Population in the largest city in Ireland

Ireland: Population in the largest city was 39.71 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
39.71
World rank
43rd
of 179 countries
All-time high
49.55
in 1970
All-time low
39.71
in 2020
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Population in the largest city in Ireland, 1950–2020

010203040501950198520201950: 43.81955: 45.51960: 46.51965: 48.71970: 49.61975: 47.41980: 471985: 45.71990: 45.21995: 44.82000: 43.62005: 41.72010: 39.92015: 40.12020: 39.7

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2020, population in the largest city in Ireland stood at 39.71. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.

That represents a change of down 0.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Ireland peaked at 49.55 in 1970 and was at its lowest, 39.71, in 2020.

Ireland ranks 43rd of 179 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.

Population in the largest city in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Population in the largest city in Ireland, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 43.8 —
1955 45.55 +4.0%
1960 46.46 +2.0%
1965 48.66 +4.7%
1970 49.55 +1.8%
1975 47.41 -4.3%
1980 46.98 -0.9%
1985 45.7 -2.7%
1990 45.19 -1.1%
1995 44.8 -0.9%
2000 43.6 -2.7%
2005 41.73 -4.3%
2010 39.88 -4.4%
2015 40.06 +0.5%
2020 39.71 -0.9%

Ireland compared with similar countries

  • Ireland's 39.71 is above the median for high income countries, which is 29.23, 1.4× the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • Ireland's 39.71 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 24.13, 1.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 44.67 43.8 45.55 2
1960s 47.56 46.46 48.66 2
1970s 48.48 47.41 49.55 2
1980s 46.34 45.7 46.98 2
1990s 45 44.8 45.19 2
2000s 42.66 41.73 43.6 2
2010s 39.97 39.88 40.06 2
2020s 39.71 39.71 39.71 1

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 40 Peru 41.86 compare
  2. 41 Chile 41.46 compare
  3. 42 Taiwan 41.27 compare
  4. 44 Thailand 39.7 compare
  5. 45 Angola 38.84 compare
  6. 46 Sierra Leone 38.76 compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More population data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is population in the largest city in Ireland?
Population in the largest city in Ireland was 39.71 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 49.55 in 1970.
What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 39.71 in 2020.
How does Ireland rank for population in the largest city?
Ireland ranks 43rd out of 179 countries with data for 2020.
Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ireland data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Population in the largest city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Population in the largest city in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 12 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/population-in-the-largest-city/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Population in the largest city
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
179 places, 2,452 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed