Land area (sq. km) in Ireland was reported at 68890 sq. Km in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Ireland - Land area (sq. km) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Surface area (sq. km) in Ireland was reported at 70280 sq. Km in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Ireland - Surface area (sq. km) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Ireland was reported at 74.98 sq. Km in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Ireland - Population density (people per sq. km) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Ireland IE: Rural Land Area data was reported at 63,249.215 sq km in 2010. This stayed constant from the previous number of 63,249.215 sq km for 2000. Ireland IE: Rural Land Area data is updated yearly, averaging 63,249.215 sq km from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2010, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 63,249.215 sq km in 2010 and a record low of 63,249.215 sq km in 2010. Ireland IE: Rural Land Area data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ireland – Table IE.World Bank: Land Use, Protected Areas and National Wealth. Rural land area in square kilometers, derived from urban extent grids which distinguish urban and rural areas based on a combination of population counts (persons), settlement points, and the presence of Nighttime Lights. Areas are defined as urban where contiguous lighted cells from the Nighttime Lights or approximated urban extents based on buffered settlement points for which the total population is greater than 5,000 persons.; ; Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN)/Columbia University. 2013. Urban-Rural Population and Land Area Estimates Version 2. Palisades, NY: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/set/lecz-urban-rural-population-land-area-estimates-v2.; Sum;

Ireland: Land area in sq. km: The latest value from 2022 is 68890 sq. km, unchanged from 68890 sq. km in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 673036 sq. km, based on data from 191 countries. Historically, the average for Ireland from 1961 to 2022 is 68890 sq. km. The minimum value, 68890 sq. km, was reached in 1961 while the maximum of 68890 sq. km was recorded in 1961.

Ireland Land Use: Land Area: Arable Land and Permanent Crops data was reported at 4,370.000 sq km in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4,450.000 sq km for 2020. Ireland Land Use: Land Area: Arable Land and Permanent Crops data is updated yearly, averaging 4,760.000 sq km from Dec 1961 (Median) to 2021, with 61 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6,546.000 sq km in 1961 and a record low of 3,947.000 sq km in 1991. Ireland Land Use: Land Area: Arable Land and Permanent Crops data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ireland – Table IE.OECD.ESG: Environmental: Land Use: OECD Member: Annual.

The total amount of forest area in Ireland saw no significant changes in 2022 in comparison to the previous year 2021 and remained at around 7,900.2 square kilometers. Nevertheless, 2022 still represents a peak in the total amount in Ireland. Forest area is defined as land with natural or planted trees of five meters or more in height, excluding agricultural land and urban parks and gardens.Find more statistics on other topics about Ireland with key insights such as share of forest land over the total amount of land.

Ireland: Population density, people per square km: The latest value from 2021 is 73 people per square km, an increase from 72 people per square km in 2020. In comparison, the world average is 456 people per square km, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Ireland from 1961 to 2021 is 54 people per square km. The minimum value, 41 people per square km, was reached in 1961 while the maximum of 73 people per square km was recorded in 2021.

Agricultural land (sq. km) in Ireland was reported at 43370 sq. Km in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Ireland - Agricultural land (sq. km) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on April of 2025.

Ireland Land Use: Land Area: Forest data was reported at 7,900.200 sq km in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 7,860.200 sq km for 2021. Ireland Land Use: Land Area: Forest data is updated yearly, averaging 6,843.720 sq km from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2022, with 33 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,900.200 sq km in 2022 and a record low of 4,616.400 sq km in 1990. Ireland Land Use: Land Area: Forest data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ireland – Table IE.OECD.ESG: Environmental: Land Use: OECD Member: Annual.

Ireland IE: Urban Land Area data was reported at 5,638.356 sq km in 2010. This stayed constant from the previous number of 5,638.356 sq km for 2000. Ireland IE: Urban Land Area data is updated yearly, averaging 5,638.356 sq km from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2010, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,638.356 sq km in 2010 and a record low of 5,638.356 sq km in 2010. Ireland IE: Urban Land Area data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ireland – Table IE.World Bank: Land Use, Protected Areas and National Wealth. Urban land area in square kilometers, based on a combination of population counts (persons), settlement points, and the presence of Nighttime Lights. Areas are defined as urban where contiguous lighted cells from the Nighttime Lights or approximated urban extents based on buffered settlement points for which the total population is greater than 5,000 persons.; ; Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN)/Columbia University. 2013. Urban-Rural Population and Land Area Estimates Version 2. Palisades, NY: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/set/lecz-urban-rural-population-land-area-estimates-v2.; Sum;

Ireland: Agricultural land, sq. km.: The latest value from 2021 is 43370 sq. km., a decline from 45120 sq. km. in 2020. In comparison, the world average is 245857 sq. km., based on data from 193 countries. Historically, the average for Ireland from 1961 to 2021 is 46090 sq. km.. The minimum value, 42600 sq. km., was reached in 2006 while the maximum of 49315 sq. km. was recorded in 1980.

