Ireland’s population aging dramatically as emigration takes effect

Young brain drain continues as economic recession bites

By

KATE HICKEY,

IrishCentral Editor

Larger Text

Print

E-mail

15 Comments

Philomena Lynott, mother of Thin Lizzy frontman Phil, Irish model Georgia Salpa and GAA commentating great Michéal O Muircheartaigh.

Photo by Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Tweet

Ireland’s current “brain drain” has become evident in the recent figures from the Central Statistic Office (CSO). Figures show that the number of young adults in Ireland has fallen by ten percent.

The CSO figures shows that the group of Irish between the ages 19 and 24 were the only group to fall. This group decreased by 12 percent. The average age in Ireland has increased to 36.1 years-old.

The number of older people (over the age of 65) increased by 14 percent. The census found that there are now 20,000 older people living in nursing homes and 5,000 in residential hospitals. They also found that the rural population was, on average, two years older than the urban population.

The reason for this drop in the population of young adults in Ireland is mainly due to the fact that every month 3,000 Irish people are emigrating. That works out at 111 people leaving the country day, according the CSO’s figures.

Ireland’s youth are leaving due to the crippling unemployment they face. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reports that one in three Irish people between 15 and 24 are out of work.

Sadly Ireland is not the only country being affected by this global youth unemployment. The International Labour Organization’s figures show that across the globe 75 million youths are out of works. That’s six percent more than in 2008. By 2013 the unemployment rate in this age group will be 12.7 percent.

The number of unemployed youths in wealthy countries spiked 27 percent between 2008 and 2011.

In the United States, a Rutgers report shows that half of all college graduates are not in fulltime employment. And half of recent college graduates who are working are in jobs that don’t require a college degree.

With figures of  emigration from Ireland at the highest rates since the Famine and unemployment across the globe continuing to climb it looks like a daunting future for the youth of Ireland.
 

Print

E-mail

Tweet