Population to hit 5m as babies boom

High levels of immigration, a labour force surge and a greying population will transform the State. Seán McCárthaigh reports on the latest CSO forecast.

IRELAND is set for another baby boom, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) yesterday.

We have had the highest fertility rate within the EU since 1980, despite the overall number of births falling by 40% over the past two decades. This means the population is expected to reach 5 million by 2016.