Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Ireland: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCB, ranked #60 of 195).
Ireland is a parliamentary republic in Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain. The country's capital is Dublin; it covers 70,273 sq km. Independence: 6 December 1921 (from the UK); 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. Population: 5.2 million (2024 estimate). Population growth: +0.80% per year. Median …
| 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% |
| Unemployment | 4.4% |
| 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 |
| 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) |
MCB · 54/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ 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.
Natural gas, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Silver, Barite, Gypsum.
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 |
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. |
MCB · 54 Ranked #60 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Ireland.
