EARLY RESULTS FROM the census are due to be published in two weeks, giving insight into the first population-wide survey since 2016.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) plans to release the preliminary results of the 2022 census on 23 June.

The first official results will be published next year in April 2023, though details included in the time capsule section will be kept private for a century until 2122.

Collecting data on as age, gender, relationship status, nationality, religion, work and more, the survey is used to inform public policy decisions and capture a snapshot of the country at that moment in time.  

The most recent census, which was taken in April, was delayed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

CSO Director General Pádraig Dalton said that the operation of distributing and collecting the forms this year was challenging.

“The Census field operation in 2022 faced unique challenges, not least because of Covid-19, but also the changes in society we have all witnessed in more recent times,” Dalton said in a statement.

“People now generally lead busier lives, can be harder to reach, and a larger proportion of our population are now living in apartment settings and gated communities.”

He thanked the public for completing the survey and said that participation helps “to create a valuable, independent data resource which will assist in targeting public services where they are needed”.

Alongside compiling the 2022 results, the CSO is preparing for the next census, which will be conducted in 2027.

The office is working on providing an online option to fill out the form instead of relying solely on paper.

The 2016 census counted 4,757,976 people living in Ireland, an increase of 3.7% since the previous survey in 2011.

There was net migration of -28,558 people and a natural increase of 198,282.

The most common jobs were in retail, farming, administration, and nursing, with two million people employed in the country.