Ireland

parliamentary republic

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

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

legislature name: Parliament (Oireachtas) legislative structure: bicameral

highest court(s): Supreme Court of Ireland (consists of the chief justice, 9 judges, 2 ex-officio members -- the presidents of the High Court and Court of Appeal -- and organized in 3-, 5-, or 7-judge panels, depending on the importance or complexity of an issue of law) judge selection and term of office: judges nominated by the prime minister and Cabinet and appointed by the president; chief justice serves in the position for 7 years; judges can serve until age 70 subordinate courts: High Court, Court of Appeal; circuit and district courts; criminal courts

history: previous 1922; latest drafted 14 June 1937, adopted by plebiscite 1 July 1937, effective 29 December 1937 amendment process: proposed as bills by Parliament; passage requires majority vote by both the Senate and House of Representatives, majority vote in a referendum, and presidential signature

ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

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.)

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

18-38 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service (2026) note 1: as of 2025, women made up about 7.5% of the military's full-time personnel note 2: the Defense Forces are open to refugees under the Refugee Act of 1996 and nationals of the European Economic Area, which include EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway

the Irish Defense Forces (IDF) are responsible for external defense, assisting civil authorities upon request, participating in multinational peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, and providing for maritime security; the IDF traces its origins back to the Irish Volunteers, a unit established in 1913 which took part in the 1916 Easter Rising and the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921) Ireland has a long-standing policy of military neutrality; however, Ireland is a signatory of the EU s Common Security and Defense Policy and has committed a battalion of troops to the EU s Rapid Reaction Force; Ireland is not a member of NATO but has a relationship with it going back to 1997, when it deployed personnel in support of the NATO-led peacekeeping operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina; Ireland joined NATO s Partnership for Peace program in 1999; it has been active in UN peacekeeping operations since the 1950s (2025)

330 Lebanon (UNIFIL); also contributes small numbers of troops to EU, NATO, and other UN missions (2025)

$620.544 billion (2024 est.) $613.056 billion (2023 est.) $648.943 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$115,300 (2024 est.) $115,500 (2023 est.) $124,500 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

1.2% (2024 est.) -5.5% (2023 est.) 8.6% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

2.1% (2024 est.) 6.3% (2023 est.) 7.8% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

45.4% of GDP (2022 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

$761.876 billion (2023 est.) $763.233 billion (2022 est.) $722.655 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$580.399 billion (2023 est.) $536.882 billion (2022 est.) $500.334 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

4.4% (2024 est.) 4.3% (2023 est.) 4.6% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $118.231 billion (2022 est.) expenditures: $108.693 billion (2022 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

pharmaceuticals, chemicals, computer hardware and software, food products, beverages and brewing; medical devices

milk, barley, beef, wheat, potatoes, pork, oats, chicken, rapeseed, beans (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 5,233,461 (2024 est.) male: 2,590,542 female: 2,642,919

0.8% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 18.6% (male 498,124/female 477,848) 15-64 years: 65.5% (male 1,701,680/female 1,728,041) 65 years and over: 15.8% (2024 est.) (male 390,738/female 437,030)

10.95 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

7.43 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

4.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 82 years (2024 est.) male: 80.3 years female: 83.9 years

urban population: 64.5% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.15% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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.)

English (official, the language generally used), Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official, spoken by approximately 37.7% of the population)

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.)

natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite

Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA); Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA); Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

refugees: 156,441 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 48 (2024 est.)

100 (2025)

total: 1,688 km (2020) 53 km electrified

total: 94 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 12, general cargo 32, oil tanker 1, other 49

total subscriptions: 5.76 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 113 (2022 est.)

percent of population: 97% (2023 est.)