 in 2010 to 55,000 today, a decrease of 19,900 people or 27%.
In addition, an estimated 110,600 immigrants entered the country which was the fifth successive 12-month period where over 100,000 people immigrated to Ireland.
At the same time, an estimated 62,500 people left the State.
Of those who left, 53% (32,900 people) were aged between 25 and 44 years, while 32% (19,900 people) were aged between 15 and 24 years.
