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12 Dec 2025
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12 Dec 2025
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Laois people enjoying a festival in Portlaoise.
Portlaoise is continuing to attract more residents and grow towards predicted city size, as the latest CSO Census figures for the Laois capital town show.
In 2002, the population of Portlaoise stood at 12,127.
Jump on 20 years, and it has nearly doubled, to 23,494, as counted in the 2022 Census.
That is a surge of 94% say Laois County Council, who predict that the town will 26,366 or 20% further by 2027.
"This equates to a projected requirement for an additional 1,725 households over the six year period to 2027," the council said in its January 2024 management report.
Overall, Laois is growing too.
Back in 2002 its population count stood at 58,774. By 2022, that had jumped to 91,877, a rise of 56%.
"The targets provide for County Laois to grow to 94,700 by 2027, an increase of 12% from the base year of 2016," Laois County Council says.
The Portlaoise population is relatively young. Just under half (48%) of the population is aged below 35 years.
It is one of ten Irish towns with an average age of just under 36. Most are located in Dublin or surrounding counties. The town is also now the 13th most populated town in Ireland, passing both Athlone and Mullingar in the Midlands.
Laois County Council has stated in the past that it expects Portlaoise to eventually reach city status.
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