Ireland — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Ireland: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Ireland is in Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain. It covers 70,273 sq km. 6 December 1922 (Irish Free State established); 18 April 1949 (Republic of Ireland Act enabled). Terrain: mostly flat to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast. Climate: temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time.
| Capital | Dublin |
|---|---|
| Population | 5,233,461 (2024 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $620.544 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $115,300 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 1.2% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 2.1% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 4.4% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 45.4% of GDP (2022 est.) |
| Exports | $761.876 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $580.399 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 82 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 40.5 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 64.5% of total population (2023) |
| Government | parliamentary republic |
| Independence | 6 December 1921 (from the UK); 6 December 1922 (Irish Free State established); 18 April 1949 (Republic of Ireland Act enabled) |
| Languages | English (official, the language generally used), Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official, spoken by approximately 37.7% of the population) |
Ireland’s GDP is $620.544 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $577.389 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 1.2% (2024 est.). See where Ireland ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
A neutral quarter in the truest sense: nothing happened that altered the country's course or standing.
The score records absence of momentum honestly — the deeper currents continue, unmoved by the calendar.
- What our model rewards: inflation tamed at 2.1%; a current-account surplus of $45 billion — the world pays it more than it pays out
Natural gas, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Silver, Barite, Gypsum.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 100% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 55.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 1.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 37% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 2.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 113.837 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 181.8 TWh (2024) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 30.9 TWh (2024) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 34,594 kWh per person (2024) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Gas 49.0%, Wind 37.0%, Solar 3.1%, Coal 3.1%, Oil 2.6%, Hydro 2.5% (2024) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 45.3% (2024) |
| Carbon intensity of electricity (OWID) | 279.7 gCO2/kWh (2024) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2024.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $761.876 billion (2023 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $580.399 billion (2023 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Surplus of $181.5 billion (2023), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | pharmaceuticals, chemicals, computer hardware and software, food products, beverages and brewing; medical devices |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Micheál Martin — Taoiseach. President Catherine CONNOLLY (since 11 November 2025)
Ireland maintains 71 embassies and 20 consulates abroad, hosts 64 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, UN Geneva, EU Brussels, OECD Paris, UNESCO Paris, OSCE Vienna, CoE Strasbourg. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 71 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 20 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 64 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, UN Geneva, EU Brussels, OECD Paris, UNESCO Paris, OSCE Vienna, CoE Strasbourg |
Source: Abroad: Lowy GDI 2024 via Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_diplomatic_missions . Hosted: Consular Affairs Center in-country ranking, Jan 2026 (Dublin 64). Multilateral rosters as for AUT.
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 1448 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 100 + 10 heliports (registration prefix EI) |
| Major seaports | Cobh, Cork, Dublin, Foynes |
| Railways | 1688 km |
Major airports
Cork International Airport (ORK) — Cork; Dublin Airport (DUB) — Dublin; Ireland West Airport Knock (NOC) — Charlestown; Shannon Airport (SNN) — Shannon; Donegal Airport (CFN) — Donegal; Kerry Airport (KIR) — Farranfore.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28)
| Political system | parliamentary republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Ireland.
Historical timeline of Ireland
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Ireland — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Ireland's power score?
Ireland has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.