Census 2022: Population increase continues to outstrip growth in number of new homes

The increase in the State’s population is continuing to outstrip the growth in the number of new houses being built, according to the preliminary Census 2022 data recently published.

The country’s housing stock grew by 120,945 dwellings, or 6 per cent, between 2016 and 2022 to more than 2.1 million, a slower rate of increase than the 8 per cent increase in the population.

The data explains the severe pressure being experienced in the State’s housing supply.

Figures published by the Central Statistics Office from the census taken on April 3rd show the number of occupied dwellings increased by 9 per cent to 1.8 million homes compared with 2016.

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The gap between the housing stock increase and population increase has been closing. The housing stock had increased by just 8,800 homes or less than 1 per cent between 2011 and 2016.

The country’s most populated region, the greater Dublin area, recorded the highest increase in housing stock, with homes in Kildare and Meath increasing by 12 per cent, followed by Wicklow, with an increase of 9 per cent, and Louth and Dublin, where there were 7 per cent increases.

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Kildare was the only county that experienced a higher growth in housing than in the increase in the population, with housing stock growing by 12 per cent and the population by 11 per cent.

In Leitrim, the population increased by 10 per cent, while the housing stock rose by just 3 per cent. In Roscommon, the population increased by 8 per cent and the housing stock by 3 per cent.

The number of vacancy dwellings, excluding holiday homes, fell to 166,752, a decrease of 9 per cent from 183,312 vacant dwellings in 2016 and a further reduction of 12 per cent from 2011.

The vacancy rate stands at 7.8 per cent of housing stock. According to the reasons collected by census enumerators for vacant properties — often confirmed by neighbours, guests or local knowledge — one in five people said a property was vacant because it was a rental property.

This was highest in Galway city (38 per cent of properties) and Dublin city (30 per cent) where higher vacancy rates was explained by properties being unoccupied for a short time as they were short-term lets or Airbnb rentals or between lets, or where properties were advertised as being for rent.

One in 10 homes identified as vacant were for sale, sale agreed or recently sold.

In Roscommon, Galway county and Mayo, properties were most often vacant because the owner was deceased. Leitrim and Sligo had the highest number of abandoned farmhouses.

Of the 166,752 vacant dwellings, almost one in three, or 48,387, were vacant in 2016. Of these, almost half, or 23,483, were vacant in 2011, suggesting there are long-term vacant properties.

The CSO cautioned that vacancy was a “point in time” measure and should not be viewed as a proxy for long-term vacancy given that some properties may be in use between census-taking.