Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Ireland
Ireland: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 23.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Ireland, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Ireland is 23.7%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Ireland peaked at 26.5% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 23.4%, in 1960.
Ireland ranks 57th of 121 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 23.4% | — |
| 1961 | 23.6% | +0.9% |
| 1962 | 24.0% | +1.6% |
| 1963 | 24.3% | +1.5% |
| 1964 | 24.7% | +1.6% |
| 1965 | 25.1% | +1.7% |
| 1966 | 25.5% | +1.5% |
| 1967 | 25.7% | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 25.9% | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 26.0% | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 26.1% | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 26.1% | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 26.1% | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 26.1% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 26.1% | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 26.1% | -0.0% |
| 1976 | 26.1% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 26.2% | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 26.3% | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 26.3% | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 26.5% | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 26.5% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 26.3% | -0.8% |
| 1983 | 26.1% | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 26.0% | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 26.0% | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 26.0% | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 26.0% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 26.1% | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 26.1% | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 26.1% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 25.9% | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 26.0% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 26.0% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 26.2% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 26.2% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 26.2% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 26.2% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 26.2% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 26.1% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 26.0% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 25.8% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 25.6% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 25.4% | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 25.2% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 24.9% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 24.5% | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 24.1% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 23.9% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 24.0% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 24.1% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 24.3% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 24.5% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 24.6% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 24.7% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 24.7% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 24.7% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 24.6% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 24.5% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 24.4% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 24.4% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 24.3% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 24.1% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 23.9% | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 23.8% | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 23.7% | -0.5% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 23.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 28.3%, 84% of the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 23.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 21.8%, 1.1× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 24.8% | 23.4% | 26.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 26.2% | 26.1% | 26.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 26.2% | 26.0% | 26.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 26.1% | 25.9% | 26.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.0% | 23.9% | 26.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.5% | 24.1% | 24.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.0% | 23.7% | 24.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More climate change data for Ireland
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 320.11 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 18,098 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 3,665 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 14,433 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 13.83 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 515.47 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,902 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,899 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2.7 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.17 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Ireland?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Ireland was 23.7% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 26.5% in 1981.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.4% in 1960.
- How does Ireland rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- Ireland ranks 57th out of 121 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the percentage of a country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.