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1 Census 2002 Cork City: Summary Report November 2004 Cork City Council Comhairle Cathrach Chorcai Planning and Development Directorate Navigation House, Albert Quay East, Cork Tel:

2 Contents Overview Main Points Part1 Population Change in Cork City Cork City Population Profile City Sector Population Statistics Wards Population Report Metropolitan Cork Area Migration CASP Area Part2 Principal Economic Statistics Employment Unemployment Work By Industry Occupations Socio-economic groups and Social Class Travel Patterns Housing Education Part 3 Social Change in Cork City Age Structure Household Composition and Family Units Usual Residence, Migration, Birthplace and Nationalities Irish Traveller Community Disability and Carers Irish language Religion Appendix 1

3 Overview This report is based on the results of the 2002 Census recently published by the Central Statistics Office. The Census provides a snapshot of the country s population on a particular date, in the case of the 2002 Census this date was the 28 th April City sector analysis is based on the Central Statistics Office s SAPS (Small Area Population Statistics). The City is divided into 6 sectors for the purpose of this analysis: the City Centre, the North East, North West, South West, South Centre and South East. These sectors do not correspond to the sector breakdowns for Local Government elections in the City, which have no City Centre sector. There are many benefits to having a separate City Centre sector for the purpose of analysis. Perhaps most importantly, it has a distinct and different character to the other more suburban sectors. In addition to this, there has been a number of planning policies and schemes specifically focused on this area and therefore information on changing trends within the sector can help in assessing the success of these schemes. The State s population has aged by a year since 1996 resulting in an average age of 35.1 years in Non-Irish nationals now account for 5.8% of the population. Family sizes are getting smaller and six out of ten people now live in urban areas. Both the young and old dependency ratios have continued to decline. Between 1996 and 2002, the State s population increased by 8% from 3,626,087 to 3,917,203. Leinster s population increased by 9.4% and exceeded 2 million for the first time. The largest increase in Dublin was in the Fingal administrative area (17%). It was in the Greater Dublin Area that the greatest increases in population were recorded. Meath (22.1%) registered the biggest percentage increases of any county countrywide while Kildare, with a 21.4% increase, was not far behind. Connacht s population increased by 7.2% strongly based on significant population increases in both Galway City and County. Munster s population recorded a 6.5% rise, increasing from 1,033,903 to 1,100,614. The three Ulster counties in the Republic also recorded population increases. Part 1 of this report, Population Change in Cork City, is largely based on Volume 1 of the detailed Census report: Population Classified by Area. Part 2: Principal Economic Statistics relates to general socio-economic statistics for Cork City and is largely based on Volumes 5,6,7,9 and 13 of the detailed Census reports. It covers issues such as unemployment, occupations, educational attainment, travel patterns and socio-economic groups. Part 3:Social Change in Cork City is based on Volumes 2,3,4,8,10,11, and 12 and covers issues such as age, marital status, household size, residency, the travelling community, disability and carers, Irish language and finally religion. 2

