Share of children, working-age adults, and older people in Ireland
Ireland: Share of children, working-age adults, and older people was 988,244 people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
988,244 people
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
122nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
1.05 million people
in 1983
All-time low
827,599 people
in 2001
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Share of children, working-age adults, and older people in Ireland, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of children, working-age adults, and older people in Ireland is 988,244 people, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children, working-age adults, and older people in Ireland peaked at 1.05 million people in 1983 and was at its lowest, 827,599 people, in 2001.
Ireland ranks 122nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Share of children, working-age adults, and older people in Ireland, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 833,603 people | — |
| 1951 | 843,715 people | +1.2% |
| 1952 | 846,645 people | +0.3% |
| 1953 | 845,056 people | -0.2% |
| 1954 | 845,787 people | +0.1% |
| 1955 | 849,372 people | +0.4% |
| 1956 | 855,428 people | +0.7% |
| 1957 | 862,309 people | +0.8% |
| 1958 | 867,267 people | +0.6% |
| 1959 | 870,527 people | +0.4% |
| 1960 | 873,688 people | +0.4% |
| 1961 | 874,598 people | +0.1% |
| 1962 | 874,448 people | -0.0% |
| 1963 | 877,481 people | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 883,932 people | +0.7% |
| 1965 | 892,433 people | +1.0% |
| 1966 | 899,738 people | +0.8% |
| 1967 | 903,877 people | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 907,647 people | +0.4% |
| 1969 | 913,502 people | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 922,140 people | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 933,371 people | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 946,514 people | +1.4% |
| 1973 | 961,151 people | +1.5% |
| 1974 | 976,187 people | +1.6% |
| 1975 | 989,339 people | +1.3% |
| 1976 | 1.00 million people | +1.2% |
| 1977 | 1.01 million people | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 1.02 million people | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 1.03 million people | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 1.04 million people | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 1.04 million people | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 1.05 million people | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 1.05 million people | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 1.04 million people | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 1.03 million people | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 1.02 million people | -1.0% |
| 1987 | 1.01 million people | -1.4% |
| 1988 | 988,881 people | -1.9% |
| 1989 | 969,010 people | -2.0% |
| 1990 | 951,758 people | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 938,733 people | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 926,908 people | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 911,884 people | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 893,211 people | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 873,831 people | -2.2% |
| 1996 | 857,199 people | -1.9% |
| 1997 | 844,322 people | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 835,437 people | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 830,446 people | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 828,240 people | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 827,599 people | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 830,056 people | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 836,920 people | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 845,972 people | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 856,236 people | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 870,221 people | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 891,850 people | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 917,391 people | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 940,687 people | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 961,431 people | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 978,029 people | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 988,516 people | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 994,374 people | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 998,512 people | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 1.00 million people | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 1.01 million people | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 1.01 million people | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 1.01 million people | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 1.01 million people | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 1.00 million people | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 995,935 people | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 994,192 people | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 988,244 people | -0.6% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 988,244 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 424,895 people, 2.3× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 988,244 people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 979,980 people, 1.0× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 851,971 people | 833,603 people | 870,527 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 890,134 people | 873,688 people | 913,502 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 979,371 people | 922,140 people | 1.03 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.02 million people | 969,010 people | 1.05 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 886,373 people | 830,446 people | 951,758 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 864,517 people | 827,599 people | 940,687 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 995,194 people | 961,431 people | 1.01 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 994,983 people | 988,244 people | 1.00 million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More population data for Ireland
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1157 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.5% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 217,052 people (2100)
- Population density 76.73 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.1844 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.5372 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children, working-age adults, and older people in Ireland?
- Share of children, working-age adults, and older people in Ireland was 988,244 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children, working-age adults, and older people recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 1.05 million people in 1983.
- What is the lowest share of children, working-age adults, and older people recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 827,599 people in 2001.
- How does Ireland rank for share of children, working-age adults, and older people?
- Ireland ranks 122nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of children, working-age adults, and older people rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. 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 Share of children, working-age adults, and older people. 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
Total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown. This only includes people aged 0-14.