Number of Irish women emigrating nearly double that of men, research finds
Report said significant numbers of Irish citizens had travelled to Australia and Canada to live in recent years.
The number of women emigrating from Ireland has jumped 56% since 2020, with the Government admitting it could reflect the "the rising costs of accommodation within Ireland".
A paper from the Department of Enterprise on recent trends in migration and how they are affecting the jobs market said the increase in emigration of women between 2020 and 2024 compared to just a 12% increase for men.
“Since 2022, female emigration among the 15-24 age cohort has been nearly double that of its male equivalent — 39,100 vs 26,300,” it said, adding such increases were “unusual” and “surprising” in the context of strong employment growth in the economy in the last few years.
It pointed to the significant numbers of Irish citizens travelling to Australia and Canada to live in recent years.
In Australia, the number of Irish citizens given temporary skill shortage visas in the country has increased by 14% since the last full pre-covid year of 2019, with 3,217 such visas granted in 2023.
A further 5,000 work permits were granted to Irish people in Canada last year, with four in every five given to those aged between 15 and 29 years old.
“When employment growth is weak or negative, we would expect a pick-up in emigration, as individuals move to other countries in search of employment opportunities,” the report said.
“For example, the financial crisis era — 2009-2012 — resulted in a surge in emigration. In more recent years, however, this relationship appears to be breaking down, with emigration picking up despite robust employment growth.
It added the reason emigration continues to rise “merits further research”.
Since the pandemic, the report also noted a “marked increase” in net inward migration, which has been “substantial” relative to our European peers.
Last year, there was an inward migration of 149,200 people, while 69,900 emigrated, leaving a net inward migration figure of 79,300.
While there has been plenty of Ukrainian arrivals in Ireland, it said there had been inflows from countries like India, the Philippines and Brazil.
It said the renewal of work permits were also high, with the healthcare sector being the “major beneficiary” of such permits being issued.
“It is safe to assume that the post-pandemic recovery in the economy would have stalled were it not for inward migration,” it said, as labour market shortages could have arisen and brought with it their own price and wage pressures.
The report concluded inward migration would remain important to the Irish economy in the years to come.
“The Irish economic model continues to rely and increasingly so on attracting and retaining skills and jobs,” it said.
“This is likely to become even more pressing given current and prospective conditions within the labour market. The ability to attract and retain labour is essential for ensuring Ireland remains competitive within the global economic environment.”
