Share of population living in rural areas in Ireland
Ireland: Share of population living in rural areas was 45.2% in 2020. ▬ Flat
Share of population living in rural areas in Ireland, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 45.2% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Ireland peaked at 48.6% in 1965 and was at its lowest, 45.2%, in 2020.
That places Ireland 41st out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
Share of population living in rural areas in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 46.3% | — |
| 1955 | 46.8% | +1.1% |
| 1960 | 48.3% | +3.2% |
| 1965 | 48.6% | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 48.4% | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 47.0% | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 46.7% | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 46.7% | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 46.7% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 46.7% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 46.4% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 46.4% | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 46.0% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 45.6% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 45.2% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 46.5% | 46.3% | 46.8% | 2 |
| 1960s | 48.4% | 48.3% | 48.6% | 2 |
| 1970s | 47.7% | 47.0% | 48.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 46.7% | 46.7% | 46.7% | 2 |
| 1990s | 46.7% | 46.7% | 46.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 46.4% | 46.4% | 46.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 45.8% | 45.6% | 46.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 45.2% | 45.2% | 45.2% | 1 |
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)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Ireland?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Ireland was 45.2% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 48.6% in 1965.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.2% in 2020.
- How does Ireland rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Ireland ranks 41st out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.