Historical population data in Ireland

Ireland: Historical population data was 5.46 million Persons in 2025. β–² Rising

Latest (2025)
5.46 million Persons
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
36th
of 43 countries
All-time high
5.46 million Persons
in 2025
All-time low
2.82 million Persons
in 1961
Years of data
76
1950–2025

Historical population data in Ireland, 1950–2025

02.0M4.0M6.0M195019872025

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Persons.

Analysis

The most recent figure for historical population data in Ireland is 5.46 million Persons, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 16.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, historical population data in Ireland peaked at 5.46 million Persons in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2.82 million Persons, in 1961.

That places Ireland 36th out of 43 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 2.92 million Persons 2.85 million Persons 2.97 million Persons 10
1960s 2.87 million Persons 2.82 million Persons 2.93 million Persons 10
1970s 3.15 million Persons 2.95 million Persons 3.37 million Persons 10
1980s 3.50 million Persons 3.40 million Persons 3.55 million Persons 10
1990s 3.61 million Persons 3.51 million Persons 3.74 million Persons 10
2000s 4.13 million Persons 3.79 million Persons 4.53 million Persons 10
2010s 4.71 million Persons 4.55 million Persons 4.96 million Persons 10
2020s 5.23 million Persons 5.03 million Persons 5.46 million Persons 6

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 33 Denmark 6.00 million Persons compare
  2. 34 Finland 5.64 million Persons compare
  3. 35 Norway 5.61 million Persons compare
  4. 37 New Zealand 5.32 million Persons compare
  5. 38 Costa Rica 5.25 million Persons compare
  6. 39 Singapore 4.20 million Persons compare

See the full ranking of 56 places β†’

More population data for Ireland

All data for Ireland β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is historical population data in Ireland?
Historical population data in Ireland was 5.46 million Persons in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest historical population data recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 5.46 million Persons in 2025.
What is the lowest historical population data recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 2.82 million Persons in 1961.
How does Ireland rank for historical population data?
Ireland ranks 36th out of 43 countries with data for 2025.
Is historical population data rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Ireland data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Historical population data. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Historical population data in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/historical-population-data/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Historical population data
Unit
Persons
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
56 places, 4,256 data points, 1950–2025
Last refreshed

This dataset presents annual population data from 1961 by sex and five year age groups as well as the share of children, youth, the elderly, old-age and total dependency ratios. The data is available for all member countries as well as for the EU27 and G20 countries, Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa and the World total. The data refer to mid-year estimates of the population. See country details in Historical population metadata.