4 Main Points Part1 Population Change in Cork City Between 1996 and 2002 the City s population decreased by 4,125 people (-3.2%). With the inclusion of the City s contiguous suburbs within the County administrative area, the City s population grew from 179,954 in 1996 to 186,239 (+3.49%) in Cork City has a higher proportion of year olds and persons in the year old age brackets than the national average. Of the six city sectors, only two have shown increases since The City Centre and Southeast sectors have recorded increases of +12.1% and +0.7% respectively. The total for the Metropolitan Area now stands at 257,355.The decentralisation of population from the City to the county areas of the Metropolitan Area is now an established pattern of population shift. The total population for the CASP area is 349,388 up from 324,730 in the 1996 Census. The 2002 population of the Southwest Regional Authority area is 580,365, increasing from 546,640 since 1996 (+6.17%). Part2 Principal Economic Statistics Employment numbers grew by 12% between The City s Labour Participation Rate is the lowest in the country at 52.3%. The City s unemployment rate has dropped significantly, from 20.8% in 1996 to 12.4% in It still remains higher than the national average of 8.8% Cork City has one of the highest levels of male unemployment in the country at 14.2%. 11 of Cork City s Electoral Divisions were defined as blackspots, all located in the northern suburbs. Commerce is by far the largest industry in the City accounting for nearly 13, 217 jobs. There was a decrease in the numbers unemployed in all occupations in the City. Cork City has one of the lowest rates of persons classified to socio-economic group A (employers and managers). The numbers in the unskilled social class have dropped by 2% since Walking and cycling as a means of getting to work, school and college recorded significant decreases in the period Motor vehicle usage has increased. The City records a higher percentage of local authority housing (20%) than nationally (11%). A clear disparity exists between the numbers from the different sectors completing third level education from the different City sectors. Part 3 Social Change in Cork City There is evidence of the drop in fertility rates and a steady increase in the average age of the population of the City. The young dependency ratio for Cork City is below the national rate of 31.2% at 24.5 %. Statistics for Cork City mirror a national trend of a decline in the numbers marrying coupled with an increase in the numbers divorced. The number of separated persons (including divorced) increased by over a half between 1996 and The number of private households in Cork City increased by 1,448 between 1996 and The number of conventional family units in the city (i.e, mother, father and child) has continued to fall since the 1986 while childless couples and lone parents continue to rise. 3.5 % of the over 65 age category live on their own. 113,764 persons (92%) residing in Cork City in 2002 were Irish nationals. Travellers represent 0.69 % of the total population of the city. 13,791 persons, representing 11.2% of the total population of Cork City, had a long lasting health problem or disability 52,072 people (42.3 %) in Cork City were recorded as being able to speak Irish in

5 Part 1: Population Change in Cork City 1. Cork City Population Profile From a high of 138,267 in 1979, the City s population has fallen steadily to 123,062 in the 2002 census. (See Figure 1) Figure 1: Population Change in Cork City Population Change in Cork City 140, , , , , , census year City Population Change As can be seen from Figure 1 the population stabilised between 1991 and 1996 after a number of years of continuous decline. Since 1996 however, the population has again begun to drop with a decrease of 4,125 people (-3.2%) to After Dublin, Cork City still reveals the second highest population density in the country at 3,107 people per square kilometre. Cork City Council area was the only county/city administrative unit in the country to record a decrease in population in the 2002 Census. With the inclusion of the City s contiguous suburbs within the County administrative area, the City s population grew from 179,954 in 1996 to 186,239 (+3.49%) in This figure represents 4.8% of the national population. Thus, while the population within the City boundary decreased by -3.2%, the suburbs increased in population by 10,410 (+19.7%). While the population of the City fell, the population of the Cork County area increased by 10.7%, giving an overall increase for the County as a whole of 6.5%. The population for the County and City together now stands at 447, City Sector Population Statistics Of the six city sectors, only two have shown increases since The City Centre and Southeast sectors have recorded increases of +12.1% and +0.7% respectively. While the South Centre (-7.2%), Northwest (-7.9%) and the Southwest (-6.3%) all recorded decreases, the Northeast recorded a slower rate of decline at -3.4%. The success of the Urban Renewal Schemes in arresting City Centre population decline has been consolidated in the last number of years with further high-density residential development around the central area (see Figure 3 below). In addition, since the early 1980s City Development Plan objectives have focused on arresting population decline particularly 4

6 within the City Centre. Since 1996 there has been an increase of 1,292 (+12.1%) people living in the City Centre sector. Table 1: Population Change in Cork City Area 1986 Census 1991 Census 1996 Census 2002 Census % Difference City 133, , , , % City Centre 9,473 8,748 10,657 11, % South East 23,294 23,791 24,148 24, % South Centre 23,858 21,751 20,827 19, % South West 20,628 20,035 20,204 18, % North West 20,399 28,307 26,955 24, % North East 25,619 24,631 24,398 23, % Population decline continues in the suburban sectors however. This trend has continued in four out of the five sectors since The Southeast sector has only marginally increased since 1996 by 180 people (+0.7%), below 1998 predictions. Population decline in most other sectors however has not been as dramatic as the 1998 Development Plan projected. Three main, interrelated factors are principally responsible for continuing population decline in the suburban sectors. 1. A national reduction in household sizes: With people having fewer children, average household sizes have declined. This trend is particularly evident in established residential areas. 2. The lack of developable residential land within the City boundary means new residential developments are locating in the County area. 3. The changing age profile of the suburban areas: Suburban areas within the City have an ageing population. This is compounded by young families locating in areas within the County. There are a significant number of high-density student accommodation schemes underway in the Southwest sector benefiting from the Section 23 tax reliefs. These will help both to stabilise population in the sector and should free up family type dwelling units currently used for student accommodation. New housing under construction in Mahon and Blackpool should also lead to increases in these sector over the coming years. Figure 2: Population Change in the City Centre Population Change in the City Centre city centre population 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2, Census Year 5

