Every figure below carries its named source and year. The Eco Index scores twelve pillars on the same scale everywhere; seven are measured from published data with fixed thresholds, five are assessed from the named sources.
Ireland at a Glance.
The score, and the four numbers that set the tone. 12 equally-weighted pillars, every pillar sourced.
Compare with:
Renewable power
48%
of electricity
Food imported
9%
of merchandise imports · ~US$14,981m a year
The Eco Index across 12 pillars · scored 0 to 5 · World Bank, OWID, WHO/UNICEF JMP, FiBL, Protected Planet, IUCN, UNESCO (2023-24)
Water
Food & farming
Plant-based
Organic
Conservation
Wildlife
Materials
Pollution
Recycling
Energy
Culture
Heritage
Facts That Surprise People About Ireland.
The numbers and firsts that change how you see Ireland, the sobering and the remarkable. Every one is dated and linked to its source.
SoberingHealth
Alcohol causes about 1,420 deaths a year
Alcohol accounted for an average of 1,420 deaths a year in Ireland from 2022 to 2024, about 4% of all deaths. That is 6% of male deaths and 1.9% of female deaths.
SoberingEnvironment
River nitrogen rose 10% in 2025
Nitrogen levels at 20 EPA monitoring sites rose 10% in 2025 compared with 2024. The EPA says agriculture is the main source, and levels in the south eastern half of the country are too high.
SoberingNature
Breeding curlews down 98% since the 1980s
A 2021 national survey found just 105 breeding pairs of curlew in Ireland, a 98% decline since the 1980s. The survey links the loss to drainage, more intensive farming, peat extraction and afforestation.
SoberingEnvironment
Farming makes 38% of Ireland's emissions
Agriculture was directly responsible for 37.9% of Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions in 2024, mainly methane from livestock and nitrous oxide from fertiliser and manure.
RemarkableHealth
The world's first workplace smoking ban
On 29 March 2004 Ireland became the first country in the world to ban smoking in workplaces, including pubs and restaurants. Adult smoking fell from 27% in 2004 to 18% in 2023.
RemarkableCulture
Hurling is UNESCO heritage
Hurling, and camogie, its women's form, were added to UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2018. UNESCO says the field game dates back 2,000 years.
Source: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Hurling · 2018
RemarkableCulture
Uilleann piping is protected by UNESCO
Uilleann piping, played on a distinctive Irish bagpipe, was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2017.
Source: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Uilleann piping · 2017
Worth knowingNature
Only 11.6% of the land is forest
Forest covered 808,850 hectares, or 11.6% of Ireland's land, in 2022, up from 10% in 2006. The national target is 18% by 2050.
The History of Ireland.
Ireland’s traditional music is vividly alive, from fiddle playing to the UNESCO-recognised uilleann piping and the informal sessions at the heart of the tradition. Sean-nós singing and dance, step and set dancing, and the Irish language all remain in use, and nearly 1.9 million people said in 2022 that they could speak Irish.
Where the name comes from
Éire in Irish, usually traced to Ériu, a goddess of the land in Irish tradition. Source: UK Permanent Committee on Geographical Names toponymic factfile.
The land itself: a flat to rolling interior plain ringed by rugged hills and low mountains, with sea cliffs along the west. Its high point is Carrauntoohil, 1,041 m. Source: Tailte Éireann, the national mapping agency, with the UK Permanent Committee on Geographical Names.
Where it starts
Newgrange, and the winter solstice
Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, probably crossing from Britain in wooden canoes, left the first substantial evidence of settlement in Ireland from around 8000 BC. The passage tomb at Newgrange in the Boyne Valley dates to about 3200 BC. At sunrise on the winter solstice, light enters through a roof box and runs along the passage to light the chamber. Between 2400 and 1800 BC Irish smiths made gold discs and crescent-shaped lunulae, and more than 80 of the over 100 lunulae known from western Europe were found in Ireland.
How it got here
Law, manuscripts, hunger
Ireland’s native Brehon law, passed down orally since Celtic times, was first written down in the seventh century. Columban monks produced the Book of Kells around 800. Viking raids from 795 were followed by bases at Dublin, Waterford and Limerick that grew into Ireland’s first towns, and Norman knights took Wexford in 1169. Between 1845 and 1850 around 800,000 people died and a further two million emigrated, and the population did not return to its pre-famine level. The Irish Free State was established in 1922, and the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 declared that the description of the state would be the Republic of Ireland.
The timeline
c. 8000 BC
The first people.
Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, probably crossing from Britain in wooden canoes, leave the first substantial evidence of settlement in Ireland. They concentrate their activities on waterways. Source
c. 3200 BC
Newgrange.
The passage tomb at Newgrange in the Boyne Valley is built. At sunrise on the winter solstice, light passes through a roof box and along the passage to light up the chamber. Source
c. 2400 to 1800 BC
Early gold.
Irish smiths hammer gold, probably taken from river gravels, into thin discs and crescent-shaped neck ornaments called lunulae. More than 100 lunulae are known from western Europe, and more than 80 of them were found in Ireland. Source
7th century
Brehon law.
Ireland's native law, passed down orally since Celtic times, is written down for the first time. It stays in use until English common law replaces it in the 17th century. Source
c. 800
Christianity and manuscripts.
Columban monks make the Book of Kells, an illuminated gospel book, most likely at Iona. After a Viking raid on Iona in 806, the community takes refuge in a new monastery at Kells in County Meath. Source
795 onward
Norse raids and towns.
The first recorded Viking raids strike islands off the north and west coasts. Dublin is founded as a Viking base in 841, and in the 10th century Viking bases including Dublin, Waterford and Limerick grow into Ireland's first towns. Source
1169 onward
Norman and English conquest.
Norman knights and archers capture Wexford in 1169. In October 1171 Henry II of England lands with a large army to assert royal authority over Ireland. Source
From 1845
The Great Hunger.
Around 800,000 people died of starvation or famine-related disease between 1845 and 1850, and a further two million emigrated. The population fell from 8.2 million in 1841 to 6.6 million in 1851. Source
1922
Independence.
Dáil Éireann, sitting as a constituent assembly, proclaims the establishment of the Irish Free State and enacts its constitution, giving force to the 1921 treaty with Great Britain. Source
National Museum of Ireland · UNESCO World Heritage, Brú na Bóinne, Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne · National Museum of Ireland, The Winter solstice at Newgrange · National Museum of Ireland, Early Bronze Age Gold · National Museum of Ireland, The Viking Age in Ireland · National Museums NI, Who lived in Ireland before Neolithic times? · Maynooth University, Higgins, The Lost Legal System, Pre-Common Law Ireland and the Brehon Law (2011) · Trinity College Dublin Library, The Book of Kells · Ulster University CAIN, Chronology of Irish History 1169 to 1799 · Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, The Great Irish Famine education leaflet · Irish Statute Book, Constitution of the Irish Free State (Saorstát Eireann) Act 1922 · Irish Statute Book, Republic of Ireland Act 1948
Nature and Biodiversity in Ireland.
Protected areas cover about 14% of land and only 2.4% of the sea (World Bank, 2025), across a network of national parks and designated sites that grew in April 2024 with Pairc Naisiunta na Mara, Ciarrai, Ireland's first marine national park. Management is widely criticised, with the EU taking action over degraded special areas of conservation and drained, overgrazed peatlands, so effective protection is weaker than the coverage suggests.
