Donegal
| Land Mass | 485,951 ha |
|---|---|
| % of Ireland | 6.90% |
| Population Density (2022) | 34.38 persons per sq km |
Human Resource
| County Population 2022 | 167,084 |
|---|---|
| Population Change (2016–2022) | 5.0% |
Top 15 Centres of Population (2022)
| Letterkenny, Co Donegal | 22,549 |
| Buncrana, Co Donegal | 6,971 |
| Ballybofey-Stranorlar, Co Donegal | 5,406 |
| Carndonagh, Co Donegal | 2,768 |
| Donegal, Co Donegal | 2,749 |
| Bundoran, Co Donegal | 2,599 |
| Ballyshannon, Co Donegal | 2,246 |
| Convoy, Co Donegal | 1,702 |
| Lifford, Co Donegal | 1,613 |
| Muff, Co Donegal | 1,418 |
| Moville, Co Donegal | 1,390 |
| Ramelton, Co Donegal | 1,288 |
| Greencastle, Co Donegal | 1,268 |
| Killybegs, Co Donegal | 1,258 |
| An Clochán Liath, Co Donegal | 1,247 |
Source: CSO Census of Population 2022
Highest level of education completed by persons whose education has ceased
| 2022 | |
| No Formal/Primary | 17.1% |
| Secondary | 44.1% |
| Third Level | 38.8% |
Source: CSO Census of Population 2022
Natural Resources
| Average Farm Size (AAU 2020) | 27.4 ha |
|---|---|
| Farming, Fishing & Forestry workers (2022) | 3,885 |
Employment
| Employed (2022) | 67,977 |
|---|---|
| Employment Change (2016–2022) | 16.5% |
| Labour Force Participation Rate (2022) | 57.2% |
Numbers Employed by Sector (2022)
| Total | 63,911 |
|---|---|
| Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing | 3,885 (6.1%) |
| Industry & Construction | 11,371 (17.8%) |
| Services | 48,655 (76.1%) |
*CSO Census of Population 2022, excludes not stated and unemployed
Download the 2-page WDC Insights County Donegal’s Labour Market – Census 2016
Agency Assisted Employment (2022)
| Permanent Full Time Employment in Agency Assisted Companies | 9,249 |
|---|
Source: DETE, Annual Employment Survey 2022
Local Sustainability
| Fertility Rate (2022)* | 9.8 |
|---|---|
| Proportion of seats held by women in the 2019 local election** | 10.8% |
| Domestic Building Energy Rating (BER) % Grade B2 and above (2023)*** | 9.9% |
* Births per year per 1,000 population. Source: CSO Vital Statistics Yearly Summary
**Source: Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Local Elections 2019 Results, Transfer of Votes and Statistics
*** Source: CSO Domestic Buildings Energy Ratings
Income and Earnings
| Avg. Disposable Income per Person (2020)* | €18,322 |
|---|---|
| Mean Annual Earnings 2021** | €39,288 |
* Source: CSO County Incomes and Regional GDP
**Source: CSO Ireland, Earnings Analysis using Administrative Data Sources
Business Economy
| Number of Active Enterprises* | 11,320 |
|---|---|
| Percentage of Micro-Enterprises (10 or fewer employees) | 92.3% |
| Percentage Change in Number of Enterprises (2019-2021)* | 13.8% |
Source: CSO Business Demography 2021
* Active enterprises includes all ‘business economy’ enterprises (NACE Rev 2 B to N(-642)) plus Health & Social Work, Education, Arts/Entertainment/Recreation and Other Services.
Labour Catchments in County Donegal (2016)*
| Letterkenny labour catchment | 19,717 (2016), 17,886 (2006) |
|---|---|
| Derry labour catchment | 5,056 (2016), 4,581 (2006) |
| Ballybofey-Stranorlar labour catchment | 2,948 (2016), 3,520 (2006) |
| Donegal labour catchment | 3,908 (2016), 3,487 (2006) |
| Buncrana labour catchment | 2,969 (2016), 2,995 (2006) |
| Killybegs labour catchment | 2,299 (2016), 2,653 (2006) |
| Bunbeg labour catchment | 1,493 (2016), 1,939 (2006) |
| Carndonagh labour catchment | 2,352 (2016), 1,737 (2006) |
* The labour catchment of a town is that area from which it draws most of its workforce. These figures are the number of workers living in the catchment areas of these towns.