The population of the State increased by over 290,000 between 1996 and 2002 to reach its highest level since 1871, according to preliminary figures from Census 2002 published by the Central Statistics Office this morning.
The preliminary total for the population was 3,917,336 persons, compared with 3,626,087 in April 1996, representing an increase of 8% in six years. The populations of Kildare and Meath increased by over a fifth.
Other Leinster counties which showed large increases were Westmeath (+13.8%), Wexford (+11.7%), Laois (+10.9%), Louth (+10.5%) and Carlow (+10.2%). Overall, the increase in the population of Dublin was 6.1%.
Cork City was the only administrative county in the State to register a population decline while for the first time on record the population of Leitrim has shown an increase - up 3% since 1996.
The figures show net immigration of 150,000 since 1996.