Is wild Ireland protected? 14.2% of the land is, against a 30% target for 2030
How protected is nature in Ireland?
Forest cover12%
Terrestrial protected area14.2%
Marine protected area2.4%
62 (mammals, birds, fish & plants) listed as threatened.
World Bank Open Data · Protected Planet (UNEP-WCMC / WDPA) · GBIF occurrence data · IUCN Red List, threatened species by country (Summary Statistics, Table 5) · World Bank, Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters): Ireland · World Bank (IUCN data), Plant species (higher), threatened: Ireland · World Bank (IUCN data), Fish species, threatened: Ireland · World Bank (IUCN data), Mammal species, threatened: Ireland · World Bank (IUCN data), Bird species, threatened: Ireland
Found only here. Few endemics; the Irish hare and pollan fish are notable native forms
The watchlist
ThreatenedOryctolagus cuniculus Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Ireland in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedBalearic Shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Ireland in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedGulf Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Ireland in GBIF occurrence data (turtle).
ThreatenedBluet (Dipturus batis) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Ireland in GBIF occurrence data (shark or ray).
ThreatenedGiant Herb-Robert (Geranium maderense) Giant Herb-Robert (Geranium maderense) is native to Madeira, not to Ireland. It is grown in Irish gardens and appears in the wild only as a naturalised garden escape, which is why the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland classes it as a neophyte here rather than a native.
ThreatenedEchium pininana Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Ireland in GBIF occurrence data (plant).
ThreatenedAnguilla anguilla Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Ireland in GBIF occurrence data (species).
What is still here, and what is gone?
Tap a species for the honest status.
Closest to being lost, by name
Balearic Shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Ireland. GBIF holds 106 verified occurrence records.
Gulf Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Ireland. GBIF holds 2 verified occurrence records.
Bluet (Dipturus batis)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Ireland. GBIF holds 160 verified occurrence records.
Species named here are drawn from GBIF occurrence records for Ireland filtered to the IUCN Red List threatened categories. Species are listed where GBIF holds occurrence records for them in this country. Record counts are not published here because the figure cannot be reproduced from a public GBIF query.
Who is putting it back
National park in County Kerry, mapped and named in the open record for Ireland. OpenStreetMap.
National park in County Donegal, mapped and named in the open record for Ireland. OpenStreetMap.
National park in County Galway, mapped and named in the open record for Ireland. OpenStreetMap.
National park in County Wexford, mapped and named in the open record for Ireland. OpenStreetMap.
National park in County Wicklow, mapped and named in the open record for Ireland. OpenStreetMap.
National park in County Mayo, mapped and named in the open record for Ireland. OpenStreetMap.
Water and Ocean in Ireland.
Ireland has a wet maritime climate with abundant rainfall, rivers such as the Shannon and plentiful groundwater, and about 96% of people have safely managed drinking water (JMP, 2024). Recurring boil-water notices and ageing infrastructure under Uisce Éireann keep it below the top band.
Does Ireland have enough fresh water? Yes, with headroom
96.1% of people here have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Tap water is safe for a visitor nearly everywhere.
Cleanest water: Western spring-fed rivers and upland lakes
How much fresh water does Ireland have, per person?
9,400 m³
Ireland
1,000 m³
the UN “water scarce” line
Ireland withdraws about 1,673 million cubic metres of fresh water a year (2022). That is 8.1% of the fresh water actually available to it, which FAO counts as no water stress. Of what is taken, farming takes 2%, homes and towns 66%, industry 32%. Source: FAO AQUASTAT.
What are the rules on Ireland beaches?
✓Tap water: Drinkable.
✓Plastic rules: Plastic bag levy since 2002; EU single-use plastic ban.
✓Solo travel: rated easy on the record for this destination.
✕Marine protection: 2.4% of the sea is protected. The 30x30 pledge for 2030 is not met yet.
Named on the open map: Ballybrassil Beach, Ballyhealy Beach, Bathing Cove, Carne Beach, Coss Strand, Dromina Strand, Glenawilling Beach, Glenmore Strand. That is 17 named beaches in the public record for Ireland, each one a place you can look up before you go. OpenStreetMap.
Where does the sewage go?
81.3%
of people have safely managed sanitation
81.3% of people here use a safely managed sanitation service, meaning waste is contained, emptied and treated rather than reaching the ground or the sea untreated (2024, World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP, SDG 6.2.1). The rest is what the rivers and the coast receive.
How is the sea around Ireland doing?
One cross-section, every answer measured.
Surface
What the coast carries
Mild, wet and green; the west coast weather changes hourly.
Nearshore
Protected water
2.4% of territorial waters are protected, against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Cleanest
Where the water is cleanest
Western spring-fed rivers and upland lakes.
The record
Measured
Ireland has a wet maritime climate with abundant rainfall, rivers such as the Shannon and plentiful groundwater, and about 96% of people have safely managed drinking water (JMP, 2024). Recurring boil-water notices and ageing infrastructure under Uisce Éireann keep it below the top band.
Ireland scored 74 out of 100 on the Ocean Health Index in its 2025 assessment, above the global average of 72, and ranked 67th of 220 coastal regions. The index team says it is no longer updating scores, so the 2025 figures may be the last.
Sea protected
2.4%
Against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Threatened species
62 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
Mammals, birds, fish and higher plants on the IUCN list.
Is the tap water safe in Ireland?
96.1% of people have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Renewable fresh water works out at about 9,400 cubic metres per person a year (World Bank).
How hard is the water supply being pushed?
Of every 10 buckets nature refills, 1 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 8.1% of what Ireland renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is inside the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply has headroom.
When is the best time to visit Ireland? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
How much fresh water does Ireland actually have?
Nature renews about 9,400 cubic metres of fresh water per person per year here. That ranks Ireland 156 of 208 countries measured, putting it in the wetter half of the world. The UN treats anything under 1,000 cubic metres as water scarce, and this is above that line. World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT.
Food and Drink in Ireland.
Ireland is a major food exporter, with agri-food exports worth over €18 billion in 2023, more than €12 billion of it dairy and meat. It also imported over €13 billion of agri-food that year, mainly animal feed, drinks, cereals, dairy, and fruit and vegetables, and it does not produce the flour it needs for its bread.
Where does the food in Ireland come from?
9.4% imported
about US$14,981m a year
On the plate: Potatoes, oats, cabbage and root vegetables
1 of 10
bites are imported
The island buys in more food energy than it eats. About US$14,981m a year leaves the country to pay for it. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
Food is 9.4% of everything Ireland imports (2024, World Bank). Farming itself is 1.1% of the economy and 65.1% of the land is agricultural, of which 6.4% is arable. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
What is killing people in Ireland? The imported diet.
Cause of death, and the diet behind it.
Non-communicable diseases, all combined81.7%
Diabetes3.6%
Figures obtained from the health service by Róisín Shortall TD show that 645 people with diabetes had a lower limb amputation in 2021, two thirds (67 per cent) of all such operations that year. The same figures show 3,179 hospital admissions of people with diabetes for foot complications in 2021. Diabetes Ireland published them in October 2022. Source: Diabetes Ireland.
