One-quarter of black population were born in Ireland

New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that more than a quarter of black people living in Ireland were born in this country.

The data from last year's census released today shows that Louth has the highest proportion of people with black ethnicity.

Black people make up 2.2% of the usually resident population of the county, double the national average of 1.1%

The figures from last year's census also show that one-third of black people in Ireland are Catholic, while a further one-in-six are Muslim.

More than one-quarter of the Asian Irish community is also Catholic.

Elsewhere, the figures reveal that the Traveller community has a much younger age profile, with an average age of 18, compared to a national figure of 33.

Two out of every five Travellers are aged under 15.

Overall, travellers make up 0.5% of the Irish population, with Tuam having the highest proportion of Travellers, followed by Longford, Birr and Ballinasloe.

Brian King of the Central Statistics Office discusses their figures on the make up of the Irish population