Cork: population and official figures

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Cork: Census 2022 recorded an unemployment rate of 8.0% in Cork City (people looking for work as a share of the labour force aged 15+), below the national 8.3% and the lowest of 2 cities.
• Health in Cork: 52.2% of residents of Cork City described their health as very good in Census 2022, compared with 53.2% nationally (the highest of 2 cities).
• Education in Cork: In Census 2022, 41.0% of residents aged 15+ in Cork City had a third-level degree (ordinary bachelor degree or higher), against 36.0% across Ireland; that is the lowest of 2 cities.
• Poverty and living standards in Cork: Social housing was home to 15.1% of households in Cork City in Census 2022 (10,416 rented from the council and 1,624 from voluntary or co-operative bodies), against 10.4% nationally.

Who runs Cork?

In Ireland, cities and towns are run by county, city, and city-and-county councils: 949 councillors elected by STV every five years; a chief executive is appointed. Housing, planning, roads, libraries, fire services, environment, local and community development.

How local power works in Ireland

Cities of a similar size in Ireland

• Dublin 544,107

Up a level: all cities in Ireland · Ireland · government and power

Sources

• Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland: Census 2022 Small Area Population Statistics (SAPS), all themes, by administrative county and city, read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 32250e98c48a…)
• Office of the Attorney General, Irish Statute Book: S.I. No. 573 of 2014: Local Government Act 1991 (Regional Assemblies) (Establishment) Order 2014, read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b6dea72d3d80…)

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