Ireland’s Central Statistics Office (CSO) has released its latest Population and Migration Estimates, confirming that 125,300 people moved to the Republic in the 12-month period to April 2025—23,900 fewer than the previous year, a fall of 16 %. Net inward migration still added 59,700 people to the population, pushing the head-count to 5.46 million. The dataset, published yesterday, shows that immigration has now exceeded the 100,000-arrivals mark for four consecutive years.
While the tempo of inward migration is easing, the mix is changing only slowly. Returning Irish nationals accounted for 31,500 arrivals, EU citizens 25,300, UK citizens 4,900 and non-EU/UK nationals 63,600. Emigration also fell—down 6.2 % to 65,600—with Irish passport-holders again the largest cohort to leave (35,000). The CSO notes that Dublin continues to absorb a disproportionate share of new residents, rising to 28.7 % of the national population.
Whether you’re an organisation relocating staff to Ireland or a professional making the move yourself, VisaHQ can simplify the process of obtaining Irish visas, work permits and residence permissions. Their online platform and local experts help you gather the right documents, meet tight deadlines and track application progress—see more at https://www.visahq.com/ireland/
![Immigration to Ireland drops 16 % but remains historically high, CSO says]()
For employers the headline is a still-buoyant talent pipeline, but one that is arriving into an overheated housing market. Dublin rents for a one-bed apartment now average €2,200 a month and vacancy rates sit below 1 %. Global mobility managers are therefore under pressure to provide longer hotel stays, larger relocation allowances and hybrid-working options for transferees. At the same time, a cooling labour market—vacancies fell 8 % year-on-year in Q4—means some multinationals are tempering recruitment plans, which could flatten immigration further in 2026.
Politically, the figures will feed into the debate on the International Protection Bill 2026 and proposed limits on refugee family reunification. Opposition parties argue that headline migration numbers mask the skills shortages still bedevilling sectors such as health and IT; business lobby group Ibec has renewed calls for faster work-permit processing and an expansion of the Critical Skills list.
Practically, HR teams should expect continued delays in securing long-term housing and consider staggered start dates or regional placements. Companies with large 2026 intake programmes are advised to lock in serviced-apartment contracts now and to communicate realistic timelines to assignees on everything from PPS numbers to school places.
While the tempo of inward migration is easing, the mix is changing only slowly. Returning Irish nationals accounted for 31,500 arrivals, EU citizens 25,300, UK citizens 4,900 and non-EU/UK nationals 63,600. Emigration also fell—down 6.2 % to 65,600—with Irish passport-holders again the largest cohort to leave (35,000). The CSO notes that Dublin continues to absorb a disproportionate share of new residents, rising to 28.7 % of the national population.
Whether you’re an organisation relocating staff to Ireland or a professional making the move yourself, VisaHQ can simplify the process of obtaining Irish visas, work permits and residence permissions. Their online platform and local experts help you gather the right documents, meet tight deadlines and track application progress—see more at https://www.visahq.com/ireland/
For employers the headline is a still-buoyant talent pipeline, but one that is arriving into an overheated housing market. Dublin rents for a one-bed apartment now average €2,200 a month and vacancy rates sit below 1 %. Global mobility managers are therefore under pressure to provide longer hotel stays, larger relocation allowances and hybrid-working options for transferees. At the same time, a cooling labour market—vacancies fell 8 % year-on-year in Q4—means some multinationals are tempering recruitment plans, which could flatten immigration further in 2026.
Politically, the figures will feed into the debate on the International Protection Bill 2026 and proposed limits on refugee family reunification. Opposition parties argue that headline migration numbers mask the skills shortages still bedevilling sectors such as health and IT; business lobby group Ibec has renewed calls for faster work-permit processing and an expansion of the Critical Skills list.
Practically, HR teams should expect continued delays in securing long-term housing and consider staggered start dates or regional placements. Companies with large 2026 intake programmes are advised to lock in serviced-apartment contracts now and to communicate realistic timelines to assignees on everything from PPS numbers to school places.