7 4. Census Wards Population Report 6

8 5. The Metropolitan Cork Area The population of the Cork Metropolitan Area has been growing at an increasing rate over the last 10 years. Since 1996, a +6% (14,771) increase was recorded. The actual increase for the county areas of Metropolitan Cork is larger since this overall figure includes a 4,125 decrease in the City's population. The total for the Metropolitan Area now stands at 257,355. A significant shift towards the county areas of the defined Metropolitan Area can be seen. The satellite towns within the Metropolitan Area recorded substantial increases in population; most of which was within their environs rather than in the towns themselves. The decentralisation of population to the county areas of the Metropolitan Area is now an established pattern of population shift. The proportion of Metropolitan Cork s population living in county areas is larger than the City s for the first time. In 1991, the percentage of the Metropolitan Area s population living in the county was 45%; it has now risen to 52.1%. CASP projects that this trend will continue into the future, population will increase in areas of the city such as Docklands and the City Centre. Figure 4: Population change in the Cork Metropolitan Area Population Change in Cork Metropolitan Area 300, ,000 City's Population Share County's Population Share Persons 200, , ,000 Total Population Metroplitan Cork Area 50, Year 6. Migration While there has been a general in-migration to Cork over the past number of years, this new population is generally not locating within the City. Cork County has had an estimated inmigration figure of 19,982. The census estimates that a natural increase in the City of 2,394 has been offset by a negative net migration of 6,489. This means that the City is losing over 1,000 people very year through a negative migration trend. 7. CASP Area The CASP area is larger than the Cork Metropolitan Area, covering an area determined by a journey time of 45 minutes from Cork City. The current picture from the 2002 Census is of a declining City population surrounded by rapidly growing suburbs. The total population for the CASP area is 349,388 up from 324,730 in the 1996 Census. Approximately 60% of this increase was in the Metropolitan Area.Most of the growth has taken place in Douglas, Carrigaline, Ballincollig, Blarney, Riverstown, Glanmire and Midleton. The ring towns and their environs have also performed well in terms of population growth. Including their environs, each of the major ring towns recorded population increases. 7

9 Part 2: Principal Economic Statistics: Cork City 1. Employment Employment numbers grew in the City by nearly 12% since 1996 to 46,655. Those at work represent approximately 38% of the City s total population. At 52.3% however, Cork City has the lowest labour force participation rate in the country. The national rate is 58.3%. This is still a slight increase on the 1996 rate of 51.2% while the rate of female participation has also increased slightly by 4.1%. In contrast the male participation rate has dropped by 2.5%. Table 1: Labour Force Breakdown Area Total Labour Force At Work Seeking 1 st Job Unemployed Unemployment rate Not in labour Force Labour Force participation rate State 1,800,933 1,641,587 21, , ,288, Cork City 53,274 46, , , North West 10,858 9, , , North East 6,254 5, , City Centre 10,359 8, , , South West 7,445 6, , South Centre 8,024 7, , South East 10,334 9, , The proportion of students aged 15+ in the City is higher than the national average, The proportion of those on home duties has continued to drop. It now stands at 13.5%, lower that the national average. The proportion of retired people in the City is just a percentage point above the national average. The proportion of those in the labour force citing that they were unable to work due to disability has increased by 4.7% since Figure 1:Principal Economic Status: Cork City 2002 Principal Economic Status: Cork City 2002 Retired 12% sickness or disability 6% Other 1% home duties 14% at work 46% Student 14% Unemployed 6% loking first job 1% 2. Unemployment The City s unemployment rate has dropped significantly, from 20.8% in 1996 to 12.4% in The City s unemployment rate still remains higher than the national average of 8.8% 8

10 mirroring similar trends in the Country s other urban areas. The Census also revealed that Cork City had one of the highest levels of male unemployment in the country at 14.2%. The major cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Waterford contain 38 of the Country s unemployment 88 blackspots (43.2% of the national total). 11 of Cork City s Electoral Divisions were defined as blackspots. An Electoral Division is defined as an unemployment blackspot if its labour force exceeds 200 persons and its unemployment rate exceeds 20% (see table 3 below). All these blackspots are located in the northern suburbs. 3. Work by Industry This section reflects on the changing nature of people s employment in the City. Commerce is by far the largest industry in the City accounting for nearly a third of the total with 13, 217, an increase of over 45% since Employment in manufacturing industries continues to decline reflecting this sector s declining importance in the City s changing employment structure. Yet despite a drop of 7% between 1996 and 2002 over 8,000 people (17%of the labour force) in the City are still employment in manufacturing industries. 18% or 8,307 City residents are employed in the Professional Services Sector. Figure 2: Employment Change Work by Industry Cork City Work By Industry: Cork City Agriculture Building & Construction Manufacturing Year Commerce Transport Public Administration Professional Services Other Employment in the Other category has continued to increase rapidly. This sector largely represents the services / catering sector and community and social services. Since 1996 services employment has grown by almost a third in the City. This sector now employs the fourth largest number of people in the City at 7,758. Building and construction employment has made a strong comeback in the late 1990 s after a period of decline between 1981 and Although not yet reaching the levels recorded in the 1981 Census, it recorded a 43% increase in numbers employed between 1996 and Nearly 4,000 people in the City are employed in this industry representing approximately 8% of the total workforce. Employment in the transport/communications category and public administration has remained relatively stable, both since 1981 and between 1996 and

11 Sector breakdown Differences between the City sectors however are more pronounced. One in three of those living in the North West sector are involved in either manufacturing or building and construction work. This compares with one in five from the City Centre sector. A quarter of those in the City Centre work in services industries compared to just 10% in the South West sector. Yet the South West has the largest proportion of those involved in Professional Services. While the South East has the lowest proportion of workers in service industries, it does record the highest in Commerce. One in three, over 3,000 people, in the South East are employed in this sector. The distribution of transport / communication workers is fairly evenly spread throughout the City. 4. Occupations Figure 3 below illustrates that there is a good diversity in employment by occupation in Cork City. This mirrors a similar diversity at national level. There is a slightly higher proportion of people in the City who are classified as Professional / Technical and Health workers. The proportion of this grouping increased in the period making it the largest group in the City. Manufacturing as an occupation also recorded decreases, at 19%. By far the greatest increase, at 55%, was recorded in the Others grouping. The Administration and Government grouping increased by slightly over a quarter. There was a decrease in the numbers unemployed in all occupations in the City. Numerically, unemployment among building and construction workers dropped dramatically as a result of increased activity in this sector since the late 1990s. Unemployment among in this occupational group dropped from 42% in 1996 to 18% in Figure 3: Occupations Cork City 2002 Occupations Cork City 2002 (at work + unemployed) Services 11% Other 15% Professional, technical / healt h 18 % Farmers/Agricult ure 0% M anfact uring 13 % Building / Construction 7% Clerical 8% Administration / Government 7% Transport / Communication Sales and Commerce 6% 15% Similar decreases were recorded among manufacturing workers where unemployment dropped from 26% to 12%. Unemployment is lowest among professional / technical and health workers at under 4% and it is also low among those belonging to the Sales / Commerce occupation at under 6%. Sector Breakdown The sectoral breakdown of occupations reveals a comparatively even spread of occupations among the sectors. In some areas however differences are apparent. The North West sector 10

