City in Ireland
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Ireland, on Dublin Bay on the east coast, with 1,243,278 usually resident people in the city and its suburbs at the 2022 census. 17.9% of them held a citizenship other than Irish, against 12.4% for the State. Dublin Airport has 2 comfortable months a year by the program's test (1991-2020). Every other factor is the country figure. [N1] [N2] [B1] [W1]
- Country
- Ireland
- Region
- Leinster (Dublin City Council area)
- Population
- 1,243,278 in 2022. Dublin city and suburbs (a CSO settlement that runs into Counties Dublin and Meath), usually resident population at the 2022 census (20 April 2022). The Dublin City Council area alone is 580,237, and the four Dublin councils (Dublin City, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, South Dublin) add up to 1,435,449 (summed from the CSO table). [N1] [N2]
Why it is here
Why Dublin is on the list.
A city is listed when there is evidence that people move there. This is the evidence.
- Dublin city and suburbs had 1,243,278 usually resident people at the 2022 census, the largest settlement in the State by a wide margin (Cork city and suburbs, the next, has 219,445). Even the Dublin City Council area alone, 580,237, is above 500,000. [N1] [N2]
- At the 2022 census 222,188 of the 1,243,278 usually resident people in Dublin city and suburbs (17.9%) held a citizenship other than Irish, against 12.4% for the State as a whole (631,785 of 5,084,879). The count leaves out 56,311 people whose citizenship was not stated, and it counts citizenship, not how long anyone has lived there or why they came. [N1] [N2]
- InterNations, a private expat network, runs a Dublin community that lists 31,889 members, 20 monthly events and 19 interest groups (page read 16 October 2026); members may not all live in the city. [E1]
- Nord Anglia International School Dublin describes itself as Ireland's only IB continuum school for students aged 3 to 18 (the school's own claim, page read 16 October 2026). Other IB and international schools in the Dublin area were not checked against the IB directory. [I1]
The Fernshore Index
How it grades, factor by factor.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Cost of living
20 of 100WeakCountry figure
Price level 0.848 of United States prices (2025), over the 0.75 line.
Source: Price level index (GDP), Ireland. Checked 16 October 2026.
Climate
8 of 100WeakOwn figure
Dublin Airport's own table (Met Eireann, 1991-2020; the station is the one used for the country figure, on the north side of the city): 2 comfortable months a year (July and August). June (17.7 C) misses by 0.3 of a degree and September (16.9 C) by 1.1.
Source: Dublin Airport 1991-2020 averages. Checked 16 October 2026.
Safety
76 of 100StrongCountry figure
Global Peace Index 2026: 5th of 163 (score 1.371).
Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 16 October 2026.
Healthcare
73 of 100StrongCountry figure
WHO UHC service coverage index 82 (2023). Expat Insider 2026 ranks Ireland last of 31 for the availability of medical care, which this index does not measure.
Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 16 October 2026.
Schools
UnknownCountry figure
Our research doesn't cover schools yet.
Community
74 of 100StrongCountry figure
Expat Insider 2026: 8th of 31 for Ease of Settling In (13th for Finding Friends).
Source: Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In. Checked 16 October 2026.
Lifestyle
37 of 100MixedCountry figure
Expat Insider 2026: 29th of 31 for Quality of Life.
Source: Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life. Checked 16 October 2026.
Work and career
50 of 100MixedCountry figure
Mixed: one of the two tests holds. Fixed broadband is 32.3 per 100 people (2024), over the 30 line. But the Immigration Service Delivery's list of routes for working more than 90 days names no residence route for people who work remotely for an employer or clients abroad; a non-EEA national needs an Irish contract of employment and a work permission.
Source: Coming to work for more than 90 days; Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Ireland. Checked 16 October 2026.
Retirement
50 of 100MixedCountry figure
Mixed. Stamp 0 for people of independent means exists (an individual income of about EUR 50,000 a year, access to a lump sum such as the price of a home, private medical cover, no State benefits, no age minimum stated), but it is a renewable permission: the official page names no step to permanent residence, and the Department of Justice has said Stamp 0 time is not intended to count towards long-term residence or citizenship (2018 answer). To be safe, have more than EUR 51,000 a year.
Source: I want to retire to Ireland; Dail written answer 191, Naturalisation Eligibility, 9 October 2018. Checked 16 October 2026.
Internet
72 of 100StrongCountry figure
32.30 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people (2024), over the 30 line.
Source: Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Ireland. Checked 16 October 2026.
English
100 of 100StrongCountry figure
English is the second official language under Article 8 of the Constitution of Ireland. EF EPI doesn't cover Ireland, so the official-language rule applies.
