Ireland Population (1960-2026) & Projected decline

The current population of Ireland is 5,518,360 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 5,395,790 in 2024.

Since 2006, population has increased from 4.27M people to 5.52M (29.1% growth in 20 years).
For the last 20 years, Ireland has had an average growth rate of 1.46% per year.
Ireland accounts for 0.07% of the world's population.
Ireland is ranked 121/197 by population and was ranked 121st in 2006.
Ireland is projected to reach 6.17M people in 2053.

Ireland population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	5,468,791	-0.44%
2099	5,493,162	-0.43%
2098	5,516,999	-0.42%
2097	5,540,157	-0.41%
2096	5,562,811	-0.37%
2095	5,583,505	-0.36%
2094	5,603,538	-0.35%
2093	5,623,266	-0.34%
2092	5,642,437	-0.33%
2091	5,661,268	-0.33%
2090	5,680,076	-0.31%
2089	5,697,512	-0.29%
2088	5,714,108	-0.27%
2087	5,729,431	-0.24%
2086	5,743,405	-0.25%
2085	5,757,666	-0.24%
2084	5,771,610	-0.24%
2083	5,785,324	-0.22%
2082	5,798,037	-0.19%
2081	5,809,262	-0.21%
2080	5,821,598	-0.26%
2079	5,836,731	-0.26%
2078	5,851,937	-0.27%
2077	5,867,627	-0.28%
2076	5,883,876	-0.28%
2075	5,900,200	-0.3%
2074	5,917,659	-0.29%
2073	5,934,975	-0.29%
2072	5,952,211	-0.29%
2071	5,969,279	-0.29%
2070	5,986,770	-0.28%
2069	6,003,570	-0.27%
2068	6,019,937	-0.26%
2067	6,035,810	-0.26%
2066	6,051,604	-0.25%
2065	6,066,791	-0.24%
2064	6,081,606	-0.21%
2063	6,094,455	-0.19%
2062	6,106,325	-0.2%
2061	6,118,587	-0.21%
2060	6,131,482	-0.2%
2059	6,143,979	-0.15%
2058	6,153,447	-0.12%
2057	6,161,059	-0.05%
2056	6,164,047	-0.07%
2055	6,168,611	-0.01%
2054	6,169,455	-0.004%
2053	6,169,673	0.03%
2052	6,167,591	0.04%
2051	6,164,894	0.08%
2050	6,159,756	0.13%
2049	6,151,623	0.18%
2048	6,140,272	0.2%
2047	6,128,245	0.21%
2046	6,115,454	0.26%
2045	6,099,562	0.3%
2044	6,081,384	0.31%
2043	6,062,477	0.34%
2042	6,041,683	0.4%
2041	6,017,573	0.42%
2040	5,992,311	0.41%
2039	5,967,604	0.46%
2038	5,940,474	0.48%
2037	5,912,327	0.48%
2036	5,884,159	0.48%
2035	5,855,902	0.53%
2034	5,825,178	0.56%
2033	5,792,751	0.61%
2032	5,757,842	0.63%
2031	5,721,671	0.66%
2030	5,684,420	0.72%
2029	5,644,008	0.78%
2028	5,600,083	0.83%
2027	5,553,725	0.88%
2026	5,505,248	0.96%
2025	5,452,752	1.06%
2024	5,395,790	1.59%
2023	5,311,538	1.89%
2022	5,212,836	2%
2021	5,110,585	1.41%
2020	5,039,747	1.27%
2019	4,976,456	1.6%
2018	4,898,022	1.46%
2017	4,827,445	1.36%
2016	4,762,722	1.29%
2015	4,701,957	0.95%
2014	4,657,740	0.73%
2013	4,623,816	0.53%
2012	4,599,533	0.42%
2011	4,580,084	0.44%
2010	4,560,155	0.55%
2009	4,535,375	1.02%
2008	4,489,544	2.06%
2007	4,398,942	2.93%
2006	4,273,591	2.73%
2005	4,159,914	2.2%
2004	4,070,262	1.85%
2003	3,996,521	1.64%
2002	3,931,947	1.7%
2001	3,866,243	1.6%
2000	3,805,174	1.34%
1999	3,754,786	1.13%
1998	3,712,696	1.05%
1997	3,674,171	1.01%
1996	3,637,510	0.79%
1995	3,608,841	0.51%
1994	3,590,386	0.39%
1993	3,576,261	0.5%
1992	3,558,430	0.68%
1991	3,534,235	0.58%
1990	3,513,974	0.08%
1989	3,511,009	-0.4%
1988	3,524,949	-0.43%
1987	3,540,057	0.01%
1986	3,539,690	0.05%
1985	3,538,082	0.16%
1984	3,532,423	0.62%
1983	3,510,600	0.71%
1982	3,485,800	0.95%
1981	3,453,000	1.18%
1980	3,412,800	1.16%
1979	3,373,750	1.34%
1978	3,329,100	1.43%
1977	3,282,200	1.36%
1976	3,238,050	1.52%
1975	3,189,550	1.66%
1974	3,137,500	1.67%
1973	3,085,950	1.62%
1972	3,036,850	1.5%
1971	2,992,050	1.18%
1970	2,957,250	0.84%
1969	2,932,650	0.59%
1968	2,915,550	0.45%
1967	2,902,450	0.47%
1966	2,888,800	0.4%
1965	2,877,300	0.38%
1964	2,866,550	0.49%
1963	2,852,650	0.59%
1962	2,836,050	0.41%
1961	2,824,400	-0.15%
1960	2,828,600	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/ireland | CC BY

