St. Patrick's Day: 31 Million Americans Claim Irish Ancestry

March 17 marks Saint Patrick’s Day, a religious and cultural holiday that celebrates the patron saint of Ireland. But it’s not just on the Emerald Isle that the day is celebrated: in the United States too, major parades hit the streets each year, including in New York City and Chicago, with the latter even turning its river bright green to mark the occasion (using a non-toxic, vegetable-based dye.) 

The United States and Ireland have long been close allies and economic partners, with a large Irish diaspora living in the U.S. In fact, the first ever parade on Saint Patrick's Day was actually held in the U.S., taking place in New York City in 1762. In 1991, Congress even designated March as Irish-American Heritage Month.

But how many U.S. citizens can actually claim Irish ancestry? According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, some 31.5 million Americans claimed Irish ancestry in 2021, accounting for 9.5 percent of the population. German ancestry is ahead, however, with 42.2 million U.S. citizens claiming ancestral links with Europe's economic powerhouse. In second place comes English ancestry, with a further 31.8 million Americans having historical familial ties with the country.