THE number of Irish nationals emigrating from Ireland has dropped by 20 per cent – the first year-on-year decrease since 2010.
New figures published today (August 26) by the Central Statistics Office show that 40,700 Irish people left the Republic up until the month of April 2014.
This was down from 50,900 the previous year.
A similar pattern is reflected in the overall emigration levels from Ireland to Britain during the same period.
Of the 81,900 people of all nationalities that left Ireland over the same period, 17,900 moved to Britain. This represents an 18 per cent drop on 2013’s figure of 21,900.
It is the second time in four years that levels of emigration from Ireland to Britain has decreased.
Overall emigration of all nationalities from the Republic decreased 8 per cent – from 89,000 to 81,900 over the year to April 2013.
Meanwhile, nearly half of those who emigrated (47 per cent) were graduates of third level education, according to new figures compiled by the CSO.
Ireland’s overall population grew by 16,500 year-on-year and now stands at 4.1million.
This was due to a natural increase – the birth rate exceeded deaths – bolstered by an increase in net migration of non-Irish nationals to Ireland, rising from 2,100 in 2013 to 7,900 in 2014.