Ireland population density for 2022 was 74.98, a 2.63% increase from 2021.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Ireland population density for 2021 was <strong>73.06</strong>, a <strong>0.96% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>Ireland population density for 2020 was <strong>72.37</strong>, a <strong>1.03% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>Ireland population density for 2019 was <strong>71.63</strong>, a <strong>1.38% increase</strong> from 2018.</li>
</ul>Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.

Forest area (sq. km) in Ireland was reported at 7900 sq. Km in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Ireland - Forest area (sq. km) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on April of 2025.

IE: Urban Land Area Where Elevation is Below 5 Meters data was reported at 261.791 sq km in 2010. This stayed constant from the previous number of 261.791 sq km for 2000. IE: Urban Land Area Where Elevation is Below 5 Meters data is updated yearly, averaging 261.791 sq km from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2010, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 261.791 sq km in 2010 and a record low of 261.791 sq km in 2010. IE: Urban Land Area Where Elevation is Below 5 Meters data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ireland – Table IE.World Bank: Land Use, Protected Areas and National Wealth. Urban land area below 5m is the total urban land area in square kilometers where the elevation is 5 meters or less.; ; Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN)/Columbia University. 2013. Urban-Rural Population and Land Area Estimates Version 2. Palisades, NY: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/set/lecz-urban-rural-population-land-area-estimates-v2.; Sum;

There is a requirement, as per Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1799, to deliver Census data for the reference year 2021 to Eurostat. In September 2020, the Irish Government decided to postpone the scheduled April 2021 Census to April 2022 following a recommendation from CSO related to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The CSO however has agreed that the office will still meet its legal requirement. It will base the Eurostat requirements on Census 2022 data, using administrative and other sources to appropriately adjust the data to reference year 2021. A (preliminary) headcount of usual residents at the 1 km² grid level (there are approximately 73,000 such square kilometres in Ireland) is required by Eurostat by 31^st December 2022. The data was produced in the following manner:

Initial preliminary Census estimate for April 2022 As part of the field operation for the 2022 Census, the CSO introduced a new smartphone-based application that allowed field staff to capture information about every dwelling in the country. This application facilitated the production of a preliminary population publication less than 12 weeks (June 23^rd) after census night (April 3^rd). The information includes data on the number of de facto occupants. This information is provisional, and the final file will not be completed until all collected paper forms are fully processed, which is expected to be around the end of January 2023. The provisional data should however be a very strong indicator of the final results.

The preliminary Census de facto population estimate was 5,123,536 persons, available at the 1 km² grid level. As we need the population on a usual resident basis, it was decided to adjust this estimated de facto population at the 1 km² grid level by applying the arithmetic differences between the 2016 usual resident and de facto population counts at that level to the de facto population for 2022. A ratio model, where rates of change of de facto to usual resident counts are applied instead of differences, was also considered but this led to more extreme adjustments, mainly where there was a large change in the population count of a cell between 2016 and 2022. This reduced the usual resident population to 5,101,268 for April 2022, a fall of 22,268 persons.

Temporary Absent Dwellings Census also provided data on the temporarily absent dwellings dataset (at 1 km² grid level), containing a count of persons usually resident in the State but whose entire household were abroad on census night and therefore not included in the de facto population count. This covers 33,365 temporarily absent dwellings with 50,749 temporarily absent persons across 9,138 grid cells. This category was not present in the 2016 figures so it was decided to include these absent persons as they meet the definition of usual residents and will be present in the final transmission, due March 2024. The resulting usually resident population count for 3^rd April 2022 was estimated as 5,152,671 persons.

Note that in a small number cases (80 grid cells), adjustments resulted in a negative cell value, but these were set to zero.

Final preliminary estimate

The CSO then adjusted this figure of estimated usual residents for 3^rd April 2022 back to the 3^rd December 2021 reference point by performing a reverse cohort-survival model.

Firstly, there are an estimated 21,528 births, some 12,405 deaths and approximately 63,595 inward and 25,730 outward migrants for the four-month period December 2021 to March 2022. This affects a total of approximately 123,000 persons, or about 2.4% in a total population of around 5.15 million persons. These population changes were ‘reversed’, as indicated below. Secondly, we also ‘reversed’ those persons who moved from their address within Ireland after December 3^rd 2021 to their Census April 3^rd 2022 address. Based on the selection method approximately 85,000 persons were moved to their previous address, representing about 1.7% of the population.

The steps in the process were:

Births We took the actual November 2015 to April 2016 births from Census 2016 with the variables grid reference, gender and NUTS3 as the sampling frame for the selection of births. Then, using data from table 19 in the Q1 2022 Vital Stats quarterly release (Table VSQ19 on Statbank), we derived the number of Q1 2022 births at NUTS3 by gender level. We also included a proportion of Q4 2021 births, taking one-third to represent December 2021. There are 21,528 births in total for the four-month period we are interested in (16,121 for Q1 2022 plus a third of the value of Q4 2021 which is 5,407), see table 2. Then, using the SAS procedure surveyselect, we selected, at random, the required number of births per strata from the frame and totalled up per grid reference. The resulting figure is the number of people removed from the Census 2021 grid totals, as these figures represent those born during December 2021 to March 2022.