12 has the highest proportion of manufacturing workers at 19% at work, while the South Centre Sector follows closely at 15%. These sectors also have the highest proportions of those whose occupation is building and construction. In contrast over a third of those in the South West Sector are classed in the Professional / Technical and Health workers grouping. 5. Socio-Economic Groups and Social Class Socio-economic groups By examining the current occupations of those employed and the previous occupations of those unemployed and retired persons, it is possible to categorise people by socio-economic group. In addition, persons are classified to the socio-economic group of the person on whom they are deemed dependent. Cork City has one of the lowest rates of persons classified to socio-economic group A (employers and managers). The only other category of significant difference between national and City levels is in the Others socio-economic grouping where the national figure is at 17% while the City records a rate of 25%. 6% of the people in the City are classed as unskilled. Sector breakdown Differences between the City sectors are evident. The level of persons in the Employers / Managers socio-economic group varies form 7% in the North West to 19% in the South East. Many wards in the South East sector record levels of this socio-economic group of up to 18%. The socio-economic groups of higher and lower professionals are also well represented in all of the southern sectors of the City while being under represented in both the northern sectors and the City Centre. The City Centre contains the highest proportion of those classified in the Others socio-economic group. The North West contains the highest concentrations of those in the semi-skilled and unskilled categories. 25% of those in this sector are classified as either semi-skilled or unskilled. Social Class The social class of people is determined in a similar way to the socio-economic group. In contrast to socio-economic group, however, social class is based on an ordinal scale with 1 being the highest social class. The highest proportion of people in the City are classified as being in social group 7: All others gainfully occupied. One in four people are included in the group up from 17% in Although the proportion of those in the managerial and technical social class has increased since 1996, the City rate of 19% is still considerably lower than the national average of 26%. Substantial decreases were recorded in the level of those in the semi-skilled group. The numbers in the unskilled social class have dropped by 2% since 1996 yet the City level of 7% still remains above the national average of 6%. Figure 4: Social Classes: Cork City 2002 Social Classes: Cork City 2002 Others 25% Professional 6% Managerial and Technical 19% Unskilled 7% Semi-skilled 12% Skilled manual 16% Non-Manual 15% 11

13 Sector breakdown As with socio-ecomonic groups, the closer look at the City sectors shows a number of disparities. A number of wards recorded high proportions of towards 20% in Social Class 1, well above the City average of 6%. The highest proportion of unskilled persons was recorded in the North West sector. At 11% it contrasts sharply with 3% in the South West. In the semiskilled class, the northern suburbs, along with the South Centre sector have considerably higher levels. These two southern sectors are also distinguished by their high proportions of people in the Managerial /Technical social class. 6. Travel Patterns The 2002 Census revealed a continued decline in Cork City in more sustainable forms of travelling to work, school and college. Walking and cycling as a means of getting to work, school and college recorded significant decreases in the period In contrast, travelling to work by motor vehicles has increased in almost direct proportion with the decrease in walking and cycling. There has been a slight decline in public transport use as means of getting to work, school or college form 7,678 in 1996 to 7,149 in Despite these trends Cork City still compares favourably to national averages in terms of sustainable modes of travelling to work, school and college. The City also compares favourably nationally in terms of the distances travelled to work, school or college and the length of time it takes to get there. Figure 5: Cork Means of Travel to Work, School and College Cork City: Means of Travel to Work, College and School not stated 5% other 2% motor car passenger 16% foot 33% bicycle 2% motor car driver 32% motor cycle 1% train 0% bus 9% City Sector Travel Patterns There is a marked contrast in the methods of transport used to get to work, school or college in the different sectors in the City. In the City Centre up to 50% of people walk or cycle. In the suburbs the proportion of people walking is relatively similar in all sectors. The South East sector has the highest proportion of both car drivers and car passengers, Over 64% of all persons in the South East get to work by these means. The southside has more cyclists than the northside. Public transport use, almost exclusively by bus, is highest in the northern sectors and the City Centre with 11% of people using these means to get to work or school. Travel to work patterns Results from the census reveal that there has been a substantial increase in the percentage of people travelling to work in private vehicles. The number of people travelling to work as car passengers has dropped, probably due to the increase in car ownership allowing people the choice of travelling in their own car. Another factor influencing this trend is the greater range of employment locations developing around the edge of the city and its approach roads. The 12