Source: Constitution of Ireland, Article 8 (languages). Checked 16 October 2026.
Visa, United States passport
UnknownCountry figure
Research for US passports is being checked
Visa, Canada passport
UnknownCountry figure
Research for Canadian passports is being checked
Visa, Australia passport
UnknownCountry figure
Research for Australian passports is being checked
Visa, New Zealand passport
UnknownCountry figure
Research for New Zealand passports is being checked
The country
More on Ireland.
Cities
Other cities in Ireland.
Questions about Dublin.
How big is Dublin?
Dublin city and suburbs had 1,243,278 usually resident people at the 2022 census, the largest settlement in the State. The Dublin City Council area alone had 580,237, and the four Dublin councils add up to 1,435,449 by our sum. Cork city and suburbs, the next largest, had 219,445.
What is the weather like in Dublin?
Dublin is cool and mild all year. Average daily highs run from 8.0 °C in January to 19.5 °C in July at Dublin Airport (Met Éireann, 1991-2020), and rain is 51.4 to 82.7 mm a month. Fernshore counts 2 comfortable months, with highs of 18 to 30 °C: July and August.
How much is rent in Dublin?
The RTB Rent Index for Q1 2026 puts the standardised average rent in Dublin City at €2,301 a month for new tenancies and €1,901 for existing ones. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown was highest at €2,629 and South Dublin lowest at €2,267 for new tenancies. A landlord cannot ask a deposit above one month's rent.
How many foreign residents and expats does Dublin have?
At the 2022 census 222,188 of the 1,243,278 usually resident people in Dublin city and suburbs (17.9%) held a citizenship other than Irish, against 12.4% for the State; 56,311 did not state one. InterNations, a private network, lists 31,889 Dublin members and 20 monthly events (its own count).
Where do I register my immigration permission if I live in Dublin?
If you come from outside the EU, UK or Switzerland and stay over 90 days, you must register. The Burgh Quay Registration Office at 13/14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2 is the nationwide office for first-time registration, by confirmed appointment only. Your landing stamp tells you to register within 90 days.
What do one-bedroom flats in Dublin advertise for?
In three letting adverts (private, a snapshot, not an average) furnished one-bedroom flats asked €2,190 a month in Dublin 8, €2,450 in Rialto and €2,700 in Dublin 4. All asked for a minimum one-year lease and none stated a deposit. The RTB averages above cover all home sizes.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [N1] Census 2022: usually resident population by birthplace or citizenship, towns and settlements (table SAP2022T2T1TOWN22), Central Statistics Office, Ireland. Checked 16 October 2026. Read from the CSO PxStat service on 16 October 2026 (Census of 20 April 2022, usually resident population). Row 'Dublin city and suburbs, Counties Dublin & Meath': 1,243,278 in total; Irish citizens 964,779 and citizenship not stated 56,311, so 222,188 held another citizenship (my subtraction: total minus Irish minus not stated). The same table gives Cork city and suburbs 219,445 and Galway city and suburbs 83,670.
- [N2] Census 2022: usually resident population by birthplace or citizenship, counties and cities (table SAP2022T2T1CTY), Central Statistics Office, Ireland. Checked 16 October 2026. Read from the CSO PxStat service on 16 October 2026 (Census of 20 April 2022, usually resident population, local authority areas as in 2023). Dublin City Council 580,237 (Irish citizens 421,587, not stated 38,848); Cork City Council 220,938 (Irish 182,277, not stated 7,931); Galway City Council 82,179. The State: 5,084,879 (Irish citizens 4,283,490, not stated 169,604), so 631,785 or 12.4% held another citizenship. Figures quoted elsewhere for the same census (for example 592,713 for the Dublin City Council area) are higher and appear to count a different base; the usually resident figures from the table opened are used.
- [B1] Dublin, Wikipedia (secondary). Checked 16 October 2026. 'The capital and largest city of Ireland', 'situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey', in the province of Leinster; coordinates 53.350 N, 6.260 W (read on 16 October 2026).
- [W1] Dublin Airport 1991-2020 averages, Met Eireann (Irish national meteorological service). Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026. Mean daily maximum (C): Jan 8.0, Feb 8.5, Mar 10.1, Apr 12.3, May 14.8, Jun 17.7, Jul 19.5, Aug 19.1, Sep 16.9, Oct 13.6, Nov 10.3, Dec 8.3; rain 51.4 to 82.7 mm a month. None of the three weather types fits (mean temperature range 10.2 C, under the 12 C 'seasons' line; coolest month's high 8.0 C, under the 12 C 'mild' line and the 22 C 'warm' line), so the climate list is empty, which counts as a known non-match (program decision of 16 October 2026).
