Number of children under 5 in Ireland
Ireland: Number of children under 5 was 293,493 people in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
293,493 people
Change on year
down 2.0%
World rank
129th
of 236 countries
All-time high
356,031 people
in 2012
All-time low
251,354 people
in 1996
Years of data
74
1950–2023
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 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Number of children under 5 in Ireland, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 309,889 people | — |
| 1951 | 310,280 people | +0.1% |
| 1952 | 308,321 people | -0.6% |
| 1953 | 305,212 people | -1.0% |
| 1954 | 301,761 people | -1.1% |
| 1955 | 298,750 people | -1.0% |
| 1956 | 296,632 people | -0.7% |
| 1957 | 295,388 people | -0.4% |
| 1958 | 294,017 people | -0.5% |
| 1959 | 293,421 people | -0.2% |
| 1960 | 295,800 people | +0.8% |
| 1961 | 298,936 people | +1.1% |
| 1962 | 300,753 people | +0.6% |
| 1963 | 303,711 people | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 307,924 people | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 312,131 people | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 314,801 people | +0.9% |
| 1967 | 314,535 people | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 312,529 people | -0.6% |
| 1969 | 311,216 people | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 312,485 people | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 316,904 people | +1.4% |
| 1972 | 323,490 people | +2.1% |
| 1973 | 330,753 people | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 336,860 people | +1.8% |
| 1975 | 340,149 people | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 341,209 people | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 341,263 people | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 341,788 people | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 344,034 people | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 348,519 people | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 353,193 people | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 355,557 people | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 354,120 people | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 346,543 people | -2.1% |
| 1985 | 334,496 people | -3.5% |
| 1986 | 322,733 people | -3.5% |
| 1987 | 312,075 people | -3.3% |
| 1988 | 300,860 people | -3.6% |
| 1989 | 289,926 people | -3.6% |
| 1990 | 280,315 people | -3.3% |
| 1991 | 273,207 people | -2.5% |
| 1992 | 268,141 people | -1.9% |
| 1993 | 263,549 people | -1.7% |
| 1994 | 259,012 people | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 254,625 people | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 251,354 people | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 251,384 people | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 255,323 people | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 261,175 people | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 267,763 people | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 273,785 people | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 279,390 people | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 285,642 people | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 291,867 people | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 297,768 people | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 304,408 people | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 314,130 people | +3.2% |
| 2008 | 326,063 people | +3.8% |
| 2009 | 337,807 people | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 348,527 people | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 355,502 people | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 356,031 people | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 351,038 people | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 343,824 people | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 336,677 people | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 329,920 people | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 323,699 people | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 318,628 people | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 313,801 people | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 307,873 people | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 303,159 people | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 299,502 people | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 293,493 people | -2.0% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 293,493 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 127,928 people, 2.3× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 293,493 people is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 308,498 people, 95% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
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
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0921 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.87 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 3.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.6 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 21.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.5015 (2050)
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 countries 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
Total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown. This only includes people aged 0-4.