Population rise largely made up of immigrants

IMMIGRATION accounted for two-thirds of Ireland’s population growth over the past 12 months, according to the CSO’s Population and Migration report released yesterday.

Overall the population increased by 104,100, to a total of 4.235 million people living in the State, a rise of 2.5%.

Of the estimated 86,900 immigrants who arrived in Ireland over that period, 26% (22,900) were from Poland and almost half, 43%, were from one of the 10 EU accession states, which joined the EU in May 2004.