14 numbers travelling to work on foot has increased slightly by 2.8%, most likely due to population and employment growth in the City Centre. The numbers travelling to work by bicycle dropped by a third between Public transport has also experienced decreases. Travel to primary / secondary school patterns There have decreases in the numbers travelling to both primary and secondary school on foot. In addition, the number of students going to school on bikes has dropped significantly by over 50%. More encouragingly, the numbers using public transport, particularly buses, has continued to increase. Growing numbers of students are being driven to school in cars, particularly at primary level. Another trend evident in the 2002 results was an increase in the numbers of secondary school students driving to school, both on motorcycles and in cars. Travel to College patterns In line with other travel patterns in the City, the numbers getting to college by foot and bicycle declined significantly between The numbers travelling by public transport however did continue to increase, again particularly by bus. There has been substantial growth in the numbers driving to college by motorcycle and car. In addition there has been an increase in the numbers getting to college as passengers in cars. Car ownership 66% of households in Cork City own one or more cars, an increase on the 1996 rate. Over a third of the City s household s have no car while 26% have 2 or more cars. The highest proportion of car ownership is recorded in the Own Account Workers socio-economic grouping with 91% owning one or more car. The lowest proportion of car ownership is recorded in the Unskilled socio-economic grouping. Only 51% of this grouping have one car or more. 8. Housing Residential Building Nationally, 55.6% of all the permanent housing units have been built since The recent residential building boom, which has resulted in upwards to 60,000 dwellings being built annually across the country is likely to increase this percentage in the near future. 36.1% of Cork City s permanent housing units have been built since ,282 dwellings were built in the City between 1996 and This means that nearly 6% of the City s dwellings were built in those six years. This compares to a national figure of 16%. Housing Tenure Owner-occupier continues to be the most prevalent type of occupancy both nationally and in the City. At 61% the proportion of owner-occupier hoses in the City is significantly lower than the national average of 77%. Conversely, Cork City records a much higher percentage of local authority housing at 20% (7,925) higher than the national average of 11%. There has been a continued increase in the number of private rented dwellings in the City. Figure 6: Housing Tenure House Tenure: Cork City 2002 Private Rented 19% L.A. Rented 15% L.A. Purchase 5% Owner-occupier 61% 13

15 Housing Type There are over 40,000 housing units in the City. Over 85% of these are houses, the majority are semi-detached or terraced. Only 14% are detached. Predictably for an urban area, the City has a higher proportion of apartments at 14% than the national average of approximately 8%. There are 95 temporary dwellings in the City.All of the suburban sectors recorded high proportions of houses, in line with the national average. In the City Centre there is almost a split between apartments and houses. 9. Education Trends in the City largely reflect those observed nationally. Increased participation rates in education has led to an increase in the age full time education is ceased. There has been a general increase in the proportion of persons completing their education with a third level qualification. People are staying in education longer and thus the proportion of people that have been educated to primary level only has dropped. Nationally less than 10% of persons aged between years in 2002 completed their education at primary level. Approximately one in five people in the City has some sort of third level qualification while less than I% have no formal education. Sector Patterns Varying degrees of educational attainment exist across the City, At 27% the North West has the highest proportion of people whose highest level of education achieved is primary level. This contrasts sharply with 9% in the South West. Another clear disparity exists between the numbers from the different sectors completing third level education. The South West (28%) sector contain greater proportions of people with a third level qualification as opposed to 9% in the North West. Age Education Ceased As can be seen from the illustration above there is divergent trend in the City with regard to the age education ceased, directly related to the varying degrees of participation in different stages of the education system. The North West has the lowest proportion of people finishing education over 20 years of age. The City Centre has the highest proportion of this group. The South West and South East sectors have the lowest proportions of early school leavers. Figure 7: Age education ceased person 15+: Cork City by sector (Does not include Not stated) Age Education Ceased by Sector Percentage % and under Sector North West North East City Centre South West South Centre South East 14