Ireland has a population of 5.52M as of 2026, compared to 4.76M in 2016, 4.27M in 2006, and 3.64M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 1.59% per year. Ireland is ranked 77th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Ireland will have 6,115,454 people (10.8% growth) with a rank change from 121st to 120th.

By the year 2100, Ireland's population is projected to decline by 0.9% from its current level to 5.47M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	35,417
2024	-	-	39,059
2023	63,525	19,652	43,873
2022	112,822	19,287	93,535
2021	53,483	26,064	27,419
2020	39,433	23,687	15,746
2019	58,028	28,365	29,663
2018	63,265	29,878	33,387
2017	60,262	31,379	28,883
2016	52,306	33,339	18,967
2015	48,641	35,265	13,376
2014	38,176	37,728	448
2013	26,993	39,302	-12,309
2012	20,364	42,775	-22,411
2011	19,272	45,801	-26,529
2010	20,452	47,426	-26,974
2009	28,644	47,168	-18,524
2008	65,670	46,691	18,979
2007	119,574	43,109	76,465
2006	131,265	36,752	94,513
2005	97,262	33,279	63,983
2004	82,478	33,376	49,102
2003	64,592	32,372	32,220
2002	65,348	31,062	34,286
2001	67,057	27,837	39,220
2000	54,890	23,592	31,298
1999	44,994	21,402	23,592
1998	38,892	22,277	16,615
1997	38,736	21,311	17,425
1996	28,874	18,915	9,959
1995	26,620	16,601	10,019
1994	14,116	17,234	-3,118
1993	13,404	17,166	-3,762
1992	21,618	20,283	1,335
1991	26,150	21,206	4,944
1990	13,584	21,787	-8,203
1989	-8,740	20,012	-28,752
1988	-21,108	22,912	-44,020
1987	-11,522	26,904	-38,426
1986	6,824	27,963	-21,139
1985	12,835	29,013	-16,178
1984	16,242	31,791	-15,549
1983	19,010	34,053	-15,043
1982	23,880	38,344	-14,464
1981	28,530	39,364	-10,834
1980	37,736	40,612	-2,876
1979	40,284	38,798	1,486
1978	51,831	36,288	15,543
1977	49,953	35,448	14,505
1976	47,876	33,676	14,200
1975	47,956	34,128	13,828
1974	47,681	34,199	13,482
1973	47,726	34,562	13,164
1972	47,174	34,316	12,858
1971	41,457	35,606	5,851
1970	21,864	30,756	-8,892
1969	19,076	29,326	-10,250
1968	16,565	27,697	-11,132
1967	18,187	29,895	-11,708
1966	15,008	26,866	-11,858
1965	16,484	30,500	-14,016
1964	15,892	31,532	-15,640
1963	13,052	29,667	-16,615
1962	10,639	28,077	-17,438
1961	2,900	25,137	-22,237
1960	-10,206	28,286	-38,492

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/ireland | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 48.2% of the population change in Ireland is from natural causes (a gain of 284,644 people) and 51.8% is from migration (a gain of 305,297 people).

As of 2024, 1,216,237 residents or 23.1% of the population were not native-born in Ireland, compared to 751,381 and 16.5% in 2010.

Ireland population clock

	Ireland	Rank
Current population	5518360	121/197
Percent of world population	0.07%	121/197
One net population change	6.24 minutes	95/197
One birth every	9.61 minutes	130/196
One death every	15 minutes	122/196
Daily growth/decline	+231	95/197
Annual growth/decline	+84,252	95/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+1.59%	68/197
One migration net change every	14.9 minutes	27/196
Annual migration change	+35,417	27/196
Foreign-born residents	1,216,237	52/195
Foreign-born share of population	23.1%	25/195

Largest cities by population

Ireland
City	Population
Dublin	593K
Cork	222K
Galway	83.5K
Limerick	62.7K

Ireland population statistics

	Ireland	World
Life expectancy	82.9 years	73.8 years
Average age	39.4 years	33.8 years
Median age	39.7 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	49.5:50.5	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	1.5 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	207 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Ireland.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/ireland | CC BY