usiness
investment. Over the past decade, the Irish government has
implemented a series of national economic programs designed to curb
inflation, reduce government spending, and promote foreign
investment. Although the unemployment rate has been halved, it
remains high, and job creation is a primary concern of government
policy. Recent efforts have concentrated on improving workers
qualifications and the education system. Ireland joined in launching
the euro currency system in January 1999 along with 10 other EU
nations.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$67.1 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: 9.5% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$18,600 (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 7%
industry: 39%
services: 54% (1997)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 27.4% (1987)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.4% (1998)

Labor force: 1.52 million (1997 est.)

Labor force--by occupation: services 62.1%, manufacturing and
construction 27%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 10%, utilities
0.9% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: 7.7% (1998 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $23.5 billion
expenditures: $20.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1998)

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

Industrial production growth rate: 15.8% (1998 est.)

Electricity--production: 17.843 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 95.83%
hydro: 3.99%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.18% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 17.743 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 200 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 100 million kWh (1996)

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

Exports: $60.9 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports--commodities: chemicals, data processing equipment,
industrial machinery, live animals, animal products (1997)

Exports--partners: EU 67% (UK 24%, Germany 12%, France 8%), US 11%
(1997)

Imports: $43.7 billion (c.i.f., 1998)

Imports--commodities: food, animal feed, data processing
equipment, petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, textiles,
clothing (1997)

Imports--partners: EU 55% (UK 34%, Germany 6%, France 6%), US 15%
(1997)

Debt-