IrelandIreland Population 2026

Population Right Now
5,484,367
↑ ~245 people/day (1.63%)
Share
World Rank
#120
Density
78/km²
Area
70,273 km²
Growth Rate
1.63%
👶 Births Today (est.)
8
💀 Deaths Today (est.)
5

Ireland Key Statistics

Each figure carries its own unit, source and the year the source last published it.

IndicatorValueUnitSourceLast updated
Total population (live)5,484,367peopleUN WPP 2024 base advanced by the annual growth ratelive, today
Land area70,273km²UN Statistics Division, via restcountries.comstatic reference
Population density78people per km²Calculated: population ÷ land arealive, today
Annual growth rate1.6% per yearWorld Bank WDI · SP.POP.GROW2025
Crude birth rate10.0births per 1,000 peopleWorld Bank WDI · SP.DYN.CBRT.IN2024
Crude death rate6.5deaths per 1,000 peopleWorld Bank WDI · SP.DYN.CDRT.IN2024
Life expectancy at birth83.0yearsWorld Bank WDI · SP.DYN.LE00.IN2024
Total fertility rate1.47births per womanWorld Bank WDI · SP.DYN.TFRT.IN2024
Infant mortality rate3.4deaths per 1,000 live birthsWorld Bank WDI · SP.DYN.IMRT.IN2024
Urban population64.6% of total populationWorld Bank WDI · SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS2025
Population under 1518.1% of total populationWorld Bank WDI · SP.POP.0014.TO.ZS2025
Population 65 and over16.2% of total populationWorld Bank WDI · SP.POP.65UP.TO.ZS2025

Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators (which republish UN, WHO and UNICEF series) and UN World Population Prospects 2024. Full details on the Sources and Methodology pages.

Ireland Population History

1950–2023 · annual estimates · UN World Population Prospects 2024

19541960196619721978198419901996200320102016202302M3M5M6M

Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024, estimates series (via Our World in Data, CC BY 4.0). Data retrieved from the UN series on request.

Ireland Population Projection to 2100

2024–2100 · UN medium-variant projection

20232030203720442051205820652072207920862093210002M3M5M6Mprojection

In 2100, Ireland is projected to reach 5,286,118 people under the UN medium variant.

Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant, published via Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0). Projections are scenario-based, not forecasts — see Methodology.

How Ireland Compares

World rank
#120
of 250 countries
Europe rank
#24
of 53 countries in Europe
Share of world
0.06%
of ~8500 million people

Age & Gender Distribution

Ireland — population share by age and gender (%)

15%10%5%0%5%10%15%0-1415-2930-4445-5960-7475+
  • Male
  • Female

Ireland — Health, Education & Rights Data

Latest available figures from UN agencies. The year of each figure is shown, since surveys are not run every year.

Population

Population by age group (2025)
Aged 0–1418.1%Aged 15–6465.7%Aged 65+16.2%
Population doubling time At the current growth rate
43 yrs
Annual population growth
1.6%2025
Total fertility rateBirths per woman
1.472024
Life expectancy at birth
83.0 yrs2024
Life expectancy, female
84.7 yrs2024
Life expectancy, male
81.4 yrs2024
Birth ratePer 1,000 people
10.02024
Death ratePer 1,000 people
6.52024
Infant mortalityPer 1,000 live births
3.42024
Urban population
64.6%2025

Source: UN Population Division, World Population Prospects 2024

Sexual & Reproductive Health

Maternal mortality ratioDeaths per 100,000 live births
42023
Births attended by skilled health personnel
99.7%2017
Adolescent birth rateBirths per 1,000 girls aged 15–19
4.02024
Universal health coverage service index
82 / 1002023
New HIV infections, all agesPer 1,000 uninfected people
0.102024

Source: UN MMEIG (WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank), UNICEF/WHO, WHO, UNAIDS

Family Planning

Contraceptive prevalence, any method
73.3%2010
Contraceptive prevalence, modern methods
70.9%2010

Source: UN Population Division (women aged 15–49)

Education

Net enrolment rate, primary
95.8%2017
Net enrolment rate, secondary
98.7%2017

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics

Gender, Rights & Human Capital

Intimate partner violence, past 12 monthsEver-partnered women aged 15–49
4.0%2012

Source: UNFPA, WHO / UN Women / UNICEF (violence estimates)

Ireland Population: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Ireland?

Ireland has an estimated population of 5,484,367 people. That makes it the 120th most populous country in the world out of the 250 countries tracked on this site.

Is Ireland's population growing or shrinking?

Ireland's population is growing by about 1.63% a year — roughly 245 more people every day. Its crude birth rate is 10.0 births per 1,000 people a year and its crude death rate is 6.5 per 1,000. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years.

How densely populated is Ireland?

About 78 people live on each square kilometre of Ireland, across a land area of 70,273 km².

Where does Ireland rank within Europe?

Ireland is the 24th most populous country in Europe, which has 53 countries listed on this site, and 120th in the world.

What share of the world's population lives in Ireland?

Around 0.06% of the world's population lives in Ireland — about 5,484,367 people out of roughly 8,500,000,000 people worldwide.

Understanding Ireland's Population

Ireland is the 120th most populous country in the world, with an estimated population of 5,484,367 people as of today. This figure is an estimate — it starts from the most recent official count and advances second by second using Ireland's annual growth rate of 1.63%.

The population is rapidly growing. At the current rate, Ireland adds or loses roughly 245 people per day. With a land area of 70,273 km², it is moderately populated (78 people per km²).

The "Births Today" and "Deaths Today" figures are estimates based on annualized rates prorated to the time elapsed since midnight. Read how every figure on this page is computed in our Methodology, and where each series comes from in our Sources.

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