16 Part 3: Social Change in Cork City 1. Age Structure Table 1: Changes in Age Composition in Cork City from Age Range Total Population Cork City % 22% 24% 18% 11% 133, % 21% 26% 19% 11% 127, % 21% 27% 20% 12% 127, % 20% 29% 21% 13% 123,062 The State % 16% 30% 21% 11% 3,917,203 Table 1 compares the changes in age composition in Cork City from 1986 to The results of the 2002 Census relating to the age profile of Cork City mirror the trends of the 1996 Census; evidence of the drop in fertility rates and a steady increase in the average age of the population can clearly be seen. A notable feature of the 2002 statistics is the high proportion of people in the age group. At a national level Cork City had a lower than national average of people aged 1-14 years of age, and a higher than national average of people within the age group. The high proportion of the age group could be explained by the presence of Cork Institute of Technology and University College Cork, resulting in a high student population in the City. Young Dependency Ratio At a national level the young dependency ratio, which is derived by expressing the population aged 0-14 as a percentage of the population of working age (15-64 years), peaked at over 50 % in the 1970s. However it has continued to decline and reached a low of 31.2 % in The young dependency ratio for Cork City is below the national rate of 31.2% at 24.5%. Sector Breakdown The majority of the population living in the City Centre area are aged 15-44, whilst a very low proportion of City Centre residents are aged 14 or under. This is contrasted in the suburban areas, with sectors such as the South East, North West and the North East having a relatively higher proportion of 0-14 year olds. The South West Sector shows an age profile differing greatly from the other sectors. The South West is the only sector with the majority of its population aged This is due to the presence of the University College Cork and Cork Institute of Technology within the sector and as a result a high proportion of young people living in the area. In comparison the age profile for the South Centre reflects the trend of the city as a whole, with evidence of low fertility rates and a steady increase in the average age of the population. Marital Status Figure 1 analyses the population aged 15 years or over by marital status in 1986,1991,1996 and 2002 and shows how the changing values of the population are reflected in marital status. The 2002 statistics for Cork City mirror a national trend of a decline in the numbers marrying coupled with an increase in the numbers divorced. The number of separated persons (including divorced) increased by over a half between 1996 and 2002, reflecting to a large extent the legalisation of divorce in the State in

17 Figure 1: Changes in Marital Status Trends for Cork City ( ) Changes in Marital Status Trends for Cork City ( ) No. of Persons Single Married Seperated/Divorced Widowed Household Composition and Family Units Cork City had 42,742 private households in total in The number of private households (i.e. excluding hotels, hospitals, institutes, etc) in Cork City had increased by 1,448 between 1996 and 2002, despite there being a marginal decrease in the population, resulting from a fall in average household size from 2.97 to 2.76 per household (See Table 2). Within Cork City the Census details that household size is smallest in the City Centre sector with 39 % of the population living on their own. By comparison the suburban sectors have an average of 23 % of the population living on their own, see Figure 2. Table 2: Average Number of Persons Per Household in Cork City ( ) Average No. Persons Per Household in Cork City ( ) Year Persons per Household Figure 2: Percentage of persons per private household (Suburban Sectors compared to City Centre Sector) Percentage of persons per private household Percentage No. of persons per household Average for suburbs C ity C e n tre Sector 16

18 Family Units/Living Arrangements The number of conventional family units in the city (i.e, mother, father and child) has continued to fall since the 1986 census while childless couples and lone parents continue to rise (see figure 3). The fastest growing category were families consisting of couples (whether married or not) without children and single persons. Figure 3: Private household composition change in Cork City from Private Household Composition change in Cork City No. of Households One Person Couple Couple with children lone parent with children There were 5,202 lone parent families in Cork City in 2002, which represents an increase of 10.6% since Lone parent families represented 12% of the total number of households for the city in 2002, compared to a national average of 10%. Females headed 86% of all lone parent families within Cork City. A further analysis of the census figures indicates that the Sectors with the highest proportion of lone parents are the North East and North West Sectors, whilst the lowest proportion of lone parent families are in the City Centre Sector (See Table 3). Table 3: Proportion of Lone Parent Households, Cork City 2002 Area Proportion of lone parent households (%) State 10% City Average 12% City Sector Average North West 15% North East 14% City Centre 7% South West 8% South Centre 12% South East 12% 17

