The number of households in rented accommodation has increased by 47% in five years, according to figures from last year's Census.
The figures from the Central Statistics Office show that non-Irish tenants pay on average €3 more per week to landlords than Irish nationals, and live in smaller homes.
There were almost 475,000 households renting accommodation on Census night last year, up from 323,000 in 2006.
In the same period, home ownership dropped from nearly 75% to under 70%.
One in 12 households with a mortgage was headed by a person who was out of work and more than half of those did not have anyone in the household at work.
The trend towards apartment-living continued, with an increase of 27% since 2006.
One third of all homes in Dublin city are apartments.
Households in urban areas headed by a non-Irish tenant paid an average €181 per week to private landlords, compared to €178 per week by Irish households.
Rents were broadly the same in rural areas.
The homes occupied by non-Irish nationals are likely to be smaller with two in five having three rooms or less, compared to one in eight for the Irish population.
Apart from British nationals, home ownership rates among immigrants remains low.
While the numbers of Polish nationals with a loan or mortgage almost trebled in the five years, it still stands at just over 1,800 homes.
