Belgium vs Ireland
Belgium vs Ireland: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 87.7% in Belgium and 64.6% in Ireland, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Belgium, by 23.1 percentage points, or 1.36 times that in Ireland.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Belgium has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, Belgium ranked 45 and Ireland ranked 115 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Belgium at 88.5% and Ireland at 73.6% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Belgium | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 87.7 | 64.6 |
| 2024 | 87.6 | 64.4 |
| 2023 | 87.6 | 64.1 |
| 2022 | 87.5 | 63.9 |
| 2021 | 87.4 | 63.7 |
| 2020 | 87.3 | 63.5 |
| 2019 | 87.1 | 63.3 |
| 2018 | 86.9 | 63.1 |
| 2017 | 86.7 | 62.9 |
| 2016 | 86.5 | 62.7 |
| 2015 | 86.2 | 62.6 |
| 2014 | 86 | 62.5 |
| 2013 | 85.7 | 62.4 |
| 2012 | 85.5 | 62.3 |
| 2011 | 85.2 | 62.1 |
| 2010 | 85 | 61.9 |
| 2009 | 84.7 | 61.6 |
| 2008 | 84.4 | 61.4 |
| 2007 | 84.2 | 61.1 |
| 2006 | 83.9 | 60.8 |
| 2005 | 83.6 | 60.5 |
| 2004 | 83.3 | 60.2 |
| 2003 | 83 | 59.9 |
| 2002 | 82.7 | 59.6 |
| 2001 | 82.3 | 59.4 |
| 2000 | 82 | 59.1 |
| 1999 | 81.7 | 58.9 |
| 1998 | 81.4 | 58.6 |
| 1997 | 81 | 58.4 |
| 1996 | 80.7 | 58.2 |
| 1995 | 80.3 | 57.9 |
| 1994 | 80 | 57.7 |
| 1993 | 79.6 | 57.5 |
| 1992 | 79.3 | 57.3 |
| 1991 | 78.9 | 57.1 |
| 1990 | 78.6 | 56.9 |
| 1989 | 78.2 | 56.8 |
| 1988 | 77.8 | 56.7 |
| 1987 | 77.4 | 56.6 |
| 1986 | 77.1 | 56.4 |
| 1985 | 76.7 | 56.3 |
| 1984 | 76.3 | 56.2 |
| 1983 | 75.9 | 56 |
| 1982 | 75.5 | 55.8 |
| 1981 | 75.1 | 55.7 |
| 1980 | 74.7 | 55.4 |
| 1979 | 74.3 | 55.2 |
| 1978 | 73.9 | 54.9 |
| 1977 | 73.5 | 54.6 |
| 1976 | 73.1 | 54.3 |
| 1975 | 72.7 | 53.9 |
| 1974 | 72.3 | 53.6 |
| 1973 | 71.9 | 53.2 |
| 1972 | 71.5 | 52.8 |
| 1971 | 71.1 | 52.3 |
| 1970 | 70.6 | 51.9 |
| 1969 | 70.2 | 51.3 |
| 1968 | 69.7 | 50.7 |
| 1967 | 69.1 | 50 |
| 1966 | 68.6 | 49.4 |
| 1965 | 68 | 48.6 |
| 1964 | 67.5 | 47.8 |
| 1963 | 67 | 46.9 |
| 1962 | 66.6 | 46.1 |
| 1961 | 66.2 | 45.4 |
| 1960 | 65.9 | 44.9 |
| 1959 | 65.5 | 44.4 |
| 1958 | 65.1 | 44.1 |
| 1957 | 64.8 | 43.7 |
| 1956 | 64.4 | 43.4 |
| 1955 | 64.1 | 43.1 |
| 1954 | 63.8 | 42.8 |
| 1953 | 63.5 | 42.4 |
| 1952 | 63.3 | 42 |
| 1951 | 63.1 | 41.6 |
| 1950 | 62.9 | 41 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Belgium | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 87.7 | 64.8 |
| 2027 | 87.8 | 65.1 |
| 2028 | 87.8 | 65.4 |
| 2029 | 87.9 | 65.6 |
| 2030 | 88 | 65.9 |
| 2031 | 88 | 66.2 |
| 2032 | 88.1 | 66.5 |
| 2033 | 88.1 | 66.8 |
| 2034 | 88.1 | 67.2 |
| 2035 | 88.2 | 67.5 |
| 2036 | 88.2 | 67.8 |
| 2037 | 88.3 | 68.2 |
| 2038 | 88.3 | 68.5 |
| 2039 | 88.3 | 68.9 |
| 2040 | 88.4 | 69.3 |
| 2041 | 88.4 | 69.7 |
| 2042 | 88.4 | 70.1 |
| 2043 | 88.5 | 70.5 |
| 2044 | 88.5 | 70.9 |
| 2045 | 88.5 | 71.3 |
| 2046 | 88.5 | 71.8 |
| 2047 | 88.5 | 72.2 |
| 2048 | 88.5 | 72.7 |
| 2049 | 88.5 | 73.1 |
| 2050 | 88.5 | 73.6 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Belgium vs Ireland
Health
- Life expectancyBelgium: 82.1 years in 2023Ireland: 82.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBelgium: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Ireland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBelgium: 3.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023Ireland: 2.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterBelgium: 99.7% in 2022Ireland: 96% in 2022
- DepressionBelgium: 4.11% in 2017Ireland: 4.25% in 2017
- Suicide rateBelgium: 14.3 per 100,000 people in 2017Ireland: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBelgium: 11.7 million people in 2023Ireland: 5.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthBelgium: 0.25% a year in 2023Ireland: 1.19% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBelgium: 1.38 births per woman in 2023Ireland: 1.6 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageBelgium: 41.4 years in 2023Ireland: 38.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBelgium: 20.2% in 2023Ireland: 15.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateBelgium: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Ireland: 8.4 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBelgium: 2.01% of GDP in 2025Ireland: 0.22% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBelgium: $13.6B in 2025Ireland: $1.46B in 2025
- Military spending per personBelgium: $1,237 in 2025Ireland: $272 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBelgium: 3.7% of government spending in 2025Ireland: 0.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBelgium: 24,000 people in 2020Ireland: 9,000 people in 2020
- National powerBelgium: 0.22% of world capability in 2022Ireland: 0.05% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBelgium: 0.47% of the labour force in 2020Ireland: 0.37% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBelgium: 430 million TIV in 2025Ireland: 14 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsBelgium: 86 million TIV in 2025Ireland: 24 million TIV in 2025