Economy, jobs and prices in Eastern and Midland, Ireland: official figures
GDP per person was 107,200 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 269% of the EU average; the highest of 3 regions in Ireland. PPS adjust for price differences between countries.
How big is the economy of Eastern and Midland?
The regional economy produced €335.5 billion of output (GDP at market prices) in 2024, 59.6% of Ireland's GDP.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Eastern and Midland?
The unemployment rate (age 15 to 74) was 4.9% in 2025, against 4.7% for Ireland and 6.0% across the EU; the highest of 3 regions in Ireland.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is youth unemployment in Eastern and Midland?
Youth unemployment (age 15 to 24) was 12.5% in 2025, against 11.8% for Ireland; 2nd highest of 3 regions in Ireland.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow much does Eastern and Midland spend on research and development?
Spending on research and development came to 2.14% of GDP in 2023 (1.56% nationally).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in the Eastern and Midland Region?
Census 2022 recorded an unemployment rate of 8.3% in the Eastern and Midland Region (people looking for work as a share of the labour force aged 15+), level with the national 8.3% and the 2nd highest of 3 regions.
Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copyHow many people work from home in the Eastern and Midland Region?
41.3% of people aged 15+ who answered the question in the Eastern and Midland Region worked from home at least some of the time in Census 2022, against 36.1% nationally.
Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copyWhat is the average income in the Eastern and Midland Region?
Disposable income per person in the Eastern and Midland Region was €31,629 in 2024, the highest of 3 regions and 4.9% above the national average of €30,139.
Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copyHow many people in Eastern and Midland are long-term unemployed?
Long-term unemployment (people out of work for a year or more) stood at 1.1% of the labour force in 2023, compared with 1.1% nationally and 2.1% in the EU. In 2013 it was 7.7%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate for women in Eastern and Midland?
The unemployment rate for women in Eastern and Midland was 4.7% in 2025, compared with 4.6% nationally and 6.2% in the EU. In 2015 it was 8.6%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many women in Eastern and Midland are in work?
76.3% of women aged 20 to 64 were in work in 2025, compared with 75.7% nationally and 71.3% in the EU. In 2015 it was 64.1%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyIs the economy of Eastern and Midland growing?
Output (gross value added, after inflation) changed by 8.5% in 2024 (Ireland: 2.6%). In 2014 it was 8.6%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many cars are there in Eastern and Midland?
Residents of Eastern and Midland owned 426 cars per 1,000 people in 2024 (Ireland: 451). In 2014 it was 412.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Eastern and Midland?
Average compensation per employee (pay plus employer social contributions) was €40,382 in 2023, against €38,166 across Ireland.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many tourists visit Eastern and Midland?
Visitors spent 12.8 million nights in tourist accommodation in 2025, 72% of them by visitors from abroad.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Eastern and Midland?
The largest part of the economy of Eastern and Midland in 2024 was trade, transport, hospitality and communications, at 43.0% of gross value added, followed by finance, property and business services (27.6%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Eastern and Midland?
Factories, mines and energy produced 16.3% of the value added in Eastern and Midland in 2024, against 32.7% for Ireland.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Eastern and Midland growing?
Gross value added rose from €133.7 billion in 2015 to €319.5 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 139% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Eastern and Midland?
Of the 1,434,720 jobs located in Eastern and Midland in 2024, 32% in public services, education, health and other services, 9% in industry and 1.7% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Eastern and Midland?
