Life in Ireland: Every Number That Shapes It (1800–2100)

The data of a nation is more than an aggregate of trends; it is a ledger of human survival. In Ireland, the transition from the mid-twentieth century to the modern era reveals a profound shift in the quality of daily existence. Where once child mortality stood at 55.77, it has fallen to 3 per 1,000 births. With extreme poverty dropping from 6.14 to 0.1 %, the struggle for basic sustenance has given way to a society defined by 100 % electricity at home and 92 % internet access.

The historical arc of this transformation is marked by sustained growth and modernization. In the 1950s, the average income per person was 12,809 intl-$, while today it reaches 89,700 intl-$. As the population moved from 47.22 % living in cities to 63.7 %, the nature of work also evolved. Annual working hours have decreased from 2,295 to 1,660 hours/year, while years of schooling have climbed from 6.21 to 12.7 years. This progress is reflected in physical development, with the average male height rising from 173 to 179 cm.

For a child born in Ireland in the 2020s, the landscape is one of expanded possibility. They can expect to live 82.3 years, a significant rise from the 65.63 recorded in the 1950s. Family structures have also shifted, with the number of children per woman moving from 2.74 to 1.63. With the homicide rate now at 0.7 per 100,000, the environment is statistically safer than it was in the past. Explore how your own story compares to these trends by using our tool to see your parallel life in Ireland.