Population 3,797,257

Age structure 0-14 years:21.85% (male 425,795; female 403,777) 15-64 years:66.83% (male 1,271,367; female 1,266,150) 65 years and over:11.33% (male 185,913; female 244,255) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate 1.16% (2000 est.) Birth rate 14.51 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate 8.14 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate 5.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio at birth:1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years:1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years:1 male(s)/female 65 years and over:0.76 male(s)/female total population:0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate 5.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth total population:76.81 years male:74.06 years female:79.74 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate 1.91 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality noun:Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural) adjective:Irish Ethnic groups Celtic, English

Religions Roman Catholic 91.6%, Church of Ireland 2.5%, other 5.9% (1998) Languages English is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard Literacy definition:age 15 and over can read and write total population:98% (1981 est.) male:NA% female:NA%