Ireland

Abstract

The population of Ireland has grown by some 14.2 per cent between 1974–83, rising to 3,508,000 (Table 7.1). Over the same period the working population has increased at a marginally more rapid rate of 15.7 per cent to stand at 1,309,000 in 1983. Whilst disaggregated data is available only from 1978, this indicates that the rate of increase in the female working population (19.3 per cent) has been much greater than the corresponding growth in the male work-force (5.8 per cent). However, as a proportion of the total working population, women still only accounted in 1983 for 29.7 per cent.