Ireland Hits Milestone Not Seen Since 1851

There are an estimated 5.01 million people living in Ireland currently, the largest population and the first time the populace has numbered more than 5 million since the country's 1851 census. Back then, the comparable population was 5.11 million, the BBC reports. But in the aftermath of the famine that hit around that time, killing a million people, millions were forced to emigrate, the Guardian reports. Emigrations continued throughout the 20th century, pushing the population lower. The 34,000-person increase in the republic's population since last year reflects a net inflow of 11,200 immigrants, plus a natural increase of 22,800—the lowest level since 2000 due to an aging demographic. As for the immigrants, "That's only the third time since 2010 that more Irish have returned than left," says a statistician. (More Ireland stories.)