19 Elderly persons living alone Elderly persons living alone represent a sizeable component of one-person households. Figure 4 illustrates a gradual increase in the number of person s aged 65 and over within the City. The 2002 Census figures illustrated that the 65 and over age category represented 12.8% of the city s total population, with 3.5 % of the over 65 age category living on their own. This is slightly higher than the state average, with 2.9 % of total population of the state aged 65 and over, recorded as living on their own in A further analysis of the Cork City 2002 census figures indicates that the South Centre sector (5.3 %) had the highest proportion of persons aged 65 plus living on their own, whilst the North East sector had the lowest proportion with only 2.7 %. Figure 4: Persons Aged 65+ Living Alone in Cork City ( ) P r o p o r t i o n o f t h e p o p u l a t i o n a g e d liv in g a lo n e in C o rk C ity No. of Persons A l l P e r s o n s A l l P e r s o n s L i v i n g A l o n e Y e a r s 4. Usual Residence, Migration, Birthplaces and Nationalities Volume 4 of the Census 2002 report gives detailed information relating to Usual Residence, Migration, Birthplaces and Nationalities. The census results show that 91 % of the persons residing in Cork City were born in this country and 4,991 persons were born in England and Wales. A new question on Nationality revealed that 113,764 persons residing in Cork City in 2002 were Irish nationals, which accounts for 92 % of the total population of the city. Cork City is one of two areas to a have a reduction in net migration from 1996 to Irish Traveller Community A question relating to membership of the Irish Traveller community was included for the first time in the 2002 census form. At a national level, close to 24,000 Irish Travellers, representing 0.6% of the total population, were enumerated in the 2002 census. Cork County had one of the lowest proportion of travellers, representing 0.3%. In comparison, Cork City had a higher proportion of travellers, with 860 enumerated in 2002, representing 0.69 % of the total population of the city. 6. Disability and Carers 13,791 persons, representing 11.2% of the total population of Cork City, had a long lasting health problem or disability based on responses to two new questions introduced in the 2002 census. Not surprisingly 70 % of disabled persons are 45 years of age or over, Almost 2,199 18

20 persons in Cork City aged 15 years and over indicated that they provide regular unpaid personal help for a friend or family member with a long-term illness, health problem or disability in April The total number of hours provided by women carers greatly exceeded the number provided by men, 7. Irish Language 52,072 people in Cork City aged three years of age and over were recorded as being able to speak Irish in 2002, which represented 42.3 % of the total population of the city in This figure compares favourably with the National figure, which stated that 40 % of the total population of the state in 2002 were recorded as being able to speak Irish. Of those who could speak Irish within Cork City 7.5 % were reported as speaking it on a daily basis. 71% of persons who were recorded as being able to speak Irish either never spoke it or spoke it less frequently than once a week. 8. Religion The most noticeable statistic in relation to religion was that the majority of the population within the State and Cork City in 2002 was Roman Catholic. A comparison between the State and Cork City illustrates similar trends, with the main difference occurring within the Church of Ireland religious grouping. At a national level 3.0 % of the total population were recorded under the Church of Ireland religious grouping, and by comparison only 1.5 % of the population of Cork City were recorded under same. 19

21 Appendix Cork City Sectors North West North East City Centre Churchfield Blackpool A Centre A Fair Hill A Blackpool B Centre B Fair Hill B Commons City Hall A Fair Hill C Mayfield City Hall B Farranferris A Montenotte A Gillabbey A Farranferris B Montenotte B Shandon A Farranferris C St Patrick's B Shandon B Gurranebraher A St Patrick's C South Gate A Gurranebraher B The Glen A South Gate B Gurranebraher C The Glen B St Patrick's A Gurranebraher D Tivoli A Gurranebraher E Tivoli B Knocknaheeny Shanakiel Sunday's Well A Sunday's Well B South West South Centre South East Bishopstown A Ballyphehane A Ballinlough A Bishopstown B Ballyphehane B Ballinlough B Bishopstown C Evergreen Ballinlough C Bishopstown D Glasheen C Browningstown Bishopstown E Greenmount Knockrea A Gillabbey B Pouladuff A Knockrea B Gillabbey C Pouladuff B Mahon A Glasheen A The Lough Mahon B Glasheen B Togher A Mahon C Mardyke Togher B Tramore A Turner's Cross A Tramore B Turner's Cross B Tramore C Turner's Cross C Turner's Cross D 20