What is the employment rate in Louth?

The employment rate in Louth was 54.7% 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 Louth?

In Louth, 74.6% of households are owner-occupied and 11.3% rent privately, according to Census 2022. The national averages are 76.2% owner-occupied and 11.0% privately rented.

Census Profile · Louth · 2022

County Louth — High internal ED variation

Louth's county-level Census 2022 figures sit close to national averages. Employment is 54.7% (national: 55.2%), home ownership 74.6% (national: 76.2%). County averages suppress the internal variation that makes the data meaningful. The gap between the highest and lowest unemployment electoral divisions within Louth exceeds 15 percentage points — a spread the county headline cannot show.

        Louth employment rate is -0.5pp vs national.
      

Key statistics — County Louth

Employment Rate

54.7%

-0.5pp vs national

Owner-Occupied

74.6%

National: 76.2%

Third-Level

52.2%

National: 52.6%

Unemployment

5.4%

National: 4.3%

Top electoral divisions — Unemployment in Louth

The electoral divisions within County Louth with the highest unemployment rate, Census 2022.

Electoral Division	Unemployment Rate
1. DUNDALK No. 2 URBAN	10.3%
2. DUNDALK RURAL (NORTH)	9.7%
3. DUNDALK No. 1 URBAN	9.6%
4. CASTLETOWN (NORTH)	9.1%
5. DUNDALK RURAL (SOUTH)	8.9%

Explore Louth data on the map

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

High internal ED variation — Louth map Employment — Louth Housing — Louth

County Louth — what stands out

What stands out?

County Louth has one of Ireland's highest unemployment rates, ranking 2nd nationally — 5.4% in Census 2022.

Why does it matter?

Unemployment rate captures active labour market weakness — those who want work but cannot find it. Even small differences from the national average are meaningful: a sustained 1–2pp gap compounds over years, affecting household income, local business, and social outcomes.

How does it compare nationally?

Louth5.4%

National avg4.3%

Difference+1.1pp

Rank2 / 26

What's the likely explanation?

The unemployment rate in Louth reflects a combination of geographic, economic, and demographic factors. The map shows considerable variation within the county — individual electoral divisions often differ significantly from the county average.

County Louth — census data context

County-level figures aggregate all electoral divisions within Louth. The map reveals the internal variation those county averages suppress — the gap between the most and least deprived EDs in Louth is typically far wider than the county-to-national difference highlighted above. View the full Louth 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 Louth · Electoral Division averages · cso.ie/census