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Ireland's Economy

Ireland's Economy

An enduring location for investment

  • Stable, competitive, secure and pro-business, Ireland is a committed member of the EU single market

  • The fastest growing economy in the Eurozone, with sustainably managed public finances and an ‘A’ grade from all major credit rating agencies

Source the skills you need to make your investment in Ireland a success

Connect with us

Source the skills you need to make your investment in Ireland a success

Connect with us

An exporting powerhouse

Ireland is connected to the world through our transport links to Europe, the UK and beyond. Overseas companies are significant exporters from here, serving global markets in pharmaceuticals, technology services, medical devices, food and beverages, and financial services.

  • 2nd for exports of commercial services (IMD)
  • 72% of total national exports (2020) were from multinationals in Ireland

Committed EU member

You’ll find us among the most outward looking and internationally engaged countries in the world. We’re the only English-speaking Eurozone country. Our Government and citizens overwhelmingly support EU membership.

  • 83% of Irish people are positive about EU Membership
  • 88% believe that Ireland has benefitted from EU membership

Committed FDI base

Some 1,700 multinationals call Ireland home . They make a positive contribution to Irish society and the economy through direct investment, capital expenditure, job creation, and payroll spending. Many have been here for a decade or more.

  • 72% of national exports and 70% of corporation tax receipts from IDA client companies
  • 25% of private sector direct and indirect employment at multinationals

Enduring economic strength

Ireland’s resilient economy made us one of the best performing advanced economies in the world, even during COVID-19. Our underlying structural strengths and capital investment plans mean we’re well positioned for future growth.

  • 13.5% GDP growth in 2021, driven largely by exports Business environment, demographics, and talent support growth
  • Business environment, demographics, and talent support growth

Pro-business environment

Ireland consistently ranks among the top countries in the world in which to do business, supporting FDI growth. Successive governments have maintained this pro-business outlook: we favour green lights over red tape.

  • 4th most competitive economy in the EU, 12th globally
  • 3rd ranked globally for high-value FDI projects

Success Stories: Hear from leaders calling Ireland home

A proven path

See all Success Stories
Qualtrics
Toast
Citco
World Nomads
ServiceNow
Pfizer
Qualtrics Chooses Ireland for its Skills Base

Qualtrics Chooses Ireland for its Skills Base

Ultimately, what you want is a geography where you can build an office that has broad market coverage. For a company going into Europe, Ireland has the lowest cost to set up a business, with a broad pool of talent from across the EU

Irish operation has become a strategic global engineering hub

Irish operation has become a strategic global engineering hub

Toast originally chose to invest in Ireland largely for its concentration of high-level technical capability; over the last several years, we’ve come to reap so many more benefits from our strategic investment here–ease of collaboration with other Toast teams, Irish hospitality, and more.

IDA Ireland support key to wide-ranging R&D and training initiatives

IDA Ireland support key to wide-ranging R&D and training initiatives

A lot of the leadership in Ireland also hold senior global positions, so we consider Ireland to be a strategic office and we’ve got representation across most business lines in the organisation sitting in Ireland.

Since reopening after Covid, team in Ireland has doubled in one year from 18 to 37

Since reopening after Covid, team in Ireland has doubled in one year from 18 to 37

Cork is renowned for its dynamic blend of innovation, skilled talent pool, and accessibility, so it really ticked all the boxes in terms of our ambitions. The city benefits from a robust infrastructure and connectivity. Its strategic proximity to other European markets facilitates efficient engagement with partners and customers, amplifying the potential for growth.

Company makes Ireland one of its largest international sites

Company makes Ireland one of its largest international sites

We think that Ireland has really become the gateway to the European Union. There’s so many things that US companies gain from their relationship with Ireland.

Leading global player has invested $9 bn+ in Irish operations

Leading global player has invested $9 bn+ in Irish operations

Pharmaceutical manufacturing in Ireland continues to perform very well contributing strongly to exports and economic growth and provides excellent career opportunities.

Reasons to invest in Ireland

Infrastructure

Infrastructure

Resilient and flexible infrastructure to support your business

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Quality of life

Quality of life

Work and life. Balanced.

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Talent

Talent

Find and nurture the people you need to make your business thrive here in Ireland

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Ireland's Economy

Ireland's Economy

An enduring location for investment

Read more