Factbook dossier
Background
Celtic tribes arrived in Ireland between 600 and 150 B.C. Norse invasions that began in the late 8th century finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. Norman invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions. The Irish famine of the mid-19th century caused an almost 25-percent decline in the island's population through starvation, disease, and emigration. The population of the island continued to fall until the 1960s, but over the last 50 years, Ireland's high birthrate has made it demographically one of the youngest populations in the EU. The modern Irish state traces its origins to the failed 1916 Easter Monday Uprising that galvanized nationalist sentiment. The ensuing guerrilla war led to independence from the UK in 1921 with the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the creation of the Irish Free State. The treaty was deeply controversial in Ireland, in part because it helped solidify the country's partition, with six of the 32 counties remaining in the UK as Northern Ireland. The split between pro-Treaty and anti-Treaty partisans led to the Irish Civil War (1922-23). The traditionally dominant political parties in Ireland, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, are de facto descendants of the opposing sides of the treaty debate. Ireland declared itself a republic in 1949 and formally left the British Dominion. Beginning in the 1960s, deep sectarian divides between the Catholic and Protestant populations and systemic discrimination in Northern Ireland erupted into…
Location
Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain
Area
total : 70,273 sq km land: 68,883 sq km water: 1,390 sq km
Natural resources
natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite
Natural hazards
rare extreme weather events
Population
total: 5,233,461 (2024 est.) male: 2,590,542 female: 2,642,919
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)
Religions
Roman Catholic 69.2% (includes lapsed), Protestant 3.7% (Church of Ireland/England/Anglican/Episcopalian 2.5%, other Protestant 1.2%), Orthodox 2%, other Christian 0.9%, Muslim 1.6%, other 1.4%, agnostic/atheist 0.1%, none 14.5%, unspecified 6.7% (2022 est.)
Environmental issues
water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff; deforestation, including problems with acid rain
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
name: Dublin geographic coordinates: 53 19 N, 6 14 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: derived from the Irish words dubh (black or dark) and linn (pool), referring to the color of the Liffey River
Executive branch
chief of state: President Catherine CONNOLLY (since 11 November 2025) head of government: Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Michael MARTIN (since 23 January 2025) cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president, approved by the Dali Eireann (lower house of Parliament) election/appointment process: president directly elected by majority popular vote for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); taoiseach (prime minister) nominated by the House of Representatives (Dail Eireann), appointed by the president most recent election date: 26 October 2018 election results: 2025: Michael MARTIN is elected taoiseach by parliament, 95 votes to 76, and is appointed taoiseach by the president 2024: Simon HARRIS is elected taoiseach by parliament, 88 votes to 69, and is appointed taoiseach by the president 2018: Michael D. HIGGINS reelected president in first round; percent of vote in first round - Michael D. HIGGINS (independent) 55.8%, Peter CASEY (independent) 23.3%, Sean GALLAGHER (independent) 6.4%, Liadh NI RIADA (Sinn Fein) 6.4%, Joan FREEMAN (independent) 6%, Gavin DUFFY (independent) 2.2% expected date of next election: no later than November 2025
Legislative branch
legislature name: Parliament (Oireachtas) legislative structure: bicameral
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$620.544 billion (2024 est.) $613.056 billion (2023 est.) $648.943 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$115,300 (2024 est.) $115,500 (2023 est.) $124,500 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.1% (2024 est.) 6.3% (2023 est.) 7.8% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
USA 28%, Germany 11%, UK 8%, Belgium 8%, China 7% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
UK 20%, USA 17%, France 10%, China 7%, Germany 7% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Irish Defense Forces (Oglaigh na h-Eireannn): Army, Air Corps, Naval Service, Reserve Defense Forces (2025) note: An Garda Siochana (or Garda) is the national police force and maintains internal security under the auspices of the Department of Justice
Military expenditures
0.2% of GDP (2024 est.) 0.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.3% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.3% of GDP (2021 est.) 0.3% of GDP (2020 est.)