What is the employment rate in Donegal?

The employment rate in Donegal was 51.0% according to Census 2022, compared to a national average of 55.2%. IrelandInsights maps employment at electoral division level for every county in Ireland.

What is the housing tenure breakdown in Donegal?

In Donegal, 76.3% of households are owner-occupied and 9.0% rent privately, according to Census 2022. The national averages are 76.2% owner-occupied and 11.0% privately rented.

Census Profile · Donegal · 2022

County Donegal — Vacancy rate — first in Ireland

Donegal ranks first of Ireland's 30 counties for vacant dwellings rate at 26.6%. The national average is 14.2% — a gap of 12.4pp that places Donegal at the top of this ranking. Census 2022 data mapped at electoral division level shows the figure is not distributed evenly within the county.

        Donegal is +12.4pp vs national on vacant dwellings rate.
      

Key statistics — County Donegal

Vacancy rate

26.6%

#1 of 30 counties

National Average

14.2%

vacant dwellings rate

Employment Rate

51.0%

National: 55.2%

Third-Level

46.3%

National: 52.6%

Top electoral divisions — Vacant Dwellings in Donegal

The electoral divisions within County Donegal with the highest vacant dwellings rate, Census 2022.

Electoral Division	Vacant Dwellings Rate
1. ARDS	64.9%
2. ROSGUILL	62.8%
3. GREENFORT	62.2%
4. GLEN	56.3%
5. INISHKEEL	55.8%

Explore Donegal data on the map

Every electoral division in County Donegal is mapped. Hover to inspect Census 2022 figures or ask the AI analyst for a plain-language explanation.

Vacancy rate — first in Ireland — Donegal map Employment — Donegal Housing — Donegal

County Donegal — what stands out

What stands out?

County Donegal has the highest housing vacancy rate in Ireland — 26.6% in Census 2022.

Why does it matter?

Housing vacancy is a barometer of housing demand and population pressure. A high rate signals supply vastly exceeding demand — whether from rural depopulation, seasonal use, or post-2008 ghost estates. A low rate signals the opposite: demand that supply cannot match, which directly drives rent and price inflation.

How does it compare nationally?

Donegal26.6%

National avg14.4%

Difference+12.3pp

Rank1 / 26

What's the likely explanation?

Donegal's vacancy rate reflects the legacy of rural outmigration — properties abandoned in the 20th century as families moved to Dublin, Derry, and the UK. The county is geographically isolated from the Republic by Northern Ireland, making road commuting to Galway or Dublin impractical and limiting economic integration. The post-2020 remote work shift has begun to reverse this: scenic coastal areas are attracting remote workers who previously needed to be office-adjacent, and some vacancies are being brought back into use.

County Donegal — census data context

County-level figures aggregate all electoral divisions within Donegal. The map reveals the internal variation those county averages suppress — the gap between the most and least deprived EDs in Donegal is typically far wider than the county-to-national difference highlighted above. View the full Donegal area guide →

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Ireland census guides

→ Where to live in Ireland → Housing crisis by area → Home ownership rates → Education levels → Unemployment by area → Commuter towns → Deprivation map → Population growth

Data: CSO Census 2022 · County Donegal · Electoral Division averages · cso.ie/census