The US has over 7 times more people of Irish descent than Ireland’s population of 4.6 million citizens. About 11% of Americans claim Irish ancestry, with Butte, Montana having the highest Irish-American population. March is Irish-American Heritage Month. German ancestry was more widely claimed.
About 11%, or 35 million out of an estimated 310 million, Americans say they have Irish ancestry, according to 2011 US Census data. The total population of Ireland is about 4.6 million citizens, which means that the United States has over 7 times more people of Irish descent than Ireland. These numbers were split rather evenly between men and women and across a fairly wide range of age groups and education levels. The large number of Irish-Americans can be traced back to the wave of Irish immigration experienced by the country in the mid-1800s.
Learn more about Irish-Americans:
Although Boston has an Irish-American population of approximately 20%, Butte, Montana actually has the highest Irish-American population of any metropolitan city with approximately 24% of citizens claiming Irish ancestry.
In 1995, the United States Congress officially declared March Irish-American Heritage Month.
Only German ancestry was more widely claimed in 2011 US Census data, with an estimated 47 million Americans claiming German ancestry.
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