Saturday, February 15, 2025

Census figures show 2.6% increase in population

The population of Westmeath increased by 2,232 in the five years between 2011 and 2016, according to the preliminary Census figures released during the week by the Central Statistics Office. The change from 86,164 in 2011 to 88,396 in April last amounts to a percentage increase of 2.6% – more than three times lower than the percentage increase of 8.6% in 2011.
The population of Westmeath rose from 79,346 in 2006 to 86,164 five years later, but it is noticeable from the preliminary figures on this occasion, that the population increases have come mainly in the larger urban and town areas, and looking at the figures for the county’s electoral districts, there is a continuing decline in more than 40% of the rural electoral districts over the five year period, in 46 of the 106 districts. In 2011, the drop in population was noted in only half that number of rural districts.
It is in the Westmeath urban areas that the growth is seen, with Mullingar South Urban showing an increase of 7%, up from 4,099 to 4,387 and with Mullingar North Urban up by 5.3% from 5,315 to 5,599. The adjoining Mullingar Rural increased by 3.9%, from 10,356 to 10,761.
The figures for Athlone show a 2.7% increase for Athlone town from 15,268 to 15,686, which includes East Urban, West Urban, Athlone East Rural (part urban), and Moydrum (part urban). Athlone Rural is up by a modest 1.7%, from 11,446 to 11,636. The Ballymore rural area is up slightly (0.5%) from 2,486 to 2,498).
The Delvin Rural Area, with nineteen electoral districts, is up by 3.7%, from 8,362 to 8,673, but Coole Rural Area shows a slight decline of 0.6% from 1,897 to 2,886. The very large Mullingar Rural Area, stretching from Kilbeggan to Raharney, and across to Ballynacargy, with 54 electoral districts, shows a 2.8% increase, from 46,705 to 48,017.
Looking at the towns and villages, Moate’s population is up slightly, from 3,046 to 3,088 (1.4%), and Kinnegad by 2.9% from 2,830 to 2,912. Kilbeggan shows an increase of 5.4%, from 1,523 to 1,606, while Killucan is up from 1,682 to 1,820, an increase of 8.2%. Castlepollard (Kinturk) increased by 100, from 1,241 to,1341, a percentage increase of 8.1%, while Delvin went from 1,024 to 1,076, a 5.1% increase. Killucan district (which presumably includes Clonmellon) goes from 1011 to 1,053 (up 4.2%), and Ballymore is up 9.9%, from 668 to 734, and Multyfarnham went from 605 to 630 ( up by 4.1%). Ballynacargy (listed as Kilbixy district) is slightly down, from 612 to 605 (minus 1.1%). Raharney went from 513 to 509 (down by 0.8%) but Riverdale district, not far away, went from 426 to 469 (up 10.1%). Collinstown went from 474 to 501 (up by 5.7%) and Streamstown went up from 362 to 377 ( up 4.1%). Rathowen showed an increase of 14.2% from 318 to 363, but closer to Mullingar Ballinalack ED went down from 582 to 491, a decrease of 16%. Streete fell by 12%, from 303 to 267, and Coole dropped by 5.9%, from 253 to 238, while Finea increased from 290 to 304 (up by 4.8%).
VACANT DWELLINGS
According to the Census figures, there are at present 4,334 vacant dwellings in Westmeath. Figures from the 2011 Census show there were 3,480 houses vacant then, but there were also 1,141 vacant flats, and 300 holiday homes. Whether any of the flats or holiday homes are included in the current total isn’t clear.

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