Adults living with overweight or obesity. 64.7%.
Can Ireland feed itself?
6.4%
Arable land
65.2%
Agricultural land
112,234
Farmers
1,084,791
Arable acres
1.1%
Agriculture, share of GDP
Harvest: Autumn, for cereals and potatoes
Feeding itself
Ireland is a major food exporter, especially grass-fed beef and dairy, so it is highly self-sufficient in animal products while importing most fruit, vegetables and cereals. Farming remains central to the rural economy.
Certification
Organic land reached about 5.0% of agricultural area in 2024 (Eurostat, area under organic farming), up from 1.7% in 2020, when it was among the lowest shares in the EU against an EU average of 9.1%, after national and CAP schemes expanded it.
Water for crops
Ireland has a wet maritime climate with abundant rainfall, rivers such as the Shannon and plentiful groundwater, and about 96% of people have safely managed drinking water (JMP, 2024). Recurring boil-water notices and ageing infrastructure under Uisce Éireann keep it below the top band.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certification covers only part of what is grown cleanly, so a small certified share is a gap in the paperwork rather than proof that nothing is. What the official land record does show: 65.1% of the country is agricultural land and 6.4% is arable (2023, World Bank). Certification is paid for per farm per year by a foreign body, which prices out smallholders, so the organic number reads worse than the practice.
What actually grows here
BarleyWheatPotatoesOatsRapeseedBeans
The food that already fits
The plant-based kitchen here is not an import. By tonnage, the largest crops grown in Ireland are barley, wheat, potatoes and oats (FAO, FAOSTAT crop production, 2024). That is what the land itself puts on a plate.
Buy direct where residents buy: Bantry Market, Blackrock Food Market, Blackrock Market, Blackrock Sunday Market, Books and Browsables Market, Cahir Farmers Market. Each is a mapped, named marketplace, so the money stays with the seller rather than the importer. OpenStreetMap.
Not yet checked by us. Plant based kitchens listed publicly: Cornucopia, vegan and vegetarian restaurant in Dublin (Wicklow Street): plant based breakfasts, salads, hot dishes and vegan cakes; Govinda's, vegan and vegetarian restaurant in Dublin (Abbey Street): meat and dairy free lasagne, chickpea curry and carob brownies; The Saucy Cow, vegan burger bar in Dublin (Temple Bar): seitan burgers, wraps and loaded fries; It's a Trap, plant based micro bakery in Dublin (Aungier Street): wraps and cashew cheese cinnamon rolls. Tell us how they are.
Is this grown in Ireland?
Tap a food for the honest answer.
PotatoesOatsCabbageRoot vegetables
World Bank Open Data · FAO, FAOSTAT crop production · World Health Organization · FAO AQUASTAT · Diabetes Ireland, Latest figures of diabetes related amputations published (October 2022) · Visit Dublin (Fáilte Ireland), Vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Dublin · Ifac, Ireland, an agrifood exporting and importing island (2024)
Climate and Energy in Ireland.
Ireland has cut power-sector emissions as wind has grown to about a third of electricity, with renewables reaching 40.7% of supply in 2023 (SEAI) and offshore wind planned to expand further. Its territorial CO2 emissions were around 6.3 tonnes per person in 2024 (Our World in Data, Global Carbon Project), while agriculture also makes the country's wider greenhouse-gas profile unusually high. The legally binding Climate Act 2021 sets net-zero by 2050 and a 51% cut by 2030. Natural gas still anchors the grid, placing Ireland in the middle band.
What powers Ireland?
Renewable 48.2%Fossil 51.8%
EirGrid, which is owned by the Irish Government, operates the transmission grid and the electricity market. ESB owns the transmission and distribution networks, and its ESB Networks business runs the distribution system. ESB is 97.7 per cent owned by the state, with the other 2.3 per cent held by the trustees of an employee share plan. Both are regulated by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). In December 2025 the CRU approved €13.8 billion of grid and network investment for 2026 to 2030, €11.4 billion for ESB Networks and €2.4 billion for EirGrid, rising to as much as €18.9 billion if delivery targets are met. It estimates this adds €12 to €21 a year to network charges on a typical bill.
Climate pollution per person
The safe amount, what the planet can absorb
2 tonnes
One person here
6.04 tonnes
The world average, for comparison
4.7 tonnes
The worst it ever got
11.91 tonnes
The grid
Ireland has cut power-sector emissions as wind has grown to about a third of electricity, with renewables reaching 40.7% of supply in 2023 (SEAI) and offshore wind planned to expand further. Its territorial CO2 emissions were around 6.3 tonnes per person in 2024 (Our World in Data, Global Carbon Project), while agriculture also makes the country's wider greenhouse-gas profile unusually high.
Pollution
Air is clean by international standards at about 7.5 µg/m³ PM2.5 (World Bank, 2023), and Ireland introduced its national plastic bag levy in 2002, since when plastic carrier bags in litter have fallen by more than 92%, followed by EU single-use plastic rules. Winter solid-fuel burning still causes local smoke, and litter is a persistent problem in places.
Water stress
Ireland has a wet maritime climate with abundant rainfall, rivers such as the Shannon and plentiful groundwater, and about 96% of people have safely managed drinking water (JMP, 2024). Recurring boil-water notices and ageing infrastructure under Uisce Éireann keep it below the top band.
What pollutes most here
1The grid The share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.62.8%
2Industry Peat and turf extraction and intensive dairy expansion.named
3Air Modelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.7.5 µg/m³ (PM2.5)
4On the record Air is clean by international standards at about 7.5 µg/m³ PM2.5 (World Bank, 2023), and Ireland introduced its national plastic bag levy in 2002, since when plastic carrier bags in litter have fallen by more than 92%, followed by EU single-use plastic rules.
What has Ireland promised on climate?
Net zero, whole economy2050
Electricity renewable today37.2% (2021)
Land protected, against a 30% target14.2% by 2025
Sea protected, against a 30% target2.4% by 2025
The net-zero target year on file with Climate Watch is 2050, status: in law; in policy document. Measured against it, 37.2% of electricity is already renewable (2021, World Bank), so 62.8% of the grid is still to be converted. The pledge on file is measured here against what has actually been delivered, not taken on its own (UNFCCC NDC Registry, CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3).
The biggest line item
One return flight against a whole year of living.
A resident's entire year6.04 t CO2e
Safe-climate budget, per year2 t CO2e
Sydney return, economy3.1 t CO2e
Singapore return, economy2.02 t CO2e
Johannesburg return, economy1.7 t CO2e
Los Angeles return, economy1.5 t CO2e
Dubai return, economy1.07 t CO2e
How much CO2 does flying to Ireland emit?
Tap where you would fly from. One return flight, economy.
Firsts on climate finance. Ireland has sold Irish Sovereign Green Bonds since 2018, through the National Treasury Management Agency. The money goes into the state's general fund and is then matched against eligible green spending in six areas, from clean transport and renewable energy to water and climate adaptation. In August 2026 the NTMA reported €13,665 million of these bonds outstanding, with €13,900 million allocated to green projects since 2018, including €2,308 million in 2025 alone.
