CSO reports immigration at record level

The rate of immigration into Ireland has reached the highest level since estimated records began in 1987, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) revealed today.

According to the CSO, an estimated 86,900 people arrived into Ireland in the year up to April 2006.

Over the same period, some 17,000 people emigrated from the country, resulting in a net migration figure of 69,900 people. The corresponding figure for the previous period was 53,400.

Of those immigrating to Ireland, 19,700 were of Irish origin.

Some 43 per cent of all immigrants were from the ten new accession states of the European Union. Around 23,000 or 26 per cent came from Poland, while 6,100 Lithuanians, or 7 per cent of the total, arrived in Ireland in the 12-month period.

Just under a quarter of all immigrants came from countries other than the EU or United States.

The majority of immigrants were aged between 25 and 44, while 28 per cent were aged 15 to 24. Another 10 per cent were under 15.

The natural increase in the population - namely the number of births compared to deaths - for the 12 months up to April 2006 was 34,200.

Combined with the immigration figures, the net population increase for the period was 104,100, or a rise of 2.5 per cent. The population of the Republic was estimated to be 4.235 million last April.