Western Region Analysis
| Land Mass (ha) | 2,601,501 |
| % of Ireland | 37.10% |
| Population Density (persons per sq km) (2022) | 34.07 |
Human Resource
| Population (2022) | 886,385 |
| Population Change (2016-2022) | 7.0% |
Top 12 Centres of Population in the Western Region
| Top 12 Centres of Population* in the Western Region (2016) | Built Up Areas (2022) in Western Region Population > 5,000 |
| Galway city and suburbs, Co Galway | 85,910 |
| Ennis, Co Clare | 27,923 |
| Letterkenny, Co Donegal | 22,549 |
| Sligo, Co Sligo | 20,608 |
| Castlebar, Co Mayo | 13,054 |
| Ballina, Co Mayo | 10,556 |
| Shannon, Co Clare | 10,256 |
| Tuam, Co Galway | 9,647 |
| Buncrana, Co Donegal | 6,971 |
| Westport, Co Mayo | 6,597 |
| Ballinasloe, Co Galway | 6,872 |
| Roscommon, Co Roscommon | 6,555 |
| Loughrea, Co Galway | 6,322 |
| Oranmore, Co Galway | 5,819 |
| Ballybofey-Stranorlar, Co Donegal | 5,406 |
| *Built Up Areas, Census 2022 |
Highest level of education completed by persons whose education has ceased (%)
| No Formal/Primary | 12.1% |
| Secondary | 42.5% |
| Third Level | 45.4% |
Source: CSO Census of Population 2022
Natural Resources
| Average Farm Size (AAU) 2020 | 26.7 ha |
| Farming, Fishing & Forestry workers (2022) | 20,016 (5.6%) |
Employment
| Employed (2022) | 382,761 |
| Employment Change (2016-2022) | 12.8% |
| Labour Force Participation Rate (2022) | 58.8% |
Numbers Employed by Sector (2022)
| Total | 359,439 |
| Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing | 20,016 (5.6%) |
| Industry & Construction | 78,461 (21.8%) |
| Services | 260,962 (72.6%) |
Source: CSO Census of Population 2022
Download the 2-page WDC Insights Census 2016: What do people in the Western Region work at?
Agency Assisted Employment
| Permanent Full Time Employment in Agency Assisted Companies (2022) | 72,067 |
Source: DETE, Annual Employment Survey 2022
Local Sustainability
| Fertility Rate (2022)* | 10.4 |
| Proportion of seats held by women in the 2019 local election** | 15% |
| Domestic Building Energy Ratings (BER) % Grade B2 and above (2023)*** | 11.2% |
* Births per year per 1,000 population. Source: CSO Vital Statistics Yearly Summary 2022 (Western Region estimate only own calculation)
**Source: Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Local Elections 2019 Results, Transfer of Votes and Statistics
*** Source: CSO Domestic Buildings Energy Ratings July 2023 (Western Region own calculation)
Income and Earnings
| Average Disposable Income per Person (2020)* | €20,505 |
| Mean Annual Earnings (2021)** | €44,532 |
* Source: CSO County Incomes and Regional GDP (Western Region own calculations)
**Source: CSO Ireland, Earnings Analysis using Administrative Data Sources (Western Region own calculations)
Business Economy
| Number of Active Enterprises (2021) | 61,170 |
| Percentage of Micro-Enterprises (10 or fewer employees) | 93.1% |
| Percentage Change in Number of Enterprises (2019-2021) | 11.6% |
Source: CSO Business Demography 2021
Labour Catchments in the Western Region (2016)
Download the 2-page WDC Insights Census 2016: Where do People in the Western Region Work?
| Galway city labour catchment | 70,170 (2016), 64,455 (2006) |
|---|---|
| Ennis labour catchment | 21,409 (2016), 21,333 (2006) |
| Sligo borough labour catchment | 21,824 (2016), 20,321 (2006) |
| Letterkenny labour catchment | 19,717 (2016), 17,886 (2006) |
| Castlebar labour catchment | 13,931 (2016), 13,757 (2006) |
| Roscommon labour catchment | 7,235 (2016), 7,306 (2006) |
| Carrick-on-Shannon labour catchment | 7,785 (2016), 6,632 (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.