How many South Africans moved to Ireland in 2026? PPS numbers by month
Ireland's Department of Social Protection allocated 1,003 PPS numbers to South African citizens from January to September 2026, and 1,195 in 2025 (gov.ie, file updated on 21 October 2026). From January to September 2025 the figure was 864, so the change on the same months of 2025 is +16.1%. These are the most recent official monthly figures by nationality, but PPS numbers allocated are not the same as people who moved to Ireland: see what the number is and is not, below.
Ireland · South African citizens · January–September 2026: 1,003 PPS numbers
Source: Department of Social Protection (Ireland), Annual Allocations: PPS Numbers (gov.ie, page updated on 21 October 2026): PPSN registrations by year, month and country and by year and country (CSV, downloaded on 30 October 2026), data to September 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0 (data.gov.ie).
What this number is, and what it is not
- It is the number of PPS numbers (Personal Public Service numbers) that Ireland's Department of Social Protection allocated to people with South African nationality, by month and year. GOV.IE says a PPS number "helps you access social welfare benefits, public services and information in Ireland".
- It is not a count of people who arrived: the online service is open to "customers resident on the island of Ireland and customers resident abroad", some people get a number before or long after they arrive, and some never move or leave again (GOV.IE, Get a Personal Public Service (PPS) Number, read on 30 October 2026).
- It leaves out South Africans who already had a PPS number (for example from an earlier stay), and it counts each person by the nationality recorded by the Department.
- It is not the number of South Africans living in Ireland, which is much larger. Nothing on this page counts residents.
PPS numbers allocated to South African citizens, month by month
Each cell is the number of PPS numbers allocated in that month. The Department publishes monthly figures by nationality from January 2023.
| Month | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 (to Sep) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 271 | 329 | 139 | 153 |
| February | 258 | 235 | 112 | 128 |
| March | 277 | 174 | 71 | 92 |
| April | 222 | 240 | 70 | 133 |
| May | 196 | 238 | 90 | 97 |
| June | 203 | 216 | 86 | 103 |
| July | 210 | 291 | 92 | 113 |
| August | 244 | 236 | 106 | 120 |
| September | 282 | 168 | 98 | 64 |
| October | 225 | 169 | 117 | – |
| November | 237 | 153 | 121 | – |
| December | 169 | 124 | 93 | – |
| Total | 2,794 | 2,573 | 1,195 | 1,003 |
Source: Department of Social Protection (Ireland), Annual Allocations: PPS Numbers (gov.ie, page updated on 21 October 2026): PPSN registrations by year, month and country and by year and country (CSV, downloaded on 30 October 2026), data to September 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0 (data.gov.ie).
PPS numbers allocated to South African citizens, year by year (2001–2026)
| Year | PPS numbers | Change | Share of all PPS numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (January–September) | 1,003 | – | 0.6% |
| 2025 | 1,195 | −53.6% | 0.5% |
| 2024 | 2,573 | −7.9% | 1.1% |
| 2023 | 2,794 | +11.4% | 1.0% |
| 2022 | 2,508 | +83.7% | 0.8% |
| 2021 | 1,365 | +6.1% | 0.8% |
| 2020 | 1,286 | −30.5% | 1.0% |
| 2019 | 1,851 | +48.7% | 0.9% |
| 2018 | 1,245 | +29.1% | 0.6% |
| 2017 | 964 | +21.0% | 0.5% |
| 2016 | 797 | +67.1% | 0.4% |
| 2015 | 477 | +9.7% | 0.3% |
| 2014 | 435 | +28.3% | 0.3% |
| 2013 | 339 | +4.6% | 0.2% |
| 2012 | 324 | +2.9% | 0.2% |
| 2011 | 315 | −15.5% | 0.2% |
| 2010 | 373 | −39.7% | 0.2% |
| 2009 | 619 | −37.0% | 0.4% |
| 2008 | 983 | +7.8% | 0.4% |
| 2007 | 912 | −6.4% | 0.3% |
| 2006 | 974 | −8.1% | 0.3% |
| 2005 | 1,060 | +4.6% | 0.4% |
| 2004 | 1,013 | −45.8% | 0.5% |
| 2003 | 1,869 | −14.9% | 1.0% |
| 2002 | 2,195 | −28.6% | 1.0% |
| 2001 | 3,075 | – | 1.4% |
Source: Department of Social Protection (Ireland), Annual Allocations: PPS Numbers (gov.ie, page updated on 21 October 2026): PPSN registrations by year, month and country and by year and country (CSV, downloaded on 30 October 2026), data to September 2026. Yearly figures are from the yearly file; the share is of all PPS numbers allocated in the year, Irish citizens included. Licence: CC BY 4.0 (data.gov.ie).
First residence permits issued by Ireland to South African citizens (2025)
Ireland issued 1,120 first residence permits to South African citizens in 2025, according to Eurostat (data updated on 22 October 2026). That is 859 fewer than in 2024 (1,979), a change of −43.4%. By reason: work 522 (46.6%), other reasons 383 (34.2%), family 123 (11.0%), education 92 (8.2%). This is a different measure from PPS numbers: never add the two together.
| Reason | 2025 | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Family | 123u | 11.0% |
| Education | 92u | 8.2% |
| Work | 522u | 46.6% |
| Other | 383u | 34.2% |
| All reasons | 1,120u | 100% |
Source: Eurostat, First permits by reason, length of validity and citizenship (migr_resfirst), data updated on 22 October 2026, downloaded on 28 October 2026 (definitions). First residence permits, persons. Re-use: Eurostat copyright notice (free re-use with acknowledgement, CC BY 4.0).
| Year | First residence permits |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 1,525u |
| 2020 | 1,019 |
| 2021 | 1,184u |
| 2022 | 2,168u |
| 2023 | 2,155u |
| 2024 | 1,979u |
| 2025 | 1,120u |
Source: Eurostat, First permits by reason, length of validity and citizenship (migr_resfirst), data updated on 22 October 2026, downloaded on 28 October 2026 (definitions). First residence permits, persons. Eurostat revises past years when countries correct their data. Re-use: Eurostat copyright notice (free re-use with acknowledgement, CC BY 4.0).
Eurostat marks the figures for 2019 and 2021–2025 as having low reliability (u).
Questions people ask
How many South Africans moved to Ireland in 2026?
There is no count of moves. The most recent official figure: Ireland allocated 1,003 PPS numbers to South African citizens from January to September 2026 (+16.1% on the same months of 2025), according to the Department of Social Protection (data to September 2026).
How many South Africans moved to Ireland in 2025?
Ireland allocated 1,195 PPS numbers to South African citizens in 2025 (−53.6% on 2024), 0.5% of all PPS numbers allocated that year. Separately, Ireland issued 1,120 first residence permits to South African citizens in 2025 (Eurostat).
How many South Africans are in Ireland?
This page does not count residents. PPS numbers and residence permits are new allocations in a period; people who have lived in Ireland for years, or who got their PPS number earlier, are not in these figures.
Is a PPS number the same as a visa or a residence permit?
No. GOV.IE describes the PPS number as a number that helps you access social welfare benefits, public services and information in Ireland. Visas and residence permits are separate documents.
Visas and statistics for Ireland on this site
- Ireland visa income requirements 2026
- Ireland Critical Skills Employment Permit: income requirement
- Visa refusal rates for South Africa: Schengen, UK and more
Other nationalities in Ireland: PPS numbers in 2025
How many South Africans moved abroad · Who moved where: all nationalities · Visa income calculator