Population of the County
In 1841, the population of Kildare was 114,488. Over the next number of decades, due to the effects of the Famine and immigration, the population of the county fell to a low of 57, 892 in 1939. This was almost half the number of people who were recorded in the 1841 census.
The 2006 census recorded the population of Kildare as 186,335 - more than three times the figure from 70 years previously. Why has the population grown so much? The population of Ireland as a whole has grown in the last decade. Kildare is very near to Dublin and this makes it an attractive place to live for people who work in the capital. New industries have attracted workers who have settled in the county.
Towns and Villages
Many towns in Kildare, especially those near to Dublin and its suburbs, have grown in size. According to the 2006 census, just over 20,000 people were living in Naas at that time. Newbridge and Celbridge have populations of 18,520 and 17,262 respectively.
Since the previous census in 2002, some towns increased dramatically in size. Kilcullen's population, for example, grew by just over 100 % in just four years. Many other towns show increases of between 30 and 40%.