Numbers in State now just under 4 million

Population levels have increased in every major town and city in the Republic apart from Cork, with the biggest increases in Leinster, a preliminary 2002 census report has shown.

Leinster's population exceeded two million for the first time and the "commuter belt counties" show "incredible" increases, according to the Central Statistics Office, which compiled the report.

The State's population, which rose by just over 290,000 to 3.91 million, the highest since 1871, confirms Ireland as the EU member-state with the most sustained population growth. "Ireland's population increase far outstrips any other EU country," according to Dr Aidan Punch, senior statistician at the statistics office.

Ireland shows an annual population increase of 1.3 per cent compared to 0.2 per cent in Belgium and Greece or 0.5 per cent in France, where population growth is viewed as "bullish".

Kildare and Meath show population increases of more than 20 per cent while the west Dublin suburb of Lucan has almost trebled in size in the past six years, to 21,785. Other Leinster counties including Westmeath, Wicklow, Wexford, Laois, Louth and Carlow show increases ranging from 13.8 per cent to 10.2 per cent.

The population of the capital has increased by 6.1 per cent to 1.12 million, still lower than the national average rise of 8 per cent.

There are 986 males for every 1,000 females in the State, the same as at the last census and Co Leitrim's population rose for the first time ever, by 758 people.

Net immigration has increased by 153,067, about 25,500 annually.