📜 A long story
Ireland, 1820 → today
Ireland grew from 2.91 million in 1950 to 5.2 million; a newborn can expect 33 more years of life than in 1901, and output per person is 43× its 1820 level, adjusted for inflation.
Told with long-run reconstructions, not the yearly series used elsewhere on the site: each chapter names its source. Scroll to move through the years.
☺ Chapter 1 · Population
How many people live there?
1950
In 1950, about 2.91 million people lived in Ireland.
2023
5.2 million people, the latest year in this series.
1.8× the 1950 level
Long-run series: before 1950, reconstructions by HYDE and Gapminder, filled in between benchmark years by those sources. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
✚ Chapter 2 · Life expectancy
How long do people live?
1901
In 1901, a newborn in Ireland could expect to live 49.4 years, on average.
1950
65.6 years.
+16 years since 1901
Passed 50 years in 1911 (no data between 1901 and 1911, so it may have happened earlier).
Passed 60 years in 1941 (no data between 1936 and 1941, so it may have happened earlier).
2023
82.4 years, the latest year in this series.
+17 years since 1950
Passed 70 years in 1960.
Passed 80 years in 2009.
Long-run series: before 1950, historical estimates (Riley, Clio Infra, Human Mortality Database), only for years they cover. Dashed stretches are years without data.
◎ Chapter 3 · GDP per person (PPP)
How much is produced per person?
1820
In 1820, Ireland produced about Int$1,400 per person, in 2011 prices.
1950
Int$5,500.
3.9× the 1820 level
Reached twice the 1820 level in 1870 (no data between 1820 and 1870, so it may have happened earlier).
2022
Int$60,300, the latest year in this series.
11× the 1950 level
Reached 5 times the 1820 level in 1961.
Reached 10 times the 1820 level in 1982.
Reached 20 times the 1820 level in 1997.
Long-run series (Maddison Project) in 2011 international dollars: adjusted for inflation, so not the same unit as today’s PPP figure. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates. Dashed stretches are years without data.
❦ Chapter 4 · CO₂ per person
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
1950
In 1950, fossil fuels and industry in Ireland emitted about 3.3 t of CO₂ per person.
2024
6.3 t, the latest year in this series.
1.9× the 1950 level
Reached twice the 1950 level in 1971.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 31% between 2005 and 2013 (11.6 t → 8.1 t).
Long-run series: fossil CO₂ emitted within each country’s borders (Global Carbon Budget); early estimates are less certain. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
☕ Chapter 5 · Years of schooling
How long do people go to school?
1870
In 1870, people aged 15–64 in Ireland had spent 0.7 years in school, on average.
1900
1.7 years.
+0.96 years since 1870
1950
6.4 years.
+4.7 years since 1900
Passed 2 years in 1910.
Passed 4 years in 1935.
Passed 6 years in 1950.
2015
13.6 years, the latest year in this series.
+7.2 years since 1950
Passed 8 years in 1970.
Passed 10 years in 1985.
Passed 12 years in 2010.
Long-run series (Lee & Lee, Barro & Lee) for people aged 15–64, every 5 years until 2015: a different age group than today’s figure (25 and older).