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Republic of Ireland: Ireland moves urban and east - PubMed

  • PMID: 12313035

Republic of Ireland: Ireland moves urban and east

P Inserra. Int Demogr. 1984 Apr.

Abstract

PIP: This discussion of the Republic of Ireland focuses on regions and cities, vital statistics, households, income and consumption, labor force, education, and information sources. Beginning in 1926, the government of Dublin has taken 10 full or partial censuses, since partition in December 1921 creating the 26-county Irish Free State as part of the British Commonwealth and 6-county Northern Ireland as part of the UK. Data from the 1979 census are sometimes used in official reports, but this profile is based on the last full census taken on the evening of April 5, 1981. The 1981 census counted 3,443,405 people in the Republic (the 1979 population of Northern Ireland was 1,543,300). Of the Republic's total population, 55.6% were in towns compared with 53.2% in 1971. Since the 1971 census the town population increased by 20.8% and nontown population increased by 9.7%. Ireland has shown significant population growth only in the past 10 years. Ireland's overall population density is only 49 people/sq km, compared with the Common Market average of 170 people/sq km. Yet moving east and urban is an unswerving trend in modern Ireland, and more than half the Irish population now live in urban areas. There were 695,000 births in Ireland from 1971-81 and 333,000 deaths. Ireland's infant mortality rate was 11/1000 births, comparable with most Common Market countries. Marriage, birth, and death statistics are not collected in the census but are taken from central registry office records. The average number of children an Irish woman will have in her lifetime (total fertility rate) has declined from about 4 in the mid 1960s to about 3 children in 1980. Whether the fertility decline will continue is questionable. Birth control devices for both men and women cannot be purchased officially without a doctor's prescription in the 94% Roman Catholic Republic. Some doctors and women's groups oppose the legal ban but risk fines and imprisonment. Divorce is an area of Irish life that is changing. The law that prohibits divorce is being challenged in the European Court of Justice by 1 "commonlaw" couple who live together because 1 member cannot legally divorce. The 1981 census estimated 907,800 households, an increase of about 177,000 in the past decade. The traditionally large Irish family is on the decline, dropping from about 3.94 people per household in 1971 to 3.66 people per household. Average weekly industrial earnings in 1979 amounted to little more than 85 sterling, but for 1982 men's average weekly earnings in sterling were 148.66 and women's were 88.63. The 1981 census found 1,150,700 people at work, or about 33% of the population. 29% of those working were women. Of the 335,300 women in the labor force, nearly 64% are single. School attendance is compulsory for children aged 6-15. School enrollment has increased steadily since 1960. To date 3 census documents have been issued by the government printing office.

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