Internet penetration history · IRL

Ireland internet penetration over time

Name: Ireland internet use history
Creator: International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The latest verified observation is 97.2% in 2024. The available series begins at 0% in 1990, a net change of 97.2 percentage points.

35 VERIFIED OBSERVATIONS · ITU VIA WDI

Quick answers

LATEST

97.2%

Internet penetration in Ireland in 2024, the latest available observation in this series.

LONG-TERM CHANGE

+97.2 pp

Change between the first available observation in 1990 and the latest in 2024.

RECENT CONTEXT

+10.2 pp

From 2019 to 2024, the observed rate changed by 10.2 percentage points, from 87% to 97.2%.

The first observation at or above 50% is 2006 (54.8%). The first observation at or above 75% is 2012 (76.9%).

Historical trend

Each point is an official observation returned by World Bank WDI for IT.NET.USER.ZS. Lines connect observed points for readability; they do not create data for missing years.

Year-by-year internet penetration

Individuals using the Internet (% of population) — Ireland
Year	Internet users
2024	97.2%
2023	96.9%
2022	95%
2021	93.5%
2020	92%
2019	87%
2018	87%
2017	84.1%
2016	83.5%
2015	83.5%
2014	83.5%
2013	78.2%
2012	76.9%
2011	74.9%
2010	69.8%
2009	67.4%
2008	65.3%
2007	61.2%
2006	54.8%
2005	41.6%
2004	37%
2003	34.3%
2002	25.9%
2001	23.1%
2000	17.9%
1999	10.9%
1998	8.1%
1997	4.1%
1996	2.2%
1995	1.1%
1994	0.6%
1993	0.3%
1992	0.2%
1991	0.1%
1990	0%

Download historical JSON → · Download historical CSV → · Compare countries →

What this measure means

On World Discovery, “internet penetration rate” and “internet users” both refer to the share of individuals who used the internet, matching World Development Indicators code IT.NET.USER.ZS. It is a population-use measure; it is not the same as fixed-broadband subscriptions, mobile subscriptions, connection speed or household access.

Compare internet users by country and year → · Explore the 2024 internet-use ranking →

Internet penetration here means individuals using the internet (% of population). It is reported as % of population. The indicator definition is: Individuals who have used the Internet from any location in the last 3 months.

This series is useful for questions such as “How has internet access changed in Ireland?” and “What is Ireland’s latest internet penetration rate?” It does not estimate people missing from the official observations.

Compare Ireland with similar regional rates

These Europe & Central Asia countries have the closest latest observed internet-penetration rates in the same verified history dataset. The links are based on data proximity, not a claim of social or economic similarity.

CHE

Switzerland

97.3% in 2024. Compare its verified historical internet-penetration series with Ireland.

SMR

San Marino

97.4% in 2024. Compare its verified historical internet-penetration series with Ireland.

NLD

Netherlands

97% in 2024. Compare its verified historical internet-penetration series with Ireland.

ISL

Iceland

98.2% in 2024. Compare its verified historical internet-penetration series with Ireland.

Explore the regional comparison →

Ireland in Europe & Central Asia

Among the 51 countries from Europe & Central Asia present in this verified 2024 dataset, Ireland ranks 9th. Its 97.2% observation is 5.2 percentage points above the regional median of 92%. This comparison only describes countries present in this same-year dataset.

Closest same-region observations: Switzerland (97.3%) · San Marino (97.3%) · Netherlands (97%).

Source and methodology

Indicator: IT.NET.USER.ZS — Individuals using the Internet (% of population).

Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, surfaced through World Bank World Development Indicators (WDI), Indicators API v2. License: CC BY-4.0.

Values are kept at their official observation years. Missing years are not backfilled, averaged or interpolated. This page is a historical observation series, not a revision comparison.

World Bank API source → · Indicator metadata →

Keep exploring

Countries to compare with Ireland

Move through the 2024 ranking or compare Ireland with nearby values in Europe & Central Asia.

NEXT HIGHER