pecially
in the information technology sector, pressed growth down to 2.1% in
2003. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by
industry and services. Industry accounts for 46% of GDP and about
80% of exports and employs 28% of the labor force. Although exports
remain the primary engine for Ireland's growth, the economy has also
benefited from a rise in consumer spending, construction, and
business investment. Per capita GDP is 10% above that of the four
big European economies and the second highest in the sEU, behind
Luxembourg. Over the past decade, the Irish Government has
implemented a series of national economic programs designed to curb
price and wage inflation, reduce government spending, increase labor
force skills, and promote foreign investment. Ireland joined in
launching the euro currency system in January 1999 along with 10
other EU nations.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $116.2 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.4% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $29,600 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 46%
services: 49% (2002 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
22.9% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
10% (1997 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 27.3% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
35.9 (1987)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.5% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
1.871 million (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 8%, industry 29%, services 64% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate:
4.7% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $53.22 billion
expenditures: $53.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.5
billion (2003)

Public debt:
31.2% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products

Industries:
food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals,
pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and
crystal; software

Industrial production growth rate:
6.7% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
23.53 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
21.63 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
285 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
38 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
174,400 bbl/day (2001