Ireland Cities by Population 2026

Ireland Overview

The largest city in Ireland is Dublin, with a population of1,327,053 people.

Ireland is the 120th largest country in the world by area and with a population of about 5.35 million, it is the 125th most populous country in the world. While the country is not full of megacities like some of the other most populous countries, it does have a significant number of cities with high populations. It has a total of three cities with populations that surpass 100,000: Dublin (1.3M), Cork (232.3K), and Limerick (108.1K). The cities are split over 29 different counties, and there are five administrative cities which each boast impressive populations: Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick, and Waterford.

Like many other countries around the world, the majority of residents live in the urbanized cities of Ireland. While the number of people living in rural Ireland accounted for over half of the population in 1960, this number has now dropped to just 37% of the population. More opportunities within the larger cities result in relocation of native Ireland residents. Furthermore, Ireland’s larger cities offer higher educational opportunities, as well as employment opportunities across many sectors, that make this country more appealing to migrants.