Rural population in Ireland
Ireland: Rural population was 35.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Ireland, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Ireland is 35.2%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Ireland peaked at 48.7% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 35.2%, in 2024.
That places Ireland 107th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 48.7% | — |
| 1971 | 47.7% | -2.0% |
| 1972 | 47.4% | -0.7% |
| 1973 | 47.0% | -0.7% |
| 1974 | 46.7% | -0.7% |
| 1975 | 46.4% | -0.7% |
| 1976 | 46.0% | -0.7% |
| 1977 | 45.7% | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 45.3% | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 45.0% | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 44.7% | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 44.4% | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 44.2% | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 44.0% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 43.9% | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 43.7% | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 43.6% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 43.4% | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 43.3% | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 43.2% | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 43.1% | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 42.9% | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 42.7% | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 42.5% | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 42.3% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 42.1% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 41.8% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 41.6% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 41.3% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 41.1% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 40.8% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 40.6% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 40.4% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 40.1% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 39.8% | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 39.5% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 39.3% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 39.1% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 38.9% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 38.7% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 38.5% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 38.3% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 38.1% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 37.9% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 37.7% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 37.5% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 37.3% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 37.1% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 36.8% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 36.6% | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 36.3% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 36.1% | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 35.8% | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 35.5% | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 35.2% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 46.6% | 45.0% | 48.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 43.8% | 43.2% | 44.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 42.1% | 41.1% | 43.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 39.7% | 38.7% | 40.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.5% | 36.6% | 38.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.8% | 35.2% | 36.3% | 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 rural population in Ireland?
- Rural population in Ireland was 35.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 48.7% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.2% in 2024.
- How does Ireland rank for rural population?
- Ireland ranks 107th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). 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