As of 2021, Ireland has a population of 5 million, making it the 123rd largest country in the world by this measure. There are 49.5% males and 50.5% females.

There are 2.2 million people employed in Ireland, with an unemployment rate of 6% – 142,800 people.


Ireland is the 40th largest economy in the world with a GDP of $296.9bn. Ireland’s GDP has grown by 59% between 2010 and 2021 and is expected to grow by 21% by 2025.

As of 2021 there are 253,600 students in tertiary education in Ireland, with 435,700 students in secondary and 561,400 in primary education. Ireland spent 3% of its GDP on education in 2019.

Ireland ranked 24th in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report (2020). In the 2019 report it finished 23rd. In the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report (2019), Ireland finished 24th, after ranking 24th in 2018.

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Public healthcare expenditure totalled $19.4bn and private healthcare expenditure equalled $7bn in 2018.

The largest urban areas in Ireland are Dublin (2.2 million people), Dublin Region (1.4 million) and Cork (726,100).