Rural population, per square kilometre in Ireland
Ireland: Rural population, per square kilometre was 27.67 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
27.67 units per square kilometre
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
102nd
of 215 countries
All-time high
27.67 units per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
20.67 units per square kilometre
in 1970
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Rural population, per square kilometre in Ireland, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 27.67 units per square kilometre for rural population, per square kilometre in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 9.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population, per square kilometre in Ireland peaked at 27.67 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 20.67 units per square kilometre, in 1970.
Ireland ranks 102nd of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Rural population, per square kilometre in Ireland, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 22.39 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 22.2 units per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 1963 | 21.99 units per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1964 | 21.74 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1965 | 21.46 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1966 | 21.24 units per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 1967 | 21.06 units per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1968 | 20.87 units per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1969 | 20.74 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1970 | 20.67 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1971 | 20.71 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 20.83 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 20.98 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 21.15 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 21.32 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 21.48 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 21.62 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 21.78 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 21.94 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 22.07 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 22.23 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 22.34 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 22.42 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 22.49 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 22.45 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 22.39 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 22.33 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 22.17 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 22.03 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 21.98 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 22.03 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 22.08 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 22.08 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 22.05 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 22.03 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 22.08 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 22.18 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 22.29 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 22.41 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 22.58 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 22.8 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 23.04 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 23.26 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 23.52 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 23.86 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 24.34 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 24.86 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 25.18 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 25.25 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 25.23 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 25.21 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 25.2 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 25.23 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 25.33 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 25.5 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 25.77 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 26 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 26.25 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 26.53 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 26.72 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 26.95 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 27.32 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 27.67 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 21.52 units per square kilometre | 20.74 units per square kilometre | 22.39 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 21.25 units per square kilometre | 20.67 units per square kilometre | 21.94 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 22.29 units per square kilometre | 22.03 units per square kilometre | 22.49 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.12 units per square kilometre | 21.98 units per square kilometre | 22.41 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.87 units per square kilometre | 22.58 units per square kilometre | 25.25 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.62 units per square kilometre | 25.2 units per square kilometre | 26.53 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.16 units per square kilometre | 26.72 units per square kilometre | 27.67 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 99 Curaçao 29.93 units per square kilometre compare
- 100 Serbia 29.82 units per square kilometre compare
- 101 Croatia 29.49 units per square kilometre compare
- 103 Mozambique 27.5 units per square kilometre compare
- 104 North Macedonia 27.36 units per square kilometre compare
- 105 Japan 27.04 units per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for Ireland
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 22.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0106 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,391 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.9559 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3541 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture share gdp 1.06 (2025)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 1.06 (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population, per square kilometre in Ireland?
- Rural population, per square kilometre in Ireland was 27.67 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 27.67 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.67 units per square kilometre in 1970.
- How does Ireland rank for rural population, per square kilometre?
- Ireland ranks 102nd out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is rural population, per square kilometre rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Rural population, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Rural population ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Rural population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.