Western Region Analysis
| Land Mass | 2,601,501 ha |
|---|---|
| % of Ireland | 37.1% |
| Population Density (2016) | 31.85 persons per sq km |
Human Resource
| Population (2016) | 828,697 |
|---|---|
| Population Change (2011-2016) | 1.0% |
| Land Mass | 2,601,501 ha |
|---|---|
| % of Ireland | 37.1% |
| Population Density (2016) | 31.85 persons per sq km |
Top 12 Centres of Population in the Western Region (2016)
| Galway City and Suburbs | 79,934 |
|---|---|
| Ennis, Co. Clare | 25,276 |
| Letterkenny, Co. Donegal | 19,274 |
| Sligo, Co. Sligo | 19,199 |
| Castlebar, Co. Mayo | 12,068 |
| Ballina, Co. Mayo | 10,171 |
| Shannon, Co. Clare | 9,729 |
| Tuam, Co. Galway | 8,767 |
| Buncrana, Co. Donegal | 6,785 |
| Ballinasloe, Co. Galway | 6,662 |
| Westport, Co. Mayo | 6,198 |
| Roscommon, Co. Roscommon | 5,876 |
Source: CSO Census of Population 2016
Highest level of education completed by persons whose education has ceased (%)
| No Formal/Primary | (15.7%) |
|---|---|
| Secondary | (45.1%) |
| Third Level | (39.2%) |
Source: CSO Census of Population 2016
Natural Resources
| Average Farm Size (2010) | 26.33 ha |
|---|---|
| Farming, Fishing & Forestry workers (2016) | 22,733 |
Employment
| Employed (2016) | 333,919 |
|---|---|
| Employment Change (2011-2016) | 7.5% |
| Labour Force Participation Rate (2016) | 59.3% |
Numbers Employed by Sector (2016)
| Total | 333,919 |
|---|---|
| Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing | 22,733 (6.8%) |
| Industry & Construction | 63,920 (19.1%) |
| Services | 232,651 (69.7%) |
Source: CSO Census of Population 2016
Download the 2-page WDC Insights Census 2016: What do people in the Western Region work at?
Agency Assisted Employment (2019)
| Permanent Full Time Employment in Agency Assisted Companies | 66,457 |
|---|
Source: DBEI, Annual Employment Survey 2019
Local Sustainability
| Fertility Rate (2019)* | 11.6 |
|---|---|
| Proportion of seats held by women in the 2019 local election** | 15.0% |
| Domestic Building Energy Rating (BER) % Grade B2 and above (2020)*** | 5% |
* Births per year per 1,000 population. Source: CSO Vital Statistics Yearly Summary (Western Region 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 (Western Region own calculation)
Income and Earnings
| Average Disposable Income per Person (2017) | €17,856 |
|---|---|
| Mean Annual Earnings 2018** | €39,060 |
* Source: CSO County Incomes and Regional GDP (Western Region own calculations)
**Source: CSO Ireland, Earnings Analysis using Administrative Data Sources (Western Region own calculations)
Enterprise (2018)
| Number of Active Enterprises* | 57,222 |
|---|---|
| Percentage of Micro-Enterprises (10 or fewer employees)^ | 92.6% |
| Percentage Change in Number of Enterprises (2015-2018) | 6.4% |
Source: CSO Business Demography 2018
* Total enterprises includes all ‘business economy’ enterprises (NACE Rev 2 B to N(-642)) plus Health & Social Work, Education, Arts/Entertainment/Recreation and Other Services.
^ Data on enterprise size only includes ‘business economy’ enterprises which account for 79% of Total Enterprises in the Western Region
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.