Climate Watch (WRI) · UNFCCC NDC Registry · World Bank Open Data · UK DESNZ greenhouse gas conversion factors · Commission for Regulation of Utilities, Energy compliance and enforcement · EirGrid, About · ESB, About ESB · Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU approves record investment in Ireland's electricity grid and network (16 December 2025) · NTMA, Irish Sovereign Green Bond Allocation Report for 2025 and Impact Report for 2024 (20 August 2026) · NTMA, Irish Sovereign Green Bond Allocation Report for 2024 and Impact Report for 2023 (6 August 2025)
AI and Data Centres in Ireland.
Every prompt runs on a machine in a building on somebody’s grid. What that costs the planet depends less on the prompt than on what is burning to power it. Here is what would power one in Ireland.
Data centres
24
Registered colocation and interconnection facilities, PeeringDB, 2026
Share of national electricity
21.0 %
Of all power used in the country.
Grid renewable
48.2 %
What a machine here runs on.
What powers a data centre in Ireland?
Most of the power behind a machine here is still burned.
Renewable 48.2%Fossil 51.8%
Cooling water. Every one of those halls runs on the national grid, which is 37.2% renewable today (World Bank). A data centre is only as clean as the electricity behind it, so the same figure that decides this country's climate score also decides the footprint of the AI running inside it. Cooling water use is not separately published by facility, and no operator here reports it.
The rules. Ireland has 24 colocation and interconnection facilities on the public PeeringDB register, concentrated in Dublin (20), Cork City (1), Galway (1), alongside 6 internet exchanges (INEX LAN1, ExWest, INEX LAN2, INEX Cork). Named sites include Equinix DB1 - Dublin, CityWest, Digital Realty Dublin DUB1-2, Equinix DB2 - Dublin, Kilcarbery, Digital Realty Dublin DUB10.
Where the cables land. 14 landing points · Ballinesker, Ballygrangans, Clonshaugh, Cork
Economy and Tourism in Ireland.
33% residents to 67% visitors across a year. 10,951,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 5,484,367 people who live here (2025, World Bank / UN Tourism).
Where a visitor dollar goes in Ireland
10,951k
Visitors a year
2.0
Visitors per resident
How deep in debt is Ireland?· for every $100 Ireland earns in a year, it owes…
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · the 2012 peak
$ 119The worst year on the IMF record. Ireland owed $119 for every $100 it earned.
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2012signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · today
$ 32What is owed now, for every $100 of national income (2026).
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · projected 2031
$ 28The IMF's own forecast has this falling to $28 by 2031.
IMF World Economic Outlook projection, 2031signed, the forecast
For every $100 Ireland earns in a year, it owes $32 (2026, IMF World Economic Outlook). The interest on that is paid before schools, clinics or coastline get their turn.
Where does a tourist dollar actually go in Ireland?
Play one tourist dollar around the board. Every square is a measured fact from this page.
START!
1
GO: a visitor lands
$100 goes on the table. 10,951,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 5,484,367 residents, 2.0 visitors for every resident (World Bank / UN Tourism).
$100 in play2
The bed
Who owns the largest places to stay in Ireland is not published in the records we can check, so this square is left open rather than guessed. Where a listing names its owner, it is shown in the ownership table below.
not published3
The plate
Food is only 9.4% of everything Ireland imports (2024, World Bank), so most of a meal is bought from producers inside the country. Eating what the land here actually grows, barley, wheat, potatoes, oats, rapeseed, beans, keeps that money with the grower.
mostly home-grown4
The power
62.8% of the electricity is fossil (2021, World Bank). Lighting, cooling and hot water are paid for largely in imported fuel.
burns away5
What actually stays
On the parts that can be measured, the power leaves and the plate stays. It is genuinely a coin toss, decided by what you book.
split6
Pay the bank first
Ireland owes $32 for every $100 it earns (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). The interest is paid before anything else on this board.
$32 per $1007
No plan B
33.6% of everything Ireland sells abroad is pharmaceuticals (2023, UN Comtrade). One market moving takes the whole board with it.
33.6% one export8
Community chest
Tourism earns 0.7% of everything Ireland makes from exports (2020, World Bank / UN Tourism). That is how much of the economy depends on the game continuing.
0.7% of exports9
The flight
Getting here is usually the biggest single line on the bill. From Sydney a return economy seat is 3.10 t CO2, on the UK Government's published conversion factors. It is the one part of the trip this board cannot reduce.
3.10 t CO210
Back to GO
The economy turns over about US$779 billion a year (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). Every lap of this board is a choice about how much of it stays.
US$779bnGDPUS$721.7bn
Agriculture, share of GDP1.1%
Visitors a year10,951,000
Visitors per resident2
Residents~5,484,367
Agriculture
Farming is 1.1% of the economy. Ireland is a major food exporter, especially grass-fed beef and dairy, so it is highly self-sufficient in animal products while importing most fruit, vegetables and cereals.
Natural materials
Living natural-fibre traditions remain strong, above all Aran wool hand-knits and Donegal tweed, alongside Foxford and other woollen mills, with Irish linen now largely historic.
Energy
Ireland has cut power-sector emissions as wind has grown to about a third of electricity, with renewables reaching 40.7% of supply in 2023 (SEAI) and offshore wind planned to expand further. Its territorial CO2 emissions were around 6.3 tonnes per person in 2024 (Our World in Data, Global Carbon Project), while agriculture also makes the country's wider greenhouse-gas profile unusually high.
Who owns the biggest hotels in Ireland?
By rooms · company records and press.
Slieve Aughty Centre · ~9 roomsIndependentnot published
Atlantic Bay Rest · ~4 roomsIndependentnot published
Visitors, over time
20148,813k
20159,528k
201610,100k
201710,338k
201810,926k
201910,951k
International tourism receipts run at about US$4.16 billion in 2020 (World Bank / UN Tourism). That is 0.7% of everything the country earns from exports.
How much of your money actually stays here?
Tap the holiday you are planning.
Visiting Ireland, whoever you are.
Resort guest, villa renter, family, nomad or backpacker. The honest playbook for each, from the same sourced numbers.
Already booked a resort? · the rescue list
Five swaps that move your money back on-island
1. Eat where the country eats Choose kitchens cooking what the land here grows, barley, wheat, potatoes, oats, rapeseed and beans, over an imported menu. The checked list
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays. Eco tours
3. Stay somewhere locally owned Ownership decides where the room rate books. Eco stays
4. Use the transport residents use Trains and intercity buses; a car is useful for the west and coast
5. Buy the craft, not the souvenir Natural-materials work made here pays the maker directly; imported gifts pay a shipping line.
Swipe
First time here
Ireland is water-rich and famed for its green landscape and living wool, tweed and Gaeltacht traditions, yet it is one of Europe's least forested and least organically farmed countries.
Best time: Late spring to early autumn
Getting around
Trains and intercity buses; a car is useful for the west and coast
Transport is where the fare either stays or leaves.
Eating here
The everyday plate that actually grows here is barley, wheat, potatoes, oats, rapeseed and beans. Ordering those keeps the money with the grower and cuts the imported share of the meal.
Eating what the country grows is the cheapest way to cut the import bill.
Good to know
Cards everywhere; EUR. Pubs are the social network.
Rate my hotel. Tap yours for the honest verdict.
Ownership from company records and press.
