Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Ireland
Ireland: Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) was 847.5 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
847.5 thousands
Change on year
up 3.0%
World rank
87th
of 233 countries
All-time high
847.5 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
328.42 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 65 years or older in Ireland, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 847.5 thousands for population aged 65 years or older in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 39.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 65 years or older in Ireland peaked at 847.5 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 328.42 thousands, in 1970.
That places Ireland 87th out of 233 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 328.42 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 330.75 thousands | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 333.8 thousands | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 333.99 thousands | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 335.34 thousands | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 337.79 thousands | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 343.52 thousands | +1.7% |
| 1977 | 348.73 thousands | +1.5% |
| 1978 | 355.23 thousands | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 361.05 thousands | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 365.68 thousands | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 369.05 thousands | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 372.12 thousands | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 373.35 thousands | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 375.39 thousands | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 379.99 thousands | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 384.18 thousands | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 387.69 thousands | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 392.24 thousands | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 396.45 thousands | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 399.44 thousands | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 402.17 thousands | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 405.12 thousands | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 407.31 thousands | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 408.27 thousands | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 410.44 thousands | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 412.69 thousands | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 415.17 thousands | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 418.69 thousands | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 421.36 thousands | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 423.4 thousands | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 427.5 thousands | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 433.21 thousands | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 439.07 thousands | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 446.09 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 454.86 thousands | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 460.42 thousands | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 467.74 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 479.38 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 493.96 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 510.23 thousands | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 527.27 thousands | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 545.93 thousands | +3.5% |
| 2013 | 565.67 thousands | +3.6% |
| 2014 | 585.65 thousands | +3.5% |
| 2015 | 606.41 thousands | +3.5% |
| 2016 | 626.6 thousands | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 646.58 thousands | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 668.74 thousands | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 691.05 thousands | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 714.38 thousands | +3.4% |
| 2021 | 736.77 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2022 | 757.03 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2023 | 792.52 thousands | +4.7% |
| 2024 | 822.76 thousands | +3.8% |
| 2025 | 847.5 thousands | +3.0% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 847.5 thousands is above the median for high income countries, which is 291.46 thousands, 2.9× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 847.5 thousands is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 974.42 thousands, 87% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 340.86 thousands | 328.42 thousands | 361.05 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 379.61 thousands | 365.68 thousands | 396.45 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 410.07 thousands | 399.44 thousands | 421.36 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 452.56 thousands | 423.4 thousands | 493.96 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 597.41 thousands | 510.23 thousands | 691.05 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 778.49 thousands | 714.38 thousands | 847.5 thousands | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More population data for Ireland
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.68 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1157 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,725 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.5372 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.1844 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Population density 76.73 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 217,052 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population aged 65 years or older in Ireland?
- Population aged 65 years or older in Ireland was 847.5 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 847.5 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 328.42 thousands in 1970.
- How does Ireland rank for population aged 65 years or older?
- Ireland ranks 87th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 65 years or older rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population aged 65 years or older (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release