NEARLY 80,000 people immigrated to Ireland in 2015. 21,100 of which were Irish people returning Irish new figures have shown.
Of that number 21,100 were Irish people returning home, new figures have shown.
Data released by the Central Statistics Office in Ireland show that between April 2015 and April 2016, Ireland saw 79,300 people come into the country and only 76,200 emigrate from Ireland.
In a movement called "inward migration", where emigrants return to their country of birth, it's the first time since 2009 that Ireland had more people incoming than outgoing.
Figures supplied to The Irish Post, show a breakdown of the data shows that of the 79,300 that immigrated to Ireland, 21,100 were Irish nationals.
Over 13,000 of people immigrating to Ireland came from the UK.
Of the remaining immigrants, 4,500 were British, 22,000 came from Europe and 31,800 came from around the world.
For the first time since 2009, more Irish people are returning home rather than leaving. (Picture: Getty Images)The 2016 emigrants (that is the people who left Ireland from April 2015 to April 2016) 31,800 were Irish, 2,600 were British and 41,700 were from the rest of Europe and worldwide.
Of the people who left Ireland in 2015-2016, 16,600 were destined for the UK, 26,000 bound for Europe and 6,200 for Australia.
The statistics also showed that more working people came into Ireland than left, with over 33,300 working immigrants coming into Ireland and 29,400 leaving.
According to the CSO, one in ten of those leaving Ireland were unemployed at the point of departure.
Birth rates had also dropped in 2016 to 65,200 from 67,000 in the previous year.
The overall deaths for the year in Ireland was recorded at 30,000.
The migration figures are compiled using the Quarterly National Household Survey which provides information on the gender, age group, economic status and nationality of householders in Ireland.
As well as the QNHS survey, migration markers such as the designation of PPS numbers to non-Irish nationals, the numbers of visas issued to outgoing Irish nationals and the number of National Insurance numbers issued to Irish nationals in the UK is also used to compile the data.
