Population at highest level since 1871

THE population of Ireland is now at its highest level since 1871, prompted by an increase in births and thousands more Irish workers returning from abroad.

According to estimates released yesterday by the Central Statistics Office, the population in April this year stood at 4.04 million, an increase of 64,900, or 1.6%, compared with the previous April.

In 1871, a census for that year recorded a population of 4.05 million.