Donegals population shows increase

Donegal no longer has the oldest population in the country.
According to new census figures released yesterday, Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim now have higher percentages of elderly.
Census figures for 2011 shows an increase in the population of Co Donegal.
The 2011 figures show that at the time of the Census the population of the county stood at 161,137. This is an increase of 13,870 on 2006 and 23,562 people on 2002.
The Census also shows that there are slightly more females in the county than males.
The female population now stands at 80,614, while the male population was recorded at 80,523 in 2011.
The census also showed that the population of Donegal North East has grown at almost twice the rate of Donegal South-West.
In Donegal North-East the population has increased from 76,225 in 2006 to 82,824 in 2011. The population growth has slowed down since 2002. Between 2002 and 2006 the population in the North-East increased by 11.2%. Between 2006 and 2011 the population growth slowed, growing at 8.7%.
In Donegal South-West the population increased from 71,039 in 2006 to 78,313 in 2011. In contrast to the North-East, the South West has seen an increase in population growth between 2006 and 2011; recording a 10.2% increase.
Although the population growth was slower in the South-West between 2002 and 2006, being recorded at 3%, figures are showing that the South-West is gaining ground on the North-East.