Ireland | Facts & Information

Updated October 5, 2022 | Infoplease Staff

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Facts & Figures

  • President: Michael D. Higgins (2011)

    Taoiseach (Prime Minister): Leo Varadkar (2023) (Micheál Martin will serve until December 2022)

    Land area: 26,598 sq mi (68,889 sq km); total area: 27,135 sq mi (70,280 sq km)

    Population (2022 est.): 5,275,004 (growth rate: .94%); birth rate: 12.32/1000; infant mortality rate: 3.47/1000; life expectancy: 81.66

    Capital (2022 est.): Dublin, 1.256 million

    Monetary unit: Euro (formerly Irish pound [punt])

    National name: Éire

    Current government officials

    Languages: English (official, the language generally used), Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official, spoken by approximately 39.8% of the population as of 2016)

    Ethnicity/race: Irish 82.2%, Irish travelers 0.7%, other White 9.5%, Asian 2.1%, Black 1.4%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.6% (2016 est.)

    Religions: Roman Catholic 78.3%, Church of Ireland 2.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Orthodox 1.3%, Muslim 1.3%, other 2.4%, none 9.8%, unspecified 2.6% (2016 est.)

    National Holiday: Saint Patrick's Day, March 17

    Literacy rate: 99% (2003 est.)

    Economic summary: GDP/PPP(2020 est.): $447.97 billion; per capita $89,700. Real growth rate: 5.86%. Inflation: 0.9%. Unemployment: 4.98%. Arable land: 15.4%. Agriculture: turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products. Labor force: 2.289 million (2020 est.); agriculture 5%, industry 11%, services 84% (2016 est.).Industries: steel, lead, zinc, silver, aluminum, barite, and gypsum mining processing; food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals, pharmaceuticals; machinery, rail transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, ship construction and refurbishment; glass and crystal; software, tourism. Natural resources: zinc, lead, natural gas, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver. Exports: $502.31 billion (2019 est.): machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products. Major trading partners (exports): United States 28%, Belgium 10%, Germany 10%, UK 9%, China 5%, Netherlands 5% (2019). Imports: $452.98 billion (2019 est.): data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing. Major trading partners (imports): United Kingdom 31%, United States 16%, Germany 10%, Netherlands 5%, France 5% (2019).

    Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 1,678,651 (2020); mobile cellular: 5,234,027 (2020). Broadcast media: publicly owned broadcaster Radio Telefis Eireann (RTE) operates 4 TV stations; commercial TV stations are available; about 75% of households utilize multi-channel satellite and TV services that provide access to a wide range of stations; RTE operates 4 national radio stations and has launched digital audio broadcasts on several stations; a number of commercial broadcast stations operate at the national, regional, and local levels (2019). Internet hosts: 1.387 million (2010). Internet users: 4,586,820 (2020).

    Transportation: Railways: total: 4,301 km (2018). Roadways: total: 99,830 km; paved: 96,036 km (including 1,224 km of expressways) (2018). Waterways: 956 km (pleasure craft only) (2010). Ports and harbors: Cork, Dublin, Shannon Foynes, Waterford. Airports: 40 (2021).

    Major sources and definitions

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