The number of people working in Eastern and Midland rose by 36.9% between 2015 and 2024, to 1,434,720.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 41.8% of people in the Eastern and Midland Region belonged to the professional, managerial or technical social classes in Census 2022, the highest of 3 regions (Ireland: 39.9%). Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
- Of the 1,180,014 residents of the Eastern and Midland Region at work in Census 2022, 1.6% worked in agriculture, forestry and fishing and 8.6% in manufacturing (Ireland: 3.5% and 11.8%). Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
- 11.9% of commuters living in the Eastern and Midland Region took an hour or more to reach work, school or college in Census 2022 (9.7% nationally). Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
- Disposable income per person in the Eastern and Midland Region rose by 36.6% in the five years from 2019 (€23,147) to 2024, compared with 32.7% for Ireland as a whole. Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
- Total household income in the Eastern and Midland Region, before income tax, came to €47,959 per person in 2024, of which wages, salaries and employer contributions made up 67.5%. Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
- Income from self-employment accounted for 6.7% of total household income in the Eastern and Midland Region in 2024, the lowest of 3 regions (Ireland: 8.0%). Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
How Eastern and Midland compares with other statistical regions
Census 2022 unemployment rate (%) (2022)
Eastern and Midland ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Census 2022 unemployment rate (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern and Western | 8.8% |
| 2 | Eastern and Midland | 8.3% |
| 3 | Southern | 8.1% |
Professional, managerial and technical social classes (%) (2022)
Eastern and Midland ranks 1 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Professional, managerial and technical social classes (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern and Midland | 41.8% |
| 2 | Southern | 38.4% |
| 3 | Northern and Western | 37.5% |
People who work from home at least some of the time (%) (2022)
Eastern and Midland ranks 1 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | People who work from home at least some of the time (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern and Midland | 41.3% |
| 2 | Southern | 31.8% |
| 3 | Northern and Western | 28.8% |
Disposable income per person (€) (2024)
Eastern and Midland ranks 1 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Disposable income per person (€) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern and Midland | €31,629 |
| 2 | Southern | €29,511 |
| 3 | Northern and Western | €27,166 |
Long-term unemployment (% of labour force) (2023)
Eastern and Midland ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Long-term unemployment (% of labour force) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern and Western | 1.2% |
| 2 | Eastern and Midland | 1.1% |
| 3 | Southern | 1.1% |
Unemployment rate, women (2025)
Eastern and Midland ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Unemployment rate, women |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern and Western | 4.8% |
| 2 | Eastern and Midland | 4.7% |
| 3 | Southern | 4.3% |
Employment rate, women aged 20-64 (2025)
Eastern and Midland ranks 1 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Employment rate, women aged 20-64 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern and Midland | 76.3% |
| 2 | Southern | 75.4% |
| 3 | Northern and Western | 74.7% |
Real growth in gross value added (2024)
Eastern and Midland ranks 1 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Real growth in gross value added |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern and Midland | 8.5% |
| 2 | Northern and Western | -3.6% |
| 3 | Southern | -5.5% |
Passenger cars per 1,000 people (2024)
Eastern and Midland ranks 3 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Passenger cars per 1,000 people |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern | 483 |
| 2 | Northern and Western | 458 |
| 3 | Eastern and Midland | 426 |
Compensation per employee (euros) (2023)
Eastern and Midland ranks 1 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Compensation per employee (euros) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern and Midland | €40,382 |
| 2 | Southern | €36,376 |
| 3 | Northern and Western | €33,614 |
Nights spent in tourist accommodation (2025)
Eastern and Midland ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Nights spent in tourist accommodation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern | 17.3 million |
| 2 | Eastern and Midland | 12.8 million |
| 3 | Northern and Western | 11.8 million |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Eastern and Midland ranks 3 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern | 62.1% |
| 2 | Northern and Western | 35.1% |
| 3 | Eastern and Midland | 16.3% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Eastern and Midland ranks 1 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern and Midland | 27.6% |
| 2 | Northern and Western | 17.6% |
| 3 | Southern | 14.1% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Eastern and Midland ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern and Western | 19.7% |
| 2 | Eastern and Midland | 10.0% |
| 3 | Southern | 9.3% |
More on Eastern and Midland: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government and politics · Ireland
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gdp: GDP per person (purchasing power standards), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c21f724d14a6…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gdp: GDP per person (euros), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 537f99167955…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gdp: GDP (million euros), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e3677c4e6d67…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Unemployment rate (age 15-74), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 13f5037ce93a…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Youth unemployment rate (age 15-24), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83bb1aebc10b…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfe2emprt: Employment rate (age 20-64), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 03191283bf5f…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset rd_e_gerdreg: Research and development spending (% of GDP), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 36a9132b2284…)
- Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland: Estimates of Household Income by Region and County, 2000-2024 (PxStat table CIRGDP07, County Incomes and Regional GDP), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e9c131e91ab7…)
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- Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland: Census 2022 Small Area Population Statistics (SAPS), all themes, by administrative county and city, read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 32250e98c48a…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment (thousand persons) by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 222a97c302d3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tran_r_vehst: Stock of vehicles by category and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5adf37bcb393…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tour_occ_nin2: Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 06f6a82909c0…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Unemployment rates by sex, age, educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ac151d8a46d5…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2coe: Compensation of employees by NUTS 2 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 895d7cc9e826…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gva: Gross value added at basic prices by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c656e8563bdf…)
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