Every number on this page comes from official Irish government statistics — the CSO, the Department of Justice, the Department of Integration, IPAT, and Parliamentary Questions. We don't estimate, spin, or editorialize the data. We present it clearly so you can draw your own conclusions.

Asylum & International Protection

Metric Figure Source
International Protection applicants (2024) 141,600+ Department of Justice
Applications awaiting first decision 14,000+ IPAT Annual Report
Average processing time ~24 months Department of Justice
Recognition rate (refugee status + subsidiary protection) ~38% IPAT
Applicants in direct provision accommodation ~28,000 Dept. of Integration
Emergency accommodation centres in use 300+ Dept. of Integration

Deportation & Enforcement

Metric Figure Source
Deportation orders issued (cumulative, in force) ~9,000 Parliamentary Questions
Deportation orders enforced ~3% Parliamentary Questions
Voluntary returns (2024) ~1,200 IOM Ireland
Return agreements with countries of origin Limited Dept. of Justice

Population & Demographics

Metric Figure Source
Total population (2022 Census) 5,149,139 CSO Census 2022
Population growth (2016-2022) +7.6% CSO Census 2022
Non-Irish nationals as % of population ~15% CSO Census 2022
Born outside Ireland as % of population ~20% CSO Census 2022
Net migration (2023 est.) +77,600 CSO Population Estimates

Housing & Public Services Impact

Metric Figure Source
Social housing waiting list 300,000+ Housing Agency
Homeless individuals (official count) ~14,000 Dept. of Housing
Average house price nationally €340,000+ CSO Residential Property Price Index
Hospital waiting lists 900,000+ NTPF
Est. annual cost of direct provision system €2.5B+ Dept. of Integration

How Ireland Compares

Country Asylum Applications per 1,000 Pop. Deportation Enforcement Offshore Processing
Ireland ~3.4 ~3% No
Denmark ~0.3 ~60% Yes (Rwanda plan)
Austria ~2.1 ~40% No (dedicated ministry)
UK ~1.2 ~25% Yes (Rwanda, paused)
Italy ~2.3 ~35% Yes (Albania centres)

About This Data

Every figure on this page is sourced from official Irish and European government publications. Where figures are estimates, this is noted. We update this page regularly as new data is published. If you find an error, let us know.

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