Ireland Demographics

What is the population of Ireland?

Population 5,176,569
Population Growth Rate 1.16%
Urban Population 62.2%
Population in Major Urban Areas DUBLIN (capital) 1.121 million
Nationality Noun Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural)
Nationality Adjective Irish
Ethnic Groups Irish 87.4%, other white 7.5%, Asian 1.3%, black 1.1%, mixed 1.1%, unspecified 1.6%
Languages Spoken English (official, the language generally used), Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official, spoken mainly in areas along the western coast)

Ireland Health Information

What are the health conditions in Ireland?

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 15-49 64.8%
Contraceptive Prevalence - note note: percent of women aged 18-49
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 6.41
Drinking Water Source - percent of rural population improved 99.7%
Drinking Water Source - percent of total population unimproved 0.1%
Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved 100%
Health Expenditures - percent of GDP 9.4%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 0.2%
HIV/Aids Deaths 90
Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population 5.8
Infant Mortality Rate - female deaths/1,000 live births 3.38
Infant Mortality Rate - male deaths/1,000 live births 4.16
Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births 3.78
Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births 6
Mean Age for Mother's First Birth 29.8
Obesity - adult prevalence rate 25.2%
People Living with HIV/AIDS 6,900
Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population 3.19
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of total population unimproved 1%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved 99.6%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of rural population improved 97.9%
Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman 2.01

Ireland Life Expectancy

How long do people live in Ireland?

Life Expectancy at Birth 80 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - female 82 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - male 78 Years
Median Age 35 Years
Median Age - female 35 Years
Median Age - male 35 Years

Ireland Infant Mortality - per 1,000 live births

Ireland median age, birth rate and death rates

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population 16
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 6.41
Median Age 35 Years
Median Age - female 35 Years
Median Age - male 35 Years
Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population 2.51
Population Growth Rate 1.16%
Sex Ratio 0-14 Years - male/female 1.04
Sex Ratio 15-24 Years - male/female 1.04
Sex Ratio 25-54 Years - male/female 1.01
Sex Ratio 55-64 Years - male/female 1
Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female 1.06
Sex Ratio of Total Population - male/female 1
Sex Ratio Over 64 Years - male/female .84

Ireland Medical Information

What are the health conditions in Ireland?

Medical Facilities and Health Information

Modern medical facilities and highly skilled medical practitioners are available in Ireland, but due to high demand, access to medical specialists and admissions to hospitals for certain non-life-threatening medical conditions may result in extensive waiting lists. It is not unusual for emergency room (ER) services to be very busy or for post-treatment admissions to include a long wait (sometimes overnight) on a gurney in a hallway rather than in a shared or private room.

Over-the-counter medications of most types are available, but many U.S. brands are not. (Ask the pharmacist about substitutes.) Some medications available over the counter in the United States may require a prescription in Ireland. Irish pharmacists may not be able to dispense medication prescribed by U.S. physicians and may direct you to obtain a prescription from an Irish doctor before providing your required medication.

If you are traveling to Ireland and may require medical treatment while in the country, consult your personal physician prior to traveling. A list of Irish general practitioners in each area of Ireland may be obtained from the website of the Irish College of General Practitioners. Emergency services usually respond quickly.

Ireland Education

What is school like in Ireland?

Education Expenditures - percent of GDP 6.4%
Literacy - female 99%
Literacy - male 99%
Literacy - total population 99%
Literacy Definition age 15 and over can read and write
School Life Expectancy - female 19 Years
School Life Expectancy - male 19 Years
Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary) 19 Years

Ireland Literacy

Can people in Ireland read?

Literacy - female 99%
Literacy - male 99%
Literacy - total population 99%
Literacy Definition age 15 and over can read and write
Predominant Language English (official, the language generally used), Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official, spoken mainly in areas along the western coast)

Ireland Crime

Is Ireland a safe place to visit?

Crime Information

A Garda Síochána (Garda), translated as "Guardians of the Peace of Ireland,” is the national police force providing all state security, policing and immigration enforcement duties countrywide. Ireland has a relatively low rate of violent crime. Petty crime and residential crime is much more common, especially in urban and tourist areas. Rates for residential break-ins, theft, burglary, and purse-snatching have all risen in recent years, and thieves often target rental cars and tourists, particularly in the vicinity of tourist attractions. In rare cases, these crimes have involved physical assault or violence, more commonly in Dublin. Avoid parks after dark and avoid showing signs of affluence in addition to guarding your valuables, passport and wallet. We recommend you leave your passport in a secure location separate from your purse or luggage. Do not leave your drinks unattended at bars or restaurants, as there have been reported incidents of drinks being spiked with illegal substances, leading to robbery and sexual assaults. Please practice sound personal security practices and maintain an awareness of your surroundings during your stay in Ireland.

ATM Fraud: Crimes involving ATMs are a concern. Protect your PIN at all times and look closely at ATMs for evidence of tampering before use. Criminals have used “skimmers” on ATMs, especially in tourist areas. Skimmers are usually small electronic devices attached to the outside of an ATM to steal the ATM or credit card data. Most ATMs in Ireland now have signs or electronic warnings that advise customers to look closely at the ATM for evidence of tampering before using. Be aware that in busy areas, thieves use distraction techniques such as waiting until the PIN has been entered and then pointing to money on the ground or asking for loose change. While the ATM user is distracted, another person will quickly withdraw the cash and leave. If you are distracted in any way, cancel the transaction immediately. If the machine does not return your card, report the incident to the issuing bank right away.

Internet scams: Online fraud scams have been reported in recent years, and travelers should verify through local authorities, family, or friends, the authenticity of any solicited or unsolicited requests for assistance. If you receive an email from family or friends requesting assistance, we advise you to try first to contact the loved one at the last known phone number and/or to verify the story/circumstances with a neutral third party you know and trust before sending any funds.You should view with skepticism any unsolicited invitations to travel to Ireland to collect winnings or an inheritance. There are no licenses or fees required when transiting Irish airports, emergency medical treatment is never withheld pending payment of fees, and hotels in Ireland will not detain guests for lack of funds without involving the police. A claim that a hospital or hotel will not let someone depart until the bill is settled is usually a sign of a scam. Visit the U.S. Department of State's website for more information on International Internet Financial Scams and how to protect yourself.

Do not buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the bootlegs illegal to bring back into the United States, you may be breaking local law, too.

Ireland Penalties for Crime

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in Ireland, you are subject to local laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from our own. If you break local laws in Ireland, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It is very important to know what’s legal and what’s not where you are going. In some circumstances, driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail. These criminal penalties will vary from country to country. There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime in Ireland and also prosecutable in the United States.

Persons violating Ireland’s laws, including its tough drunk-driving rules, even unknowingly, may be arrested, imprisoned and/or deported. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking illegal drugs in Ireland are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.

Arrest notifications in host country: Based on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, bilateral agreements with certain countries, and customary international law, if you are arrested in Ireland you have the option to request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities alert the U.S. Embassy of your arrest.

Ireland Population Comparison

All Countries
Afghanistan Akrotiri Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Clipperton Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Cook Islands Coral Sea Islands Costa Rica Cote d’Ivoire Croatia Cuba Curacao Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dhekelia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia, The Gaza Strip Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Jan Mayen Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, North Korea, South Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sudan, South Suriname Svalbard Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States (US) Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands Wake Island Wallis and Futuna West Bank Western Sahara World Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe