Investment in Ireland: The Facts
Everything you need to know about investing in Ireland.
Ireland is increasingly becoming one of the best places in the world to do business, with one of the most stable and fastest-growing economies in Europe.
As a result, it is no surprise that we are considered one of the top three most attractive countries in the world for investment, as organisations from across the globe increasingly flock to our shores to establish a base.
Very often, investors travelling to Ireland may have limited knowledge, and while our fantastic capital Dublin has emerged as a central international hub for business, other cities across the country are brimming with possibilities.
Here, we shed some light on exactly what Ireland has to offer those considering doing business here, and why there is so much more to us than our esteemed capital.
Immigrant Investor Programme Investment in Ireland
The strength of our economy is reflected in the number of investors who are choosing Ireland as a place to do business through the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP).
Since 2015, Ireland has received around €711 million through the IIP scheme. The approval rate* for IIP investments in Ireland is 56%.
*based on the number of applications and approvals between 2015 and 2018
| Enterprise Investment | Endowment | Investment Fund | Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Applications | 315 | 75 | 31 | 1 |
| Approvals | 27 | 12 | 15 | 0 | |
| Value of Approval | €26,000,000 | €4,800,000 | €15,000,000 | 0 | |
| 2017 | Applications | 228 | 46 | 50 | 1 |
| Approvals | 197 | 42 | 49 | 0 | |
| Value of Approval | €197,000,000 | €18,700,000 | €49,000,000 | 0 | |
| 2016 | Applications | 253 | 5 | 32 | 1 |
| Approvals | 197 | 5 | 31 | 1 | |
| Value of Approval | €101,500,000 | €2,400,000 | €15,500,000 | €500,000 | |
| 2015 | Applications | 55 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Approvals | 55 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| Value of Approval | €27,500,000 | €500,000 | €150,000 | 0 |
Which countries are investing in Ireland?
China is the largest investor in Ireland, followed by:
● The US
● United Arab Emirates (UAE)
● Russia
● Bahrain
● India
● Brazil
1
2
3
4
5
1
7127 Dublin
2
1,498 Cork
3
602 Galway
4
514 Limerick
5
489 Kildare
Where to invest in Ireland?
Ireland’s central business hub is Dublin, but our smaller cities have emerged as fruitful places to do business.
55 companies were formed every day between January – October 2019, equating to 17,160 start-ups during the first three quarters of the year. The cities the businesses were established in were:
- 7,127 – Dublin
- 1,498 – Cork
- 602 – Galway
- 514 – Limerick
- 489 – Kildare
Leading industries in Ireland
Leading industries in Ireland are:
Ireland’s business landscape
-
- There was a 37% QoQ increase in new company start-ups in Q3 2020 – up 1,487
registrations on Q2 - Wholesale and retail experienced the biggest YoY growth in company start-ups, followed by agriculture, education, and fishing
- A total of 19 counties in the Republic of Ireland experienced a year-on-year improvement in new company registrations for Q3 this year
- Legal, accounting and business was the biggest contributor to new company start-ups for Q3, accounting for a total of 990 new registrations.
- There was a 37% QoQ increase in new company start-ups in Q3 2020 – up 1,487