Ireland will need 28,000 new homes a year to accommodate predicted 5.6m population

One projection of Ireland's expected population growth in the newly-published ESRI research suggests the country will need 28,000 new homes per year to match demand. File Picture: PA

Ireland's population could grow to 5.6m by 2040, requiring 28,000 new homes per annum over the next 20 years, new research by the ESRI has found.

This year, fewer than 20,000 units will be built, though this is partly due to the impact of the Covid-19 construction shutdown.