We took the entire Census 2016 data with the variables grid reference, gender, NUTS3 and broad age group (0-14, 15-29, 30-49, 50-64, 65-84 and 85+) as the sampling frame for the selection of people to add back in who died between December 2020 and March 2022. This stratification results in 96 cells. This frame serves as a proxy for the distribution of deaths across the 1km grid square strata. Next, we obtained the Q4 2021 and Q1 2022 mortality data stratified by gender, NUTS3 and age group, provided by the Vital Stats statistician. The total number is 12,405 deaths for the four-month period of interest (9,535 for Q1 2022 plus one third of the value for Q4 2021 which is 8,626), see tables 3 and 4.

Then using the SAS procedure surveyselect, we selected, at random, the required number of deaths per strata from the frame and total up per grid reference. The resulting figure is simply the number of people added to the Census 2021 grid figures as summarised at the grid level, as they represent those who died during December 2021 to March 2022.

Inward and outward migrants

The processing of the inward and outward migrants essentially follows the same methodology in that we used Census 2016 as a sampling frame for the inclusion of those who emigrated in December 2021 and March 2022 and the exclusion of those who immigrated in the same period.

We took the Census 2016 with the variables grid reference, gender, NUTS3, broad nationality (Irish, UK, EU14 excl. IE, EU15 to 27 and Rest of the World) and broad age group (0-14, 15-29, 30-49, 50-64, 65-84 and 85+) as the sampling frame for the selection of migrants. Using the Q4 2021 and Q1 2022 migration data, we got the required inward and outward movers. The Population and Migration statistician provided the data at an individual level for our purposes. There are 63,780 inward migrators (53,403 in Q1 2022 and 10,377 taking one-third of the Q4 2021 values) and 25,730 outward migrators (19,779 in Q1 2022 and 5,951 taking one-third of the Q4 2021 values), see tables 5 to 7.

Then, using SAS procedure surveyselect, we selected, at random, the required number of inward and outward migrants per strata from the frame and sum over grid reference. Given that there will be more inward than outward migrants, the resulting figures will generally be negative i.e., the population will fall.

Ukrainian refugees There are no official statistics, but it was estimated that there were more than 23,000 Ukrainian refugees present in the State in April 3 2022. It is difficult to know the exact numbers captured by the Census until the full final dataset is available. Ukrainian refugees were to be counted as immigrants and usual residents (UR) on the census form unless an individual classed themselves as a visitor, in which case they were de facto (DF) residents. From the point of view of the procedure being described here, Ukrainians who are classified

Ireland IE: Density of Road: km per One Hundred sq. km data was reported at 149.778 km/100 sq km in 2023. This stayed constant from the previous number of 149.778 km/100 sq km for 2022. Ireland IE: Density of Road: km per One Hundred sq. km data is updated yearly, averaging 139.378 km/100 sq km from Dec 1994 (Median) to 2023, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 149.778 km/100 sq km in 2023 and a record low of 132.826 km/100 sq km in 1994. Ireland IE: Density of Road: km per One Hundred sq. km data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ireland – Table IE.OECD.ITF: Transport Infrastructure, Investment and Maintenance: OECD Member: Annual. [COVERAGE] LENGTH OF ROADS The road network is all roads in a given area. A road is a line of communication (travelled way) open to public traffic, primarily for the use of road motor vehicles, using a stabilised base other than rails or air strips. Paved roads and other roads with a stabilised base, e.g. gravel roads, are included. Roads also cover streets, bridges, tunnels, supporting structures, junctions, crossings and interchanges. Toll roads are also included. Dedicated cycle lanes are not included. [STAT_CONC_DEF] LENGTH OF ROADS The length of the road is the distance between its start and end point. If one of the directions of the carriageway is longer than the other then the length is calculated as the sum of half of the distances of each direction of the carriageway from first entry point to last exit point.

IE: Rural Land Area Where Elevation is Below 5 Meters data was reported at 1,163.863 sq km in 2010. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1,163.863 sq km for 2000. IE: Rural Land Area Where Elevation is Below 5 Meters data is updated yearly, averaging 1,163.863 sq km from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2010, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,163.863 sq km in 2010 and a record low of 1,163.863 sq km in 2010. IE: Rural Land Area Where Elevation is Below 5 Meters data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ireland – Table IE.World Bank: Land Use, Protected Areas and National Wealth. Rural land area below 5m is the total rural land area in square kilometers where the elevation is 5 meters or less.; ; Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN)/Columbia University. 2013. Urban-Rural Population and Land Area Estimates Version 2. Palisades, NY: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/set/lecz-urban-rural-population-land-area-estimates-v2.; Sum;

13.798 (Square kilometre) in 2023.

Ireland Land Use: Land Area data was reported at 68,890.000 sq km in 2022. This stayed constant from the previous number of 68,890.000 sq km for 2021. Ireland Land Use: Land Area data is updated yearly, averaging 68,890.000 sq km from Dec 1961 (Median) to 2022, with 62 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 68,890.000 sq km in 2022 and a record low of 68,890.000 sq km in 2022. Ireland Land Use: Land Area data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ireland – Table IE.OECD.ESG: Environmental: Land Use: OECD Member: Annual.