Economy, jobs and prices in Southern, Ireland: official figures
GDP per person was 86,500 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 217% of the EU average; 2nd highest of 3 regions in Ireland. PPS adjust for price differences between countries.
How big is the economy of Southern?
The regional economy produced €182.3 billion of output (GDP at market prices) in 2024, 32.4% of Ireland's GDP.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Southern?
The unemployment rate (age 15 to 74) was 4.2% in 2025, against 4.7% for Ireland and 6.0% across the EU; the lowest of 3 regions in Ireland.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is youth unemployment in Southern?
Youth unemployment (age 15 to 24) was 9.8% in 2025, against 11.8% for Ireland; the lowest of 3 regions in Ireland.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow much does Southern spend on research and development?
Spending on research and development came to 0.59% of GDP in 2023 (1.56% nationally).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in the Southern Region?
Census 2022 recorded an unemployment rate of 8.1% in the Southern Region (people looking for work as a share of the labour force aged 15+), below the national 8.3% and the lowest of 3 regions.
Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copyHow many people work from home in the Southern Region?
31.8% of people aged 15+ who answered the question in the Southern 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 Southern Region?
Disposable income per person in the Southern Region was €29,511 in 2024, the 2nd highest of 3 regions and 2.1% below the national average of €30,139.
Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copyHow many people in Southern 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 (Ireland: 1.1%; EU: 2.1%). In 2013 it was 8.4%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate for women in Southern?
Unemployment among women was 4.3% in 2025, compared with 4.6% nationally and 6.2% in the EU. In 2015 it was 9.6%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many women in Southern are in work?
75.4% 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 63.3%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyIs the economy of Southern growing?
Output (gross value added, after inflation) changed by -5.5% in 2024, against 2.6% for Ireland as a whole. In 2014 it was 8.5%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many cars are there in Southern?
Residents of Southern owned 483 cars per 1,000 people in 2024, against 451 for Ireland as a whole. In 2014 it was 461.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Southern?
Average compensation per employee (pay plus employer social contributions) was €36,376 in 2023, against €38,166 across Ireland.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many tourists visit Southern?
Visitors spent 17.3 million nights in tourist accommodation in 2025, 49% of them by visitors from abroad.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Southern?
The largest part of the economy of Southern in 2024 was industry (manufacturing, mining and energy), at 62.1% of gross value added, followed by finance, property and business services (14.1%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Southern?
Factories, mines and energy produced 62.1% of the value added in Southern in 2024, against 32.7% for Ireland.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Southern growing?
Gross value added rose from €100.0 billion in 2015 to €173.6 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 74% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Southern?
Of the 882,220 jobs located in Southern in 2024, 32% in public services, education, health and other services, 15% in industry and 6.0% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Southern?
The number of people working in Southern rose by 32.7% between 2015 and 2024, to 882,220.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 38.4% of people in the Southern Region belonged to the professional, managerial or technical social classes in Census 2022, the 2nd highest of 3 regions (Ireland: 39.9%). Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
- Of the 749,745 residents of the Southern Region at work in Census 2022, 5.4% worked in agriculture, forestry and fishing and 15.3% in manufacturing (Ireland: 3.5% and 11.8%). Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
- 7.4% of commuters living in the Southern 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 Southern Region rose by 29.3% in the five years from 2019 (€22,825) to 2024, compared with 32.7% for Ireland as a whole. Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
- Total household income in the Southern Region, before income tax, came to €40,815 per person in 2024, of which wages, salaries and employer contributions made up 62.2%. Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
- Income from self-employment accounted for 9.7% of total household income in the Southern Region in 2024, the highest of 3 regions (Ireland: 8.0%). Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
How Southern compares with other statistical regions
Census 2022 unemployment rate (%) (2022)
Southern ranks 3 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)
Southern ranks 2 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)
Southern ranks 2 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)
Southern ranks 2 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)
Southern ranks 3 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)
Southern ranks 3 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)
Southern ranks 2 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)
Southern ranks 3 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)
Southern ranks 1 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)
Southern ranks 2 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)
Southern ranks 1 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)
Southern ranks 1 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)
Southern ranks 3 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)
Southern ranks 3 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 Southern: 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…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu2ltu: Long-term unemployment (12 months and more) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3d5d17a32863…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfe2emprt: Employment rates by sex, age and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 51bfca80dc8b…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gvagr: Real growth rate of regional gross value added (GVA) at basic prices by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ba2c4bdc7c37…)
- 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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