Who owns the places to stay
Slieve Aughty CentreIndependent · 9 rooms
Atlantic Bay RestIndependent · 4 rooms
None of the 2 properties listed here publishes who ultimately owns it, so no claim is made either way. Ownership is what decides how much of a room rate stays in the country, which is why we show it when a listing states it.
Society and Governance in Ireland.
How well is Ireland actually run?
Governance, measured · World Bank WGI
Four measured answers, none of them opinion. Averaged across corruption control, delivery and accountability, Ireland scores 83 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That is a state that generally does what it says it will do, which is what makes a climate pledge worth reading.
What is daily life in Ireland really like? Measured
Getting around, breathing, throwing away, learning. The honest checklist.
TransportAirWaterWastePower
✓How you get around Trains and intercity buses; a car is useful for the west and coast
Made in Ireland.
Living natural-fibre traditions remain strong, above all Aran wool hand-knits and Donegal tweed, alongside Foxford and other woollen mills, with Irish linen now largely historic. Every step of processing done at home is value that stops leaving the country.
What Ireland actually sells the world
The single biggest thing Ireland sells the world is pharmaceuticals, 33.6% of all exports in 2023 (about US$71.56 billion, UN Comtrade). The next four are organic chemicals at 20.9%, optical, medical and precision instruments at 9.3%, essential oils, perfumery and cosmetics at 5.0%, electrical machinery and electronics at 4.9%.
Sells now · 33.6% of exports
Pharmaceuticals
Pharmaceuticals is 33.6% of everything Ireland sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$71.56 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 20.9% of exports
Organic chemicals
Organic chemicals is 20.9% of everything Ireland sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$44.59 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 9.3% of exports
Optical, medical and precision instruments
Optical, medical and precision instruments is 9.3% of everything Ireland sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$19.85 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 5.0% of exports
Essential oils, perfumery and cosmetics
Essential oils, perfumery and cosmetics is 5.0% of everything Ireland sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$10.73 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 4.9% of exports
Electrical machinery and electronics
Electrical machinery and electronics is 4.9% of everything Ireland sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$10.53 billion. UN Comtrade.
Could make · grown here already
Potatoes
Grown in Ireland and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
Could make · grown here already
Oats
Grown in Ireland and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
Could make · grown here already
Dairy
Grown in Ireland and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
The maths for an entrepreneur. Ireland produces about US$722 billion a year, which is roughly US$131,592 per person (2025, World Bank). Farming is 1.1% of that, while food is 9.4% of everything the country imports. The country buys in more food than its own farms contribute to the economy, and every point of that gap is a business someone could build here rather than ship in. With 6.4% of the land arable, the raw material for that is already in the ground.
See the verified makersCulture in Ireland.
Irish traditional music sessions (fiddle, flute, uilleann piping)
Tunes and songs passed on mainly by ear, from reels, jigs and hornpipes to slow airs, played across Ireland and by the diaspora overseas.
Sean-nós singing and dance
Sean-nós, the old style, covers a song tradition in the Irish language and a semi-improvised percussive solo dance. Both are most closely linked with the Irish-speaking Conamara Gaeltacht.
Step dancing
A percussive solo dance with roots in 18th-century Ireland. It lives on in local traditions, Gaelic League competitions and Siamsa Tíre, the National Folk Theatre of Ireland.
Set dancingA social dance for four couples, each set made of several short figures danced to reels, jigs, hornpipes, slides and polkas. It grew from French quadrilles brought to Ireland from the 1780s.
Irish languageIn the 2022 census, 1,873,997 people said they could speak Irish, but only 71,968 spoke it daily outside the education system.
Does Ireland protect its heritage by law?
Partly, and the gaps say as much as the protections.
What is kept alive. Ireland's traditional music is vividly alive, from fiddle and flute to the UNESCO-recognised uilleann piping and the informal session culture found across the country. Sean-nos singing and dance, step and set dancing, and the Irish language remain in active use, supported by community and revival movements. Ancestral seasonal festivals rooted in the Celtic calendar, including Samhain, Bealtaine and Lughnasa, and holy-well pilgrimages continue to be observed.
Who it belongs to. Ireland retains living rooted communities, including Irish-speaking Gaeltacht areas and a strong traditional music and rural pub culture, and much tourism spend reaches local guesthouses, farms and small operators.
Only here. The Burren, a rare limestone karst where Arctic, Alpine and Mediterranean plants grow side by side.
UNESCO · Ireland's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Irish Traditional Music · Ireland's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Irish Set Dancing · Royal Anthropological Institute, research seminar by Catherine Foley on sean-nós dance · University of Galway, Sean-nós artists in residence · University of Limerick, Foley, Step Dancing in Ireland, Culture and History · Central Statistics Office, Census of Population 2022, Education and Irish Language
The Future of Ireland.
Three futures for Ireland, every one run forward from measured data.
Where the making actually happens
Named cultural and craft sites on the open map: Village Craft Centre (County Dublin), Kells Mill Craft Centre (County Kilkenny), Tregan Craft Centre (Cobh), Blessington Craft Centre (County Wicklow), Billy Murphy Craft Butchers (Waterford). OpenStreetMap. Named craft workshops on the open map: Annabel Langrish, Art & Hobby, Art and Hobby Shop, Artmines, Arts & Crafts, Cahills.
Every measured trend on one line
Run forward at the pace already recorded.
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 7.93% to 12% across 29 recorded years.
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 4.08% to 37.2% across 26 recorded years.
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 9.64 t to 6.04 t across 29 recorded years.
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 4,818k to 10,951k across 24 recorded years.
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 14.3% to 14.2% across 12 recorded years.
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 12% to 3.85% across 30 recorded years.
How much sea is protected?
Protected sea moved from 1.5% to 2.4% across 12 recorded years.
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 63.7% to 65.1% across 29 recorded years.
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 57.9% to 64.6% across 30 recorded years.
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 13.3 µg/m³ to 7.51 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 13,578 m³ to 9,400 m³ across 27 recorded years.
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 54.2% to 64.7% across 27 recorded years.
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 100% to 100% across 29 recorded years.
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 19,158 to 131,592 across 30 recorded years.
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 3,609k to 5,484k across 30 recorded years.
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 1.9% to 12.7% across 26 recorded years.
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 2,952 kg to 2,470 kg across 29 recorded years.
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 3.3% to 4% across 12 recorded years.
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 75.5 yrs to 83 yrs across 29 recorded years.
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 6,579 kg/ha to 7,325 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 1,886 kg/ha to 987 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 42.1% to 35.4% across 30 recorded years.
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 90.5 $/m3 to 305 $/m3 across 27 recorded years.
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 5.9% to 6.85% across 24 recorded years.
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 5,460 km2 to 8,328 km2 across 30 recorded years.
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 4,525 kWh to 6,497 kWh across 30 recorded years.
How have agriculture emissions moved?
Agriculture emissions moved from 22.96 to 23.31 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have building emissions moved?
Building emissions moved from 10.04 to 6.6 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have electricity/heat emissions moved?
Electricity/Heat emissions moved from 10.9 to 7.98 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have energy emissions moved?
Energy emissions moved from 30.98 to 30.72 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have industrial processes emissions moved?
Industrial Processes emissions moved from 1.82 to 3.05 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have manufacturing/construction emissions moved?
