Monitoring Report on Integration 2024
07 April 2025
Many migrants in Ireland are doing well in areas like jobs and education. Compared to Irish-born people, migrants are more likely to have jobs and higher education levels. However, they earn less money and are more likely to face poverty and hardship.
Jobs and Employment
Migrants are more active in the workforce and have had higher employment rates since 2022.
Migrants from the EU, Asia, and other regions (except non-EU Europe) generally do better in jobs than Irish-born people.
African migrants have made big improvements, with employment and unemployment rates now close to those of Irish-born people.
Education
59% of working-age migrants have third-level education, compared to 42% of Irish-born people.
Migrants from Asia have the highest education rates (79%), while eastern EU migrants have the lowest (38%).
Migrant students score lower in English and maths tests at age 15.
Early school leaving is low and similar for both migrants and Irish-born youth.
Poverty and Housing
37% of migrants spend over 30% of their income on housing, compared to just 9% of Irish-born residents.
Poverty and hardship are more common among migrants, especially those from eastern EU and non-EU countries.
20% of non-EU migrants are at risk of poverty, versus 11% of Irish-born people.
Migrants from the UK, eastern EU, and outside the EU also face more material deprivation.
Citizenship and Political Participation
Over 18,200 migrants became Irish citizens in 2023 – a big rise from 2022.
Citizenship application times dropped from 22 months to 15 months.
More migrants ran in the 2024 local elections, and more were elected, but still only 2.2% of councillors have a migrant background.
Overall Picture
Migrants in Ireland are generally well-educated and active in the workforce but face more poverty, lower pay, and higher housing costs. Their skills may be undervalued. Problems like housing affect migrants more and need urgent action to improve integration.
Co-author Evan Carron-Kee noted the progress in employment and citizenship, but warned that poverty and housing issues for migrants must be addressed quickly.