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Irish economy State: Republic of Ireland Capitol: Dublin Surface: 70 273 km² Dublin 953 000 (1996) Cork 180 000 (1996) Limerick 79 000 (1996) Galway 57 000 (1996) Waterford 44 000 (1996) Population: 3.88 million (2002) Growth rate: 1.07 % (2002) Unemployment ratio: 4.4 % (2000) Population density: 55 people per km² Population distribution City: 59 % (2000) Country: 41 % (2000) Economic situation The small open national economy of Ireland has profited at most of the globalization. In the last years the economic development was characterized by high growth rates and a strong decrease of unemployment. In 2000 the Irish economy boomed and reached a growth rate of 10.
7 % of the gross domestic product. But in 2002 and 2003 the growth rate decreased to 6.9 % and than to 2.5 % of the gross domestic product because of the decrease economic activities in the USA and in Europe. Only after the recovery of the world economy in 2004 the growth rates expanded again. But we will come to more facts about that later.
Furthermore the unemployment, the price inflation and the wage inflation decreased. The purchasing power per head is over 33% higher than the European average. Gross domestic product: 93 865 million US-Dollar (2000) 134,786 billion Euro (2003) 144,687 billion Euro (prognosis 2004) Growth rate: 5.1% (2004) Sectors of the economy (1999): Agriculture 3, 8% Industry 35, 9% Services 60, 3% Gross domestic product per head: 34.500 Euro (2003) 35.800 Euro (prognosis 2004) Currency: since 2002: Euro (€) (1 Euro = 0,787564 IR£) National indebtedness: Because of high tax receipts resulting from an above average growth rate they could decrease the national indebtedness from 95% in 1990 to 30% in 2004.
For the next year they except another decrease over 1%. The briefly decrease of the world economy hadn’t got any bad consequences for the indebtedness. After an etat deficit of 0.2% in 2003 Ireland had an etat surplus of 0.9% one year later. Also in 2005 there will be a surplus.
Office language: English second language: Gaelic The Irish media landscape: RTE (Radio Telefis Éireann) 3tv-2radio TnaG (geltic language); Today FM (private); TV 3 Television Network (private) privates, many different regional aligned radio-stations; Supraregional daily newspapers: \"Irish Times\", \"Irish Independent\", \"The Examiner\" Supraregional Sunday newspapers: Sunday Independent, Sunday Tribune, Sunday World, Sunday Times (Irish Edition), Ireland on Sunday Trade In a special kind the Irish economy is export-dependently. In 2004 the export of goods amounted to 84billions €, the import only 50billions €. So it is a surplus of about 34billion €. If we regard together the import and export of the service sector with the export and import oft goods, we will see that there is only a surplus about 22billions €. So we can noticed that a deficit was gained by the service sector. Most important foreign trade partner (export) Great Britain, Germany, France, United States of America Most important foreign trade partner (import) Great Britain, Germany, France, United States of America Now I will present you some statistical facts about the economic goods.
Exported goods: Chemicals, computer engineering, industrial machines, Meat and other animal produces Imported goods: Food, animal fodder, computer, oil and petrochemical Products, machines, textiles Industry: Breweries, production of food, textiles, chemicals, Medicaments, machines, vehicle parts and glass Agriculture: White carrots, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; meat and milk produces; Raw materials: Zinc, lead, natural gas, oil, copper, gypsum, limestone, peat, silver Exports to Germany (Angaben Stat. Bundesamt) Imports from Germany (Angaben Stat. Bundesamt) 2001 15,7 Mrd. Euro 3,95 Mrd. Euro 2002 13,19 Mrd. Euro 3,986 Mrd.
Euro 2003 13,63 Mrd. Euro 3,76 Mrd. Euro 2004 15,07 Mrd. Euro (vorläufige Zahlen) 4,35 Mrd. Euro (vorläufige Zahlen) Investment demand Medium-term Ireland will have to invest in garbage disposal with the help of incinerating plants to fulfil the European Union regulations. At present Irish garbage is exported to Germany in a large extent thus it can be prepared respectively be burned.
Productions of energy by means of wind-powered devices have started. Also Off-Shore wind force park and bio refineries are planned. Substantial several investments in the infrastructure will become necessary, if Ireland will remain attractive and competitively as economic situation to foreign investors. For example they have to bring up to date the road net, house-build (at present 60 000 houses per year) hospitals and schools. The national development plan from 2000 to 2006 plans 52billons € to invest in infrastructure measures.
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