Monitoring report on integration 2024

Migrant integration allows migrants to contribute to the economic, social, cultural and political life of the country they migrate to; it is also important for social cohesion and inclusive growth. By examining how migrants fare relative to the majority population in key life domains, this report seeks to illustrate the challenges, successes and opportunities for migrant integration in Ireland today. Monitoring integration can provide crucial information for policy and public conversations around migration, and the profile of migrants in Ireland.

Ireland’s migration context has changed considerably in recent years: there have been relatively high numbers of arrivals from Ukraine to Ireland, and a marked increase in the number of people seeking international protection since the last monitoring report on integration. A rise in the cost of living and an acute shortage of housing continue to be significant challenges for all living in Ireland, including many migrants.

This report is the ninth in a series of monitoring reports on integration that began in 2011. It considers how migrants – generally defined as those born outside the State – fare relative to the Irish-born population across four key life domains: employment, education, social inclusion and active citizenship. The report also provides updates on migration and integration policy. Integration indicators are based on high-quality, nationally representative survey data for the latest available time points, supplemented with administrative statistics on forced migrants, where possible. Key headline figures are presented in Table A: individual chapters disaggregate migrant groups by region of origin.

Chapter 1 presents recent trends in migration and provides a profile of the migrant population in Ireland. The rise in immigration since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic continued into 2024, nearly reaching its 2007 peak. The 2007 peak was dominated by migration from within the European Union (EU): recent patterns indicate a shift towards non-EU migration, for work, study and international protection. In 2023, 22% of the population were born outside the State: just over half of this subgroup was born in the United Kingdom (UK – including Northern Ireland) or the EU, while the remainder was born across a diverse range of non-EU countries. This is an increase from 20% born outside the State in 2021.