Population by age group in Ireland
Ireland: Population by age group was 5.20 million people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Population by age group in Ireland, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 5.20 million people for population by age group in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 12.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population by age group in Ireland peaked at 5.20 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.82 million people, in 1961.
That places Ireland 122nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.90 million people | 2.84 million people | 2.94 million people | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.87 million people | 2.82 million people | 2.94 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.16 million people | 2.96 million people | 3.38 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.50 million people | 3.42 million people | 3.54 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.62 million people | 3.51 million people | 3.75 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.15 million people | 3.80 million people | 4.53 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.71 million people | 4.56 million people | 4.93 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.08 million people | 4.98 million people | 5.20 million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 119 Slovakia 5.52 million people compare
- 120 Liberia 5.49 million people compare
- 121 Palestine 5.41 million people compare
- 123 New Zealand 5.17 million people compare
- 124 Central African Republic 5.15 million people compare
- 125 Costa Rica 5.11 million people compare
More population data for Ireland
- 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)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.5% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.47 births per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.47 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 124,730 people (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.47 births per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Share of people who are religious 1.6 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age 1.59 children per women (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population by age group in Ireland?
- Population by age group in Ireland was 5.20 million people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population by age group recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 5.20 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest population by age group recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.82 million people in 1961.
- How does Ireland rank for population by age group?
- Ireland ranks 122nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population by age group rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population by age group. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown.