Number of children under 5 in Ireland
Ireland: Number of children under 5 was 293,493 people in 2023. ▬ Flat
Number of children under 5 in Ireland, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of children under 5 in Ireland is 293,493 people, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 16.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of children under 5 in Ireland peaked at 356,031 people in 2012 and was at its lowest, 251,354 people, in 1996.
That places Ireland 129th out of 236 regions with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 301,367 people | 293,421 people | 310,280 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 307,234 people | 295,800 people | 314,801 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 332,894 people | 312,485 people | 344,034 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 331,802 people | 289,926 people | 355,557 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 261,808 people | 251,354 people | 280,315 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 297,862 people | 267,763 people | 337,807 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 337,765 people | 313,801 people | 356,031 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 301,007 people | 293,493 people | 307,873 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 126 New Zealand 298,070 people compare
- 127 Guinea-Bissau 297,297 people compare
- 128 Botswana 293,659 people compare
- 130 Costa Rica 284,205 people compare
- 131 Slovakia 283,056 people compare
- 132 Norway 276,510 people compare
More reference data data for Ireland
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.01 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.31 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.6528 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies -0.5528 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.8957 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 130.04 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of children under 5 in Ireland?
- Number of children under 5 in Ireland was 293,493 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of children under 5 recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 356,031 people in 2012.
- What is the lowest number of children under 5 recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 251,354 people in 1996.
- How does Ireland rank for number of children under 5?
- Ireland ranks 129th out of 236 regions with data for 2023.
- Is number of children under 5 rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of children under 5. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown. This only includes people aged 0-4.