Distillers Ireland
A one-page guide to Ireland for the spirits trade: the country, its people, its economy and how it drinks.
At a glance
- Capital
- Dublin
- Official languages
- Irish, English
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Time zone
- UTC+0 (UTC+1 in summer)
- Area
- 70,273 km²
People
- Population
- 5.5 million (2025)
- Population growth
- 1.6% a year
- Living in towns and cities
- 64.6%
- Aged under 15
- 18.1%
- Aged 65 and over
- 16.2%
- Life expectancy
- 83.0 years
Economy
- GDP
- US$680.4 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$123,789 (2025)
- Economic growth
- 8% (2025)
- Inflation
- 2.1% (2025)
Climate
Mild, wet, changeable oceanic climate shaped by the Atlantic, with few temperature extremes, mild winters, cool summers and abundant rain and cloud. Damp, cool and stable conditions suit slow maturation in warehouses; mild winters rarely disrupt road or port logistics.
Alcohol
- Alcohol is
- Legal
- Legal drinking age
- 18 (to buy alcohol; under-18s may not drink in public places)
- Alcohol per adult a year
- 10.27 litres of pure alcohol (2024)
- Traditional drinks
- Irish whiskey
Sources: World Bank (population, economy and demographics), WHO Global Health Observatory (alcohol per adult and drinking mix); Revenue - alcohol products tax rates; Arthur Cox - alcohol labelling deferred; Ibec Drinks Ireland - Irish whiskey 2025; Revenue - allowances from outside EU; SpunOut - alcohol and the law; Wikipedia - Alcohol licensing laws of Ireland; Wikipedia - List of whiskey distilleries in Ireland; KVK - importing spirits (EU duty 0%). Figures are the latest each source publishes; the year is shown beside each one.