Non-Irish citizens are now a majority of homeless adults in State-funded emergency accommodation. In July 2026, the official count recorded 5,962 EEA/UK and non-EEA citizens, compared with 5,906 Irish citizens. This report tracks the full monthly series behind that crossover.
The July 2026 count
| Citizenship group | Adults | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Irish | 5,906 | 49.76% |
| EEA/UK | 2,236 | 18.84% |
| Non-EEA | 3,726 | 31.39% |
| All non-Irish | 5,962 | 50.24% |
| Total adults | 11,868 | 100% |
The result is a majority, not a tie and not a projection. The official regional rows add to 5,962 non-Irish adults and 5,906 Irish adults. The margin is narrow, but the direction of the longer trend is clear.
The crossover since January 2024
| Month | Total adults | Irish | Non-Irish | Non-Irish share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2024 | 9,504 | 5,299 | 4,205 | 44.24% |
| July 2025 | 11,044 | 5,631 | 5,413 | 49.01% |
| December 2025 | 11,546 | 5,734 | 5,812 | 50.34% |
| July 2026 | 11,868 | 5,906 | 5,962 | 50.24% |
From January 2024 to July 2026, the adult total rose by 2,364. Non-Irish adults supplied 1,757 of that increase, or 74.3%. The non-Irish count grew by 41.8%, compared with 11.5% growth among Irish adults. The non-EEA category alone rose by 1,697, or 83.6%, while the EEA/UK category rose by only 60.
Dublin drives the national majority
| Region | Total adults | Irish | Non-Irish | Non-Irish share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin | 8,209 | 3,430 | 4,779 | 58.22% |
| Mid-East | 638 | 379 | 259 | 40.60% |
| Midlands | 214 | 161 | 53 | 24.77% |
| Mid-West | 782 | 543 | 239 | 30.56% |
| North-East | 163 | 115 | 48 | 29.45% |
| North-West | 177 | 115 | 62 | 35.03% |
| South-East | 357 | 268 | 89 | 24.93% |
| South-West | 888 | 548 | 340 | 38.29% |
| West | 440 | 347 | 93 | 21.14% |
Outside Dublin, non-Irish citizens accounted for 32.33% of adults. The national majority is therefore real, but it is concentrated in the capital.
Population comparison
The Central Statistics Office estimated that non-Irish citizens made up 16.8% of Ireland's usually resident population in April 2026. Their 50.24% share of adults in emergency accommodation is about three times that population share. This is a crude comparison, not an age-adjusted rate, because the homelessness numerator is adults while the CSO denominator includes children.
What is counted: adults accommodated in emergency accommodation funded and overseen by housing authorities during a specific count week, usually the last full week of the month. Each row is a snapshot, so monthly rows must not be added together.
What is not counted: the monthly series does not include rough sleepers, sofa-surfers, domestic-violence refuges, overcrowded households, non-local-authority-funded hostels or people still accommodated in IPAS. It publishes no citizenship breakdown for children. Citizenship also does not establish immigration status, country of birth, length of residence or the reason a person became homeless.
Download and sources
- Download the complete January 2024 to July 2026 monthly CSV.
- Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Homelessness Report July 2026 and monthly homelessness data collection.
- Central Statistics Office: Population and Migration Estimates, April 2026.
Read the analysis: Non-Irish Citizens Are Now a Majority of Homeless Adults