Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Ireland
Ireland: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 78.32 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
78.32 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
126th
of 216 countries
All-time high
78.32 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
41 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Ireland, 1961–2024
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 78.32 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 15.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Ireland peaked at 78.32 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 41 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
Ireland ranks 126th of 216 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 41 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 41.17 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 41.41 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 41.61 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 41.77 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 41.93 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1967 | 42.13 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 42.32 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1969 | 42.57 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 42.93 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 43.43 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 44.08 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1973 | 44.8 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 45.54 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1975 | 46.3 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1976 | 47 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1977 | 47.64 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 48.32 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 48.97 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 49.54 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 50.12 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 50.6 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 50.96 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 51.28 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 51.36 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 51.38 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 51.39 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 51.17 people per sq. km of land area | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 50.97 people per sq. km of land area | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 51.01 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 51.3 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 51.65 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 51.91 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 52.12 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 52.39 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 52.8 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 53.33 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 53.89 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 54.5 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 55.24 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 56.12 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 57.08 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 58.01 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 59.08 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 60.38 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 62.03 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 63.85 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 65.17 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 65.83 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 66.19 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 66.48 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 66.77 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 67.12 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 67.61 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 68.25 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 69.14 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 70.07 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 71.1 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 72.24 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 73.16 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 74.18 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 75.67 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 77.1 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 78.32 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 78.32 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for high income countries, which is 147 people per sq. km of land area, 53% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 78.32 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 85.13 people per sq. km of land area, 92% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 41.77 people per sq. km of land area | 41 people per sq. km of land area | 42.57 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 45.9 people per sq. km of land area | 42.93 people per sq. km of land area | 48.97 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 50.88 people per sq. km of land area | 49.54 people per sq. km of land area | 51.39 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.49 people per sq. km of land area | 51.01 people per sq. km of land area | 54.5 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 60.28 people per sq. km of land area | 55.24 people per sq. km of land area | 65.83 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 68.5 people per sq. km of land area | 66.19 people per sq. km of land area | 72.24 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 75.69 people per sq. km of land area | 73.16 people per sq. km of land area | 78.32 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 123 French Polynesia 80.04 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 124 Tunisia 79.02 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 125 Samoa 78.42 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 127 Guinea-Bissau 78.28 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 128 Tanzania 77.56 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 129 Lesotho 76.99 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Ireland
- Population in the largest city 36.7% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 7.51 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.2369 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 1.30 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 1.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 18.44 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.30 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 0 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 64.66 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Ireland?
- Population density in Ireland was 78.32 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 78.32 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 41 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Ireland rank for population density?
- Ireland ranks 126th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.