Manufacturing/Construction emissions moved from 4.15 to 3.62 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have transportation emissions moved?
Transportation emissions moved from 5.02 to 11.69 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
Worst caseCurrent pathBest case
Worst case
Every measured decline continues at the pace already recorded. The weakest pillar, wildlife at 2/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
What the best case actually asks for
Lift wildlife
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Ireland's record. As a long-isolated island Ireland has low endemism and lost its large mammals, though it holds internationally important seabird colonies, grey seals and salmon rivers. Rewilding and native woodland projects are emerging but small.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift energy
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Ireland's record. Ireland has cut power-sector emissions as wind has grown to about a third of electricity, with renewables reaching 40.7% of supply in 2023 (SEAI) and offshore wind planned to expand further.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift plant-based eating
It scores 3 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Ireland's record. Traditional Irish food is meat, dairy and potato heavy, but oats, root vegetables, brassicas and seafood are local, and plant-based options are now easy to find in towns. An everyday whole-food vegetable culture is modest rather than strong.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in Ireland.
Who is in charge of Ireland now · Office-holders from the UN Protocol and Liaison Service public list of Heads of State and Heads of Government, 20 October 2026. Legislature and election dates from IFES ElectionGuide. Constitution dates from the Constitute Project. Governance scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024.
Micheál Martin
Taoiseach (Prime Minister)
Micheál Martin is the head of government of Ireland, in office since 23 January 2025. Every climate, protection and energy pledge on this page is delivered, or not, under this administration.
Public opinion, measured
Voice and accountability, the freedom to question government scores 87.1 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 86.8 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Control of corruption scores 78.5 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 79.4 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Political stability and absence of violence scores 78.7 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 78.9 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Rule of law scores 84.2 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 84.0 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Regulatory quality scores 83.3 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 85.2 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Micheál MartinTaoiseach (Prime Minister)
Parliament (Oireachtas)Legislature, bicameral
Last election29 November 2024
Constitution1937, as revised to 2019
Government typeparliamentary republic
Ireland national goals: climate commitments on record · as recorded by Climate Watch, World Resources Institute
Plain Answers About Ireland.
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
Swipe
Is Ireland sustainable?
Ireland scores 68 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. Ireland is water-rich and famed for its green landscape and living wool, tweed and Gaeltacht traditions, yet it is one of Europe's least forested and least organically farmed countries.
Is the water in Ireland safe and plentiful?
Ireland has a wet maritime climate with abundant rainfall, rivers such as the Shannon and plentiful groundwater, and about 96% of people have safely managed drinking water (JMP, 2024). Recurring boil-water notices and ageing infrastructure under Uisce Éireann keep it below the top band.
Can Ireland feed itself?
Ireland is a major food exporter, especially grass-fed beef and dairy, so it is highly self-sufficient in animal products while importing most fruit, vegetables and cereals. Farming remains central to the rural economy.
Is it easy to eat plant-based in Ireland?
Traditional Irish food is meat, dairy and potato heavy, but oats, root vegetables, brassicas and seafood are local, and plant-based options are now easy to find in towns. An everyday whole-food vegetable culture is modest rather than strong.
How much of Ireland is actually protected?
Protected areas cover about 14% of land and only 2.4% of the sea (World Bank, 2025), across a network of national parks and designated sites that grew in April 2024 with Pairc Naisiunta na Mara, Ciarrai, Ireland's first marine national park. Management is widely criticised, with the EU taking action over degraded special areas of conservation and drained, overgrazed peatlands, so effective protection is weaker than the coverage suggests.
What wildlife is left in Ireland?
As a long-isolated island Ireland has low endemism and lost its large mammals, though it holds internationally important seabird colonies, grey seals and salmon rivers. Rewilding and native woodland projects are emerging but small.
Is Ireland on clean energy?
Ireland has cut power-sector emissions as wind has grown to about a third of electricity, with renewables reaching 40.7% of supply in 2023 (SEAI) and offshore wind planned to expand further. Its territorial CO2 emissions were around 6.3 tonnes per person in 2024 (Our World in Data, Global Carbon Project), while agriculture also makes the country's wider greenhouse-gas profile unusually high. The legally binding Climate Act 2021 sets net-zero by 2050 and a 51% cut by 2030.
How polluted is Ireland?
Air is clean by international standards at about 7.5 µg/m³ PM2.5 (World Bank, 2023), and Ireland introduced its national plastic bag levy in 2002, since when plastic carrier bags in litter have fallen by more than 92%, followed by EU single-use plastic rules. Winter solid-fuel burning still causes local smoke, and litter is a persistent problem in places.
Does recycling work in Ireland?
Municipal recycling sits in the upper-middle range, near the EU 50% target under older counting rules (Eurostat, 2023), with kerbside separation widespread.
Is the farming in Ireland organic?
Organic land reached about 5.0% of agricultural area in 2024 (Eurostat, area under organic farming), up from 1.7% in 2020, when it was among the lowest shares in the EU against an EU average of 9.1%, after national and CAP schemes expanded it.
Are there natural materials and craft in Ireland?
Living natural-fibre traditions remain strong, above all Aran wool hand-knits and Donegal tweed, alongside Foxford and other woollen mills, with Irish linen now largely historic.
Is there living culture in Ireland?
Ireland retains living rooted communities, including Irish-speaking Gaeltacht areas and a strong traditional music and rural pub culture, and much tourism spend reaches local guesthouses, farms and small operators.
What heritage does Ireland keep alive?
Ireland's traditional music is vividly alive, from fiddle and flute to the UNESCO-recognised uilleann piping and the informal session culture found across the country. Sean-nos singing and dance, step and set dancing, and the Irish language remain in active use, supported by community and revival movements. Ancestral seasonal festivals rooted in the Celtic calendar, including Samhain, Bealtaine and Lughnasa, and holy-well pilgrimages continue to be observed.
So is Ireland actually green? The measured answer
What is working: the record is thin on the headline measures, and the sourced numbers below say why.
What is not: land protected at 14.2% against a 30% mark, sea protected at 2.4% against a 30% mark, renewable electricity at 37.2% against a 100% mark.
World Bank Open Data · Protected Planet (UNEP-WCMC / WDPA) · Climate Watch (WRI) · Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026 · CIA World Factbook, Ireland (archived) · World Bank, Population, total: Ireland · World Bank, Terrestrial protected areas (% of land area): Ireland · World Bank, Renewable electricity output: Ireland · World Bank, CO2 emissions per capita: Ireland · World Bank, Cause of death by non-communicable diseases: Ireland · Central Statistics Office, Census of Population 2022, Education and Irish Language
How Ireland Ranks, region and world.
Where Ireland sits on the Eco Index, against its Europe neighbours and the 77 destinations scored worldwide.
How does Ireland compare in Europe?
1Switzerland78
2France78
3Finland77
4Slovenia77
5Portugal75
Scored Europe destinations, Eco Index.
The global top 10 of the 77 destinations scored
1Switzerland78
2France78
3Finland77
4Slovenia77
5Australia77
6Portugal75
7Germany75
8New Zealand75
9Italy73
10Spain73
Ireland sits 26 of 77 at 68/100. Every name links to its own destination page, built exactly like this one. The full ranking
What is Ireland particularly good at?
