Census figures - Changes to family life

The latest figures released by the Central Statistics Office provide an intriguing insight into the changing face of Ireland.

There was, for instance, a 12% increase in the number of families between 2006 and 2011. This was 55.6% more than 20 years earlier.

The percentage of people over 15 years of age who were single fell by 1.4%, while the married population increased by 9.2%. The number of unmarried people who emigrated is undoubtedly a factor in the changes.