Ireland has undergone some of its most rapid social and demographic changes ever in recent years, statistics for 2006 suggest.
The population counted on census night last April was 4.2 million, the highest in more than 135 years. The proportion of foreign nationals also rose to its highest ever recorded level of 400,000.
Other signs of social change were evident in the number of divorces granted, which rose from just 95 during the first year of the divorce legislation in 1997 to 3,411 last year.
The figures are contained in the statistical yearbook of Ireland (2006), which is available on the Central Statistics Offices's website (www.cso.ie) or from the office directly.
The number of marriages, meanwhile, increased to 20,700 last year, up from 15,600 in 1997. The number is still below the peak levels recorded during the 1970s, when marriages peaked at 22,800 in 1974.
While the majority of ceremonies are Roman Catholic, the number of civil marriages is increasing. Just 121 civil ceremonies were recorded in 1970 (0.5 per cent of overall marriages) compared with almost 3,700 last year (18 per cent of total).
The Irish population is also living longer. While a baby born in 1926 could expect to live to an average of 57 years, today a baby girl can expect to live to at least 80 and a baby boy to 75, on the basis of current mortality figures.
Assuming similar trends continue into the future, life expectancy may approach 83 for men and 87 for women by 2037.
The pace of change was also rapid in the housing sector. The number of new houses granted planning permission increased by more than 89 per cent from 1998 to 2005, while planning permissions granted for new apartments more than tripled from 1998 to 2005.
Despite the pace of change, there were signs that some social issues show little sign of being tackled. Wages for women are considerably lower than their male colleagues, despite recent increases in the proportion of women in the workforce.
The female average weekly income is only 73 per cent of that for male employees. This can be due to a number of factors, the CSO points out, such as less availing of overtime and more part-time working by women.
Despite a fall in unemployment and a rise in incomes, deprivation and hardship continue to affect significant sections of the population.
In 2004 almost one fifth of the population was at risk of poverty. An estimated 6.8 per cent were considered to be in consistent poverty, a measure which uses indicators of deprivation such as the lack of a winter coat or a second pair of shoes.
Almost 16 per cent of people aged 15-64 didn't receive an education beyond primary level.
Overall, however, education standards appear to be improving, with the number of third-level students up by 105 per cent between 1990-91 and 2003-04.
The rapid increase in population has also brought unwelcome changes, such as an increase in C02 emissions of 149 per cent between 1990 and 2004. The number of registered vehicles on the road increased by 93 per cent over the same period.
These figures may be responsible for the 1990s being the warmest decade on record in 120 years. Overall, there has been an increase in the mean temperature in Ireland by one degree Celsius in the last 100 years.
Population projections suggest the proportion of older people is likely to increase substantially. The average age has increased to 35.1 years in 2002 from 34.1 years in 1996.
People are also getting married later, with the average age at marriage up by two years between 1996 and 2002 for both brides and grooms.
Some of the most dramatic differences have been observed in the labour market, with 1.9 million now in employment compared with 1.1 million in 1985. During this time the proportion of women in the workforce has increased from 30 per cent to 51 per cent in 2005.
