Belgium vs Ireland: Share of population living in cities
Belgium
30.5%
in 2020
Ireland
29.5%
in 2020
Belgium rank
143rd
Ireland rank
145th
Share of population living in cities over time
- Belgium
- Ireland
How they compare
Belgium currently reports 30.5% against 29.5% in Ireland, a difference of 1.0%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 15 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Ireland ahead.
Belgium ranks 143rd and Ireland ranks 145th of 236 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 2 and Ireland in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 24.8% | 31.4% | 6.5% | Ireland |
| 1960s | 24.9% | 31.7% | 6.7% | Ireland |
| 1970s | 24.6% | 32.6% | 8.0% | Ireland |
| 1980s | 26.6% | 31.5% | 4.9% | Ireland |
| 1990s | 28.0% | 31.4% | 3.3% | Ireland |
| 2000s | 29.1% | 30.5% | 1.4% | Ireland |
| 2010s | 30.0% | 29.0% | 1.0% | Belgium |
| 2020s | 30.5% | 29.5% | 0.9% | Belgium |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population living in cities, Belgium or Ireland?
- Belgium, at 30.5% against 29.5% in Ireland as of 2020.
- What is the difference in share of population living in cities between Belgium and Ireland?
- 1.0%, with Belgium ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Ireland?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
- How do Belgium and Ireland rank globally for share of population living in cities?
- Belgium ranks 143rd and Ireland ranks 145th of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population living in cities. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.