- [E1] Expats in Dublin, InterNations (private network). Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026. 31,889 members in Dublin, 20 monthly events, 19 interest-based groups, 26 event hosts (the network's own count).
- [I1] Nord Anglia International School Dublin, Nord Anglia Education (the school group's own website). Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026: 'Ireland's only IB continuum school for students aged 3 to 18'. No roll or fee figure used.
- [C1] Price level index (GDP), Ireland, World Bank. Checked 16 October 2026. 2025: 84.85 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 16 October 2026; 80.19 in 2024. Ireland is the highest price level of the countries researched so far.
- [S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 16 October 2026. Ireland ranks 5th of 163 countries, score 1.371 (the ranking table in the report PDF, read on 16 October 2026).
- [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 16 October 2026. Ireland: 82 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO Global Health Observatory data service (indicator UHC_INDEX_REPORTED, spatial code IRL) on 16 October 2026; 82 also in 2021, 81 in 2022. The index measures service coverage, not waiting times or whether care is available when needed.
- [Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 16 October 2026. Ireland is 8th of 31 destinations in the Ease of Settling In index, read on 16 October 2026. The same page says Ireland ranks 13th for Finding Friends. A private survey of expats; 31 destinations met the 50-respondent minimum.
- [Q2] Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 16 October 2026. Ireland is 29th of 31 destinations in the Quality of Life index, read on 16 October 2026. The page says Ireland ranks last (31st) for the availability of medical care (47% positive ratings against 71% globally) and 30th for Healthcare as a whole, 29th for Leisure Options. A private survey of expats.
- [K1] Coming to work for more than 90 days, Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (irishimmigration.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. irishimmigration.ie refuses automated access (HTTP 403, Cloudflare), so the page was read from the Internet Archive copy of 9 April 2026 (page last updated 14 October 2025). It says: 'Before coming to work in Ireland for more than 90 days, you must have a contract of employment' and apply for the relevant work permission. The routes it lists: Critical Skills and General employment permits (Irish employer applies), intra-company transfer, internship, scientific researcher, working holiday, the Immigrant Investor Programme, the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme, atypical working (nurse, locum hospital doctor), visiting academic (paid from outside the State, up to 12 months), volunteer and minister of religion. No route for people who work remotely for an employer or clients abroad is listed. The parent page (coming to work in Ireland, Internet Archive copy of 23 September 2026) says non-EEA nationals need an Employment Permit or Atypical Permission first. The page is the evidence of absence; the Department does not state that no remote-worker route exists.
- [K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Ireland, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 16 October 2026. 2024: 32.30 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 16 October 2026 (the 2025 value is empty).
- [R1] I want to retire to Ireland, Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (irishimmigration.ie). Checked 16 October 2026. irishimmigration.ie refuses automated access (HTTP 403), so the page was read from the Internet Archive copy of 1 September 2026 (page last updated 25 June 2026; an earlier copy of 8 October 2025, last updated 8 May 2025, has the same figures). The permission is Stamp 0 for people of independent means. 'You should have an individual income of EUR 50,000 per year. You must also have access to a lump sum of money to cover any sudden major expenses. This lump sum should be equal to, for example, the price of a residential dwelling in the State.' Finances must be certified by an Irish accountancy firm and are 'in the form of pension income or readily accessible funds'; private medical insurance with full cover in private hospitals is required; the holder cannot access State benefits. Visa-required nationals also need a D-Reside visa. No age minimum is stated. Renewal is by the TPER renewal form. Average processing time four months. The page gives no length of permission and no step to permanent residence.
- [R2] Dail written answer 191, Naturalisation Eligibility, 9 October 2018, Minister for Justice and Equality, Houses of the Oireachtas. Checked 16 October 2026. oireachtas.ie shows a CAPTCHA to automated requests, so the answer was read from the Oireachtas open data record (https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2018-10-09/writtens/mul@/main.xml) on 16 October 2026. The Minister says 'a permission on Stamp 0 conditions is a low level immigration status which is not intended to be reckonable for long term residence or citizenship', and that any person may still apply for naturalisation, which is at the Minister's absolute discretion. It is an eight-year-old answer; a newer official statement was not found.
- [L1] Constitution of Ireland, Article 8 (languages), Irish Statute Book (Office of the Attorney General). Checked 16 October 2026. Article 8: '1. The Irish language as the national language is the first official language. 2. The English language is recognised as a second official language.' Read from the Irish Statute Book on 16 October 2026.