Rural population in Ireland
Ireland: Rural population was 35.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Ireland, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Ireland is 35.4%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Ireland peaked at 55.1% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 35.4%, in 2025.
That places Ireland 110th out of 217 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 55.1% | — |
| 1961 | 54.6% | -0.9% |
| 1962 | 53.9% | -1.2% |
| 1963 | 53.1% | -1.5% |
| 1964 | 52.2% | -1.6% |
| 1965 | 51.4% | -1.6% |
| 1966 | 50.7% | -1.4% |
| 1967 | 50.0% | -1.3% |
| 1968 | 49.3% | -1.3% |
| 1969 | 48.7% | -1.2% |
| 1970 | 48.2% | -1.1% |
| 1971 | 47.7% | -1.0% |
| 1972 | 47.2% | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 46.8% | -0.9% |
| 1974 | 46.4% | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 46.1% | -0.8% |
| 1976 | 45.7% | -0.8% |
| 1977 | 45.4% | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 45.1% | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 44.8% | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 44.6% | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 44.3% | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 44.2% | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 44.0% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 43.9% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 43.7% | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 43.6% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 43.4% | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 43.3% | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 43.2% | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 43.1% | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 42.9% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 42.8% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 42.5% | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 42.3% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 42.1% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 41.8% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 41.6% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 41.4% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 41.1% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 40.9% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 40.6% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 40.4% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 40.1% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 39.8% | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 39.5% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 39.2% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 38.9% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 38.6% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 38.4% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 38.1% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 37.9% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 37.7% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 37.6% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 37.5% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 37.4% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 37.3% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 37.1% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 36.9% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 36.7% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 36.5% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 36.3% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 36.1% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 35.9% | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 35.7% | -0.6% |
| 2025 | 35.4% | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 51.9% | 48.7% | 55.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 46.3% | 44.8% | 48.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 43.8% | 43.2% | 44.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 42.2% | 41.1% | 43.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 39.6% | 38.4% | 40.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.4% | 36.7% | 38.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.0% | 35.4% | 36.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 107 South Africa 36.2% compare
- 108 Congo 35.9% compare
- 109 North Korea 35.8% compare
- 111 Gambia 35.0% compare
- 112 Tuvalu 34.6% compare
- 113 Montenegro 34.4% 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)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.1% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Ireland?
- Rural population in Ireland was 35.4% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 55.1% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.4% in 2025.
- How does Ireland rank for rural population?
- Ireland ranks 110th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.