Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Ireland
Ireland: Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita was 64.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
64.6%
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
122nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
64.6%
in 2025
All-time low
41.0%
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Ireland, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Ireland stood at 64.6%. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Ireland peaked at 64.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 41.0%, in 1950.
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 76 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 41.0% | — |
| 1951 | 41.6% | +1.5% |
| 1952 | 42.0% | +1.1% |
| 1953 | 42.4% | +0.9% |
| 1954 | 42.8% | +0.8% |
| 1955 | 43.1% | +0.7% |
| 1956 | 43.4% | +0.7% |
| 1957 | 43.7% | +0.7% |
| 1958 | 44.1% | +0.8% |
| 1959 | 44.4% | +0.9% |
| 1960 | 44.9% | +1.0% |
| 1961 | 45.4% | +1.2% |
| 1962 | 46.1% | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 46.9% | +1.8% |
| 1964 | 47.8% | +1.9% |
| 1965 | 48.6% | +1.8% |
| 1966 | 49.3% | +1.5% |
| 1967 | 50.0% | +1.4% |
| 1968 | 50.7% | +1.3% |
| 1969 | 51.3% | +1.2% |
| 1970 | 51.8% | +1.1% |
| 1971 | 52.3% | +0.9% |
| 1972 | 52.8% | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 53.2% | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 53.6% | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 53.9% | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 54.3% | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 54.6% | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 54.9% | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 55.2% | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 55.4% | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 55.7% | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 55.8% | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 56.0% | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 56.1% | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 56.3% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 56.4% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 56.6% | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 56.7% | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 56.8% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 56.9% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 57.1% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 57.2% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 57.5% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 57.7% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 57.9% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 58.2% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 58.4% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 58.6% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 58.9% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 59.1% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 59.4% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 59.6% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 59.9% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 60.2% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 60.5% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 60.8% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 61.1% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 61.4% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 61.6% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 61.9% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 62.1% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 62.3% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 62.4% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 62.5% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 62.6% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 62.7% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 62.9% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 63.1% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 63.3% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 63.5% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 63.7% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 63.9% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 64.1% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 64.3% | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 64.6% | +0.4% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 64.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 81.3%, 79% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 64.6% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 69.6%, 93% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 42.9% | 41.0% | 44.4% | 10 |
| 1960s | 48.1% | 44.9% | 51.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 53.7% | 51.8% | 55.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 56.2% | 55.4% | 56.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 57.8% | 56.9% | 58.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 60.4% | 59.1% | 61.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 62.6% | 61.9% | 63.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.0% | 63.5% | 64.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 119 Montenegro 65.6% compare
- 120 Tuvalu 65.4% compare
- 121 Gambia 65.0% compare
- 123 North Korea 64.2% compare
- 124 Congo 64.1% compare
- 125 South Africa 63.8% compare
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 population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Ireland?
- Share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Ireland was 64.6% in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 64.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.0% in 1950.
- How does Ireland rank for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita?
- Ireland ranks 122nd out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.