Share of the population living in cities in Ireland

Ireland: Share of the population living in cities was 29.52 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
29.52
World rank
144th
of 229 countries
All-time high
32.73
in 1970
All-time low
28.28
in 2015
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of the population living in cities in Ireland, 1950–2020

01020301950198520201950: 31.11955: 31.71960: 31.21965: 32.11970: 32.71975: 32.51980: 32.11985: 311990: 31.61995: 31.22000: 30.42005: 30.72010: 29.82015: 28.32020: 29.5

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of the population living in cities in Ireland is 29.52, measured in 2020.

The figure is down 0.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the population living in cities in Ireland peaked at 32.73 in 1970 and was at its lowest, 28.28, in 2015.

That places Ireland 144th out of 229 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Share of the population living in cities in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Share of the population living in cities in Ireland, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 31.05
1955 31.67 +2.0%
1960 31.2 -1.5%
1965 32.13 +3.0%
1970 32.73 +1.9%
1975 32.49 -0.8%
1980 32.07 -1.3%
1985 31.03 -3.2%
1990 31.6 +1.9%
1995 31.16 -1.4%
2000 30.38 -2.5%
2005 30.68 +1.0%
2010 29.78 -2.9%
2015 28.28 -5.0%
2020 29.52 +4.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 31.36 31.05 31.67 2
1960s 31.67 31.2 32.13 2
1970s 32.61 32.49 32.73 2
1980s 31.55 31.03 32.07 2
1990s 31.38 31.16 31.6 2
2000s 30.53 30.38 30.68 2
2010s 29.03 28.28 29.78 2
2020s 29.52 29.52 29.52 1

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 141 Kyrgyzstan 30.57 compare
  2. 142 Belgium 30.46 compare
  3. 143 Lithuania 29.68 compare
  4. 145 Denmark 29.36 compare
  5. 146 Guyana 28.58 compare
  6. 147 Poland 28.57 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population living in cities in Ireland?
Share of the population living in cities in Ireland was 29.52 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of the population living in cities recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 32.73 in 1970.
What is the lowest share of the population living in cities recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 28.28 in 2015.
How does Ireland rank for share of the population living in cities?
Ireland ranks 144th out of 229 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of the population living in cities rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. 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 Share of the population living in cities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of the population living in cities in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-the-population-living-in-cities/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population living in cities
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed