Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Ireland
Ireland: Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) was 1.4% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Population growth in Ireland, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 1.4% for population growth in 2024.
That represents a change of down 24.5% on the previous year and up 86.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Ireland peaked at 2.9% in 2007 and was at its lowest, -0.4%, in 1988.
That places Ireland 79th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.8% | — |
| 1971 | 1.2% | +40.1% |
| 1972 | 1.5% | +27.0% |
| 1973 | 1.6% | +7.9% |
| 1974 | 1.7% | +3.3% |
| 1975 | 1.6% | -0.7% |
| 1976 | 1.5% | -8.3% |
| 1977 | 1.4% | -10.3% |
| 1978 | 1.4% | +4.8% |
| 1979 | 1.3% | -6.1% |
| 1980 | 1.2% | -13.6% |
| 1981 | 1.2% | +1.8% |
| 1982 | 0.9% | -19.3% |
| 1983 | 0.7% | -25.0% |
| 1984 | 0.6% | -12.6% |
| 1985 | 0.2% | -74.2% |
| 1986 | 0.0% | -71.6% |
| 1987 | 0.0% | -77.2% |
| 1988 | -0.4% | -4224.3% |
| 1989 | -0.4% | -7.4% |
| 1990 | 0.1% | -121.3% |
| 1991 | 0.6% | +581.1% |
| 1992 | 0.7% | +18.7% |
| 1993 | 0.5% | -26.7% |
| 1994 | 0.4% | -21.1% |
| 1995 | 0.5% | +30.1% |
| 1996 | 0.8% | +54.3% |
| 1997 | 1.0% | +26.7% |
| 1998 | 1.0% | +4.0% |
| 1999 | 1.1% | +8.1% |
| 2000 | 1.3% | +18.3% |
| 2001 | 1.6% | +19.4% |
| 2002 | 1.7% | +5.8% |
| 2003 | 1.6% | -3.3% |
| 2004 | 1.8% | +12.2% |
| 2005 | 2.2% | +19.2% |
| 2006 | 2.7% | +23.7% |
| 2007 | 2.9% | +7.2% |
| 2008 | 2.0% | -29.5% |
| 2009 | 1.0% | -50.2% |
| 2010 | 0.5% | -46.4% |
| 2011 | 0.4% | -20.0% |
| 2012 | 0.4% | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 0.5% | +24.3% |
| 2014 | 0.7% | +38.8% |
| 2015 | 0.9% | +29.3% |
| 2016 | 1.3% | +35.9% |
| 2017 | 1.3% | +5.1% |
| 2018 | 1.5% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | +9.5% |
| 2020 | 1.3% | -20.4% |
| 2021 | 1.4% | +10.4% |
| 2022 | 2.0% | +41.9% |
| 2023 | 1.8% | -9.1% |
| 2024 | 1.4% | -24.5% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 1.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.5%, 2.7× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 1.4% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.3%, 4.0× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Ireland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | -4224.3% | 0.0% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | +581.1% | 0.1% | 0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.4% | 0.8% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.4% | -0.4% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.7% | 0.1% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 1.0% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9% | 0.4% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 1.3% | 2.0% | 5 |
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)
- Population growth rate -0.455 (2100)
- Population density 76.73 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 217,052 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Ireland?
- Population growth in Ireland was 1.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 2.9% in 2007.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.4% in 1988.
- How does Ireland rank for population growth?
- Ireland ranks 79th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 86.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release