Current population trends in Kerry could pose challenges for the county.
That is one of the observations of Kerry County Council’s newest six-year Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP).
When drafting the plan, the local authority commissioned a socio-economic analysis.
It found that the average age of the county’s 156,458 inhabitants was 41-and-a-half (41.5) years, with nearly one in five (19%) aged 65 or over.
It notes that the changing demographics present challenges for support, social, and care services.
The council’s stated aim is to promote intergenerational communities that support connected, cohesive, healthy, safe, and socially inclusive lives.
The plan also identified keeping young people in the county as a potential challenge.
Since the last LECP in 2016, Kerry’s population has risen by six per cent (6%).
Despite this, the plan sees the draw of younger people to bigger urban centres for employment and lifestyle as a threat to Kerry's goals.
It reports that 13.3 per cent (13.3% ) of Kerry’s population were non-Irish nationals in 2022, including individuals from countries such as the UK.