✓ Water, scored 5/5. Ireland has a wet maritime climate with abundant rainfall, rivers such as the Shannon and plentiful groundwater, and about 96% of people have safely managed drinking water (JMP, 2024). Recurring boil-water notices and ageing infrastructure under Uisce Éireann keep it below the top band.
✓ Food and farming, scored 4/5. Ireland is a major food exporter, especially grass-fed beef and dairy, so it is highly self-sufficient in animal products while importing most fruit, vegetables and cereals. Farming remains central to the rural economy.
✓ Pollution, scored 4/5. Air is clean by international standards at about 7.5 µg/m³ PM2.5 (World Bank, 2023), and Ireland introduced its national plastic bag levy in 2002, since when plastic carrier bags in litter have fallen by more than 92%, followed by EU single-use plastic rules. Winter solid-fuel burning still causes local smoke, and litter is a persistent problem in places.
Where does Ireland score worst?
✕ Wildlife, scored 2/5. As a long-isolated island Ireland has low endemism and lost its large mammals, though it holds internationally important seabird colonies, grey seals and salmon rivers. Rewilding and native woodland projects are emerging but small.
✕ Energy, scored 2/5. Ireland has cut power-sector emissions as wind has grown to about a third of electricity, with renewables reaching 40.7% of supply in 2023 (SEAI) and offshore wind planned to expand further. Its territorial CO2 emissions were around 6.3 tonnes per person in 2024 (Our World in Data, Global Carbon Project), while agriculture also makes the country's wider greenhouse-gas profile unusually high. The legally binding Climate Act 2021 sets net-zero by 2050 and a 51% cut by 2030. Natural gas still anchors the grid, placing Ireland in the middle band.
✕ Plant-based eating, scored 3/5. Traditional Irish food is meat, dairy and potato heavy, but oats, root vegetables, brassicas and seafood are local, and plant-based options are now easy to find in towns. An everyday whole-food vegetable culture is modest rather than strong.
A note from the lens of mother natureSwipe
Wildlife, 2/5
As a long-isolated island Ireland has low endemism and lost its large mammals, though it holds internationally important seabird colonies, grey seals and salmon rivers. Rewilding and native woodland projects are emerging but small.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Ireland's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Energy, 2/5
Ireland has cut power-sector emissions as wind has grown to about a third of electricity, with renewables reaching 40.7% of supply in 2023 (SEAI) and offshore wind planned to expand further.
Plant-based eating, 3/5
Traditional Irish food is meat, dairy and potato heavy, but oats, root vegetables, brassicas and seafood are local, and plant-based options are now easy to find in towns. An everyday whole-food vegetable culture is modest rather than strong.
The Ireland Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in Ireland, checked and listed.
How the rest of the world scores Ireland
Independent global indices, for calibration.
Forest cover
12.0%
World Bank, 2024.
Protected land
14.2%
World Bank, 2025.
Protected sea
2.4%
World Bank, 2025.
Renewable grid
37.2%
World Bank, 2021.
CO2 per person
6.0
World Bank, 2024.
Threatened species
62 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
Recorded figure, sourced on this page.
Control of corruption
78.5 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Government effectiveness
85.7 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Rule of law
84.2 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Political stability
78.7 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Voice and accountability
87.1 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Environmental Performance Index
62.0 / 100 · 20 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 20 of 177 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
45.3 / 100 · 76 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 76 of 177 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
44.8 / 100 · 84 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 84 of 177 countries assessed.
Air quality
88.5 / 100 · 7 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 7 of 177 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
46.8 / 100 · 108 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 108 of 177 countries assessed.
Marine habitat protected
46.5 / 100 · 20 of 111
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 20 of 111 countries assessed.
How Ireland Is Scored. The Throne Standard.
Every destination on the index is scored the same way, so a 4 in Barbados means exactly what a 4 means in Iceland. No self-declared data and no brochure claims are accepted. Seven pillars are scored from published measurements with the same fixed thresholds everywhere: energy (low-carbon share of electricity, 90% or more scores 5, 70% 4, 50% 3, 25% 2), conservation (land and sea protected), water (safe drinking water, wastewater treated, water stress), organic farmland, recycling, food import dependence and air quality. Where a measurement is not published for a place, that pillar keeps its source-assessed score and is labelled as such. Wildlife, culture, heritage, materials and plant-based eating have no comparable measurement and are assessed from the named sources. The Eco Index is the average of the twelve pillar scores multiplied by 20. Every figure on this page carries its named source and year, and the history on each page names what empire took as plainly as it scores the present.
The 12 pillars every destination is scored on, equally weighted
01
Water
Safe drinking water, wastewater treated and water stress. Measured.
02
Food & farming
How much of the import bill is food: whether the place feeds itself. Measured.
03
Plant-based
How easy it is to eat plant-based, from documented sources.
04
Organic
Certified organic share of farmland. Measured.
05
Conservation
Land and sea legally protected, against the 30 by 30 goal. Measured.
06
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost, from documented sources.
07
Materials
Local natural fibres and craft, from documented sources.
08
Pollution
Air quality (PM2.5, measured) and plastics and waste policy.
09
Recycling
Share of municipal waste recycled. Measured.
10
Energy
Low-carbon share of electricity, nuclear included. Measured.
11
Culture
Living culture and community-led visits, from documented sources.
12
Heritage
What the law keeps standing, from documented sources.
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
0
Absent
nothing verifiable exists
1
Failing
measurably going the wrong way
2
Weak
claims outrun delivery
3
Fair
real effort, mixed results
4
Strong
genuinely good, evidence named
5
Leading
world class, and the trend holds
Where the numbers come from.
