Country explorer: Ireland

Ireland has experienced a dynamic economic transformation, reflected in its significant GDP per capita growth, outpacing many of its peers, alongside marked fluctuations in unemployment rates and modest inflation, highlighting its transition into a resilient, high-income economy with unique challenges and successes in maintaining economic stability and growth.

Ireland has experienced notable demographic shifts, including robust population growth, significant net migration inflows, a gradually declining fertility rate though remaining above the average of high-income peers, and a consistent improvement in life expectancy, highlighting its dynamic demographic profile amidst challenges common to developed nations.

Ireland has demonstrated remarkable progress in ensuring near-universal access to clean cooking fuels and electricity, while significantly enhancing the share of its population using safely managed drinking water and sanitation facilities, aligning its basic needs infrastructure with the high standards of its high-income country peers.

Ireland has seen significant growth in human development, demonstrated through improvements in health, education, and living standards, aligning its progress closely with other high-income countries, yet showcasing a remarkable increase in learning-adjusted years of schooling, setting a noteworthy example of investment in educational quality.

Ireland has experienced a notable increase in forest area, a significant rise in renewable energy sources (particularly wind), and a fluctuation in freshwater resources, mirroring a broader global focus on sustainability and renewable energy, yet facing unique challenges and successes in environmental management.

Ireland has demonstrated a strong trajectory in digitalization and technology, showcasing an impressive increase in internet usage, mobile phone subscriptions, investment in research and development, and scientific outputs, aligning with trends observed in other high-income countries, yet distinctively capitalizing on its robust tech sector to drive innovation and economic growth.

Ireland has experienced a significant transformation, highlighted by an increasing immigrant population, high self-reported life satisfaction, notable progress in gender equality, and a changing age dependency ratio, positioning it as a model of rapid socio-economic evolution among high-income countries.

Ireland has demonstrated consistent progress in governance, with significant improvements in the rule of law, a stable perception of low corruption, and robust political and civil liberties, positioning it as a leading example of democratic governance among high-income countries.