A new report commissioned by the Department of Justice and published by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) on 16 October 2026 provides the most detailed mapping yet of where migrants live in Ireland. Using 2025 census micro-data, researchers found that 78 per cent of residents born outside the island of Ireland reside in urban settings, with 43 per cent living in the nation’s five largest cities. The study—‘Spatial Distribution and Local Integration of Migrants in Ireland’—also links migrant density to affluence. In electoral divisions labeled “very affluent”, foreign-born residents make up 36 per cent of the population; in “extremely disadvantaged” areas they account for just 9 per cent. Segregation levels, however, remain low by European standards, suggesting migrants are relatively dispersed compared with peers in France or Germany. Researchers warn that housing shortages and patchy English-language provision outside major cities risk entrenching geographic imbalances. Stakeholders interviewed advocate expanding Local Area Integration Teams to all councils and providing IPAS-centre managers with integration training. For multinationals, the data offer clues on where to site offices and staff housing. Tech firms seeking diverse talent pools may favour inner-city locations, while manufacturers in rural counties may need to invest in transport links and language classes to attract overseas workers. Policymakers are likely to mine the findings as they finalise Ireland’s next National Integration Strategy, due early 2027. The spatial lens could influence everything from public-transport funding to where new English-language schools are built.
Source: The Irish Times
