Introduction
Background
Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600 and 150 B.C., followed by Norsemen in the late 8th century. Anglo-Norman invasions began in the 12th century. The modern Irish state broke from the UK in 1921.
Geography
Area
total: 70,273 sq km
land: 68,883 sq km
water: 1,390 sq km
Climate
temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
Natural resources
natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite
People and Society
Population
5,323,991 (2023 est.)
Ethnic groups
Irish 76.6%, Irish travelers 0.6%, other White 9.9%, Asian 3.3%, Black 1.5%, other (includes Arab, Roma, and persons of mixed backgrounds) 2%, unspecified 2.6% (2022 est.)
Languages
English (official, the language generally used), Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official, spoken by approximately 37.7% of the population as of 2022; mainly spoken in areas along Ireland's western coast known as gaeltachtai, which are officially recognized regions where Irish is the predominant language)
Religions
Roman Catholic 68.3%, Protestant 3.8% (Church of Ireland/Church of England/Anglican/Episcopalian 2.4%, other Protestant 1.4%), Orthodox 2%, other Christian 0.9%, Muslim 1.4%, other 1.6%, none 15.4%, unspecified 6.6% (2022 est.)
Population growth rate
1.09% (2023 est.)
Government
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
name: Dublin
Executive branch
chief of state: President Michael D. HIGGINS (since 11 November 2011)
head of government: Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Simon HARRIS (since 9 April 2024); note - Taoiseach Leo VARADKAR resigned from the ruling party on 20 March 2024 but remained as the caretaker taoiseach until a successor was appointed
Legislative branch
description: bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of:
Senate or Seanad Eireann (60 seats; 49 members indirectly elected from 5 vocational panels of nominees by an electoral college, 11 appointed by the prime minister
House of Representatives or Dail Eireann (160 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; all Parliament members serve 5-year terms)
Economy
Economic overview
strong, export-based EU economy; multinational-business-friendly environment known for resilience, even amid COVID-19 disruptions; real wage growth beyond other OECD members; high livings standards; strong social equity and cohesion; aging labor force
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$576.527 billion (2022 est.)
$526.831 billion (2021 est.)
$457.615 billion (2020 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$112,400 (2022 est.)
$104,700 (2021 est.)
$91,800 (2020 est.)
Agricultural products
milk, barley, beef, wheat, potatoes, pork, oats, poultry, mushrooms/truffles, mutton
Industries
pharmaceuticals, chemicals, computer hardware and software, food products, beverages and brewing; medical devices
Exports
$729.135 billion (2022 est.)
$685.814 billion (2021 est.)
$571.051 billion (2020 est.)
Exports - partners
United States 28%, Belgium 10%, Germany 10%, UK 9%, China 5%, Netherlands 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities
vaccines and cultures, packaged medicines, nitrogen compounds, integrated circuits, scented mixtures, medical instruments (2021)
Imports
$516.084 billion (2022 est.)
$479.284 billion (2021 est.)
$488.823 billion (2020 est.)
Imports - partners
United Kingdom 31%, United States 16%, Germany 10%, Netherlands 5%, France 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities
aircraft, computers, packaged medicines, refined petroleum, medical cultures/vaccines (2019)
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
0.95 (2022 est.)
0.845 (2021 est.)
0.876 (2020 est.)
0.893 (2019 est.)
0.847 (2018 est.)
Page last updated: Monday, April 15, 2024