The institutions above are the ones cited on this page, ranked by how many of its figures they carry. This same sectioned page renders for all 77 scored destinations, each with its own researched history, comparison charts and three-way future. Read the full methodology
Every figure on this page, and where it came from: 80 sources across 29 institutions
World Bank15 FIGURES
- Forest area (% of land area) AG.LND.FRST.ZS, 2023 check
- Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) ER.LND.PTLD.ZS, 2025 check
- Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters) ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS, 2025 check
- Renewable electricity output (% of total electricity output) EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS, 2021 check
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (µg/m³) EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3, 2023 check
- CO2 emissions per capita EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5, 2024 check
- GDP (current US$) NY.GDP.MKTP.CD, 2025 check
- International tourist arrivals ST.INT.ARVL, 2019 check
- Agricultural land (% of land area) AG.LND.AGRI.ZS, 2023 check
- Arable land (% of land area) AG.LND.ARBL.ZS, 2023 check
- Agriculture, value added (% of GDP) NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS, 2025 check
- Renewable internal freshwater per capita (m3) ER.H2O.INTR.PC, 2022 check
- Safely managed sanitation (% of population) SH.STA.SMSS.ZS, 2024 check
- Overweight prevalence, adults (%) SH.STA.OWAD.ZS, 2022 check
- Population total SP.POP.TOTL, 2025 check
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species14 FIGURES
- assessment of Balaenoptera musculus (Blue Whale), Cooke 2018, Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Ireland in GBIF occurrence data (mammal). check
- assessment of Balaenoptera musculus (Blue Whale), Cooke 2018 corroboration check
- assessment of Balaenoptera musculus (Blue Whale), Cooke 2018 corroboration check
- assessment of Puffinus mauretanicus (Balearic Shearwater), BirdLife International 2018, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Ireland in GBIF occurrence data (bird). check
- assessment of Puffinus mauretanicus (Balearic Shearwater), BirdLife International 2018 corroboration check
- assessment of Lepidochelys kempii (Kemp's Ridley), Wibbels and Bevan 2019, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Ireland in GBIF occurrence data (turtle). check
- assessment of Lepidochelys kempii (Kemp's Ridley), Wibbels and Bevan 2019 corroboration check
- assessment of Squatina squatina (Angelshark), Morey et al. 2019, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Ireland in GBIF occurrence data (shark or ray). check
- assessment of Squatina squatina (Angelshark), Morey et al. 2019 corroboration check
- assessment of Squatina squatina (Angelshark), Morey et al. 2019 corroboration check
- assessment of Ditrichum cornubicum (Cornish Path-moss), Hodgetts et al. 2019, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Ireland in GBIF occurrence data (plant). check
- assessment of Ditrichum cornubicum (Cornish Path-moss), Hodgetts et al. 2019 corroboration check
- assessment of Cephaloziella nicholsonii (Greater Copperwort), Hodgetts, Lockhart and Rothero 2019, Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Ireland in GBIF occurrence data (plant). check
- assessment of Cephaloziella nicholsonii (Greater Copperwort), Hodgetts, Lockhart and Rothero 2019 corroboration check
Eurostat5 FIGURES
- Recycling rate of municipal waste, 2023 check
- UN SDG Global Database, electronic waste recycled (%) EN_EWT_RCYR, Ireland, 2018 (82.9%), country-reported check
- recycling rate of municipal waste (cei_wm011) check
- municipal waste by treatment operation (env_wasmun) check
- area under organic farming (sdg_02_40), 2024 check
Other published sources5 FIGURES
- No longer six: a marine national park in Kerry was established on 22 April 2024 and the official National Parks site now lists seven, while the NPWS release of the day called it the eighth, so the bare count is dropped check
- Ireland's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage (Department of Culture, Communications and Sport), element entry: Uilleann Piping, Ireland's traditional music is vividly alive, from fiddle and flute to the UNESCO-recognised uilleann piping a check
- Ireland's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage (Department of Culture, Communications and Sport), element entry: Uilleann Piping corroboration check
- Ireland's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage (Department of Culture, Communications and Sport), element entry: Uilleann Piping corroboration check
- Ireland's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage (Department of Culture, Communications and Sport), element entry: Uilleann Piping corroboration check
FAO4 FIGURES
- FAOSTAT Crops and livestock products (QCL), Europe bulk data file, release of 31 December 2025, By tonnage, the largest crops grown in Ireland are barley, wheat, potatoes and oats (FAO, FAOSTAT crop product check
- FAOSTAT Crops and livestock products (QCL), Europe bulk data file, release of 31 December 2025 corroboration check
- FAOSTAT Crops and livestock products (QCL), Europe bulk data file, release of 31 December 2025 corroboration check
- FAOSTAT Crops and livestock products (QCL), Europe bulk data file, release of 31 December 2025 corroboration check
IUCN4 FIGURES
- IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, version 3.1, second edition (2012), IUCN Library System record 10315, Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Ireland. check
- IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, version 3.1, second edition (2012), IUCN Library System record 10315 corroboration check
- IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, version 3.1, second edition (2012), IUCN Library System record 10315 corroboration check
- IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, version 3.1, second edition (2012), IUCN Library System record 10315 corroboration check
UNESCO Institute for Statistics4 FIGURES
- public data API, indicators XGDP.FSGOV, XGOVEXP.IMF and GER.2T3 for Ireland, Public spending on education runs at 2.9% of GDP and 12.3% of all government spending, and secondary enrolment check
- public data API, indicators XGDP.FSGOV, XGOVEXP.IMF and GER.2T3 for Ireland corroboration check
- public data API, indicators XGDP.FSGOV, XGOVEXP.IMF and GER.2T3 for Ireland corroboration check
- public data API, indicators XGDP.FSGOV, XGOVEXP.IMF and GER.2T3 for Ireland corroboration check
BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC3 FIGURES
- UN SDG Global Database, terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_TERR, Ireland, 2025 (83.3%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, marine Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_MRN_MPA, Ireland, 2025 (83.0%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_FRHWTR, Ireland, 2025 (98.2%), country-reported check
FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment3 FIGURES
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area (% of land area) AG_LND_FRST, Ireland, 2025 (12.1%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area under a long-term management plan (%) AG_LND_FRSTMGT, Ireland, 2025 (76.9%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area inside legally established protected areas (%) AG_LND_FRSTPRCT, Ireland, 2025 (19.3%), country-reported check
Protected Planet (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN)3 FIGURES
- World Database on Protected Areas country profile for Ireland, The 30x30 target is 30% by 2030, so 27.6 percentage points are still to be designated. check
- World Database on Protected Areas country profile for Ireland corroboration check
- World Database on Protected Areas country profile for Ireland corroboration check
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme2 FIGURES
4.97% in 2024 per Eurostat1 FIGURE
- dataset updated 7 August 2026 check
Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland1 FIGURE
- Plant Atlas 2020 account for Geranium maderense Yeo (Giant Herb-Robert), Geranium maderense range check
Central Statistics Office1 FIGURE
- Ireland, national statistical authority check
Climate Watch (WRI)1 FIGURE
- Net-Zero Tracker check
Constitute Project1 FIGURE
- Ireland 1937 (rev. 2019) check
Environmental Protection Agency1 FIGURE
- Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions 2023. check
FiBL & IFOAM1 FIGURE
- The World of Organic Agriculture 2022 (2020 data), organic share of agricultural land check
Food import share left blank: Ireland is a net food exporter1 FIGURE
- so a single import-dependency figure is not meaningful.
IEA, World Energy Balances1 FIGURE
- UN SDG Global Database, renewable share of total final energy consumption (%) EG_FEC_RNEW, Ireland, 2023 (16.4%), modelled estimate check
IFES ElectionGuide1 FIGURE
- Ireland elections and chambers check
IUCN Red List1 FIGURE
- World Bank, threatened mammals, birds, fish and higher plants (summed), 2022 check
Levy confirmed from 2002 by the responsible department1 FIGURE
- which makes no world-first claim, so the superlative is removed and a sourced outcome figure kept check
No climbing closed season is published by NPWS1 FIGURE
- Clare County Council or the Cliffs of Moher operator, and Clean Coasts publishes no such code; the SPA's six qualifying species are five seabirds plus the Chough, a corvid check
Our World in Data (Global Carbon Project)1 FIGURE
- CO2 emissions per capita, 2024. check
SEAI1 FIGURE
- Renewable Energy in Ireland 2023 (40.7% of electricity; wind about 34%). check
UN Protocol and Liaison Service1 FIGURE
- Heads of State, Heads of Government and Ministers for Foreign Affairs, public list dated 20 October 2026 check
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage1 FIGURE
- Ireland (uilleann piping). check
WHO/UNICEF JMP1 FIGURE
- World Bank, People using safely managed drinking water services (% of population) SH.H2O.SMDW.ZS, 2024 check