Ireland is the 12th least corrupt country in the world. 🇮🇪🎉 Transparency International find that corruption is worsening globally. Ireland, however, is among the countries that significantly reduced corruption since 2012. Something to be celebrated, but never taken for granted.

Ireland has seen good growth in forests in recent years. Surprisingly, we are one of the least forested countries in the EU but there was positive growth of 7% in 2023 and 6% in 2024. It's important progress that helps with climate change and can reduce flooding. 🇮🇪🌲 ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/...

Ireland has a highly independent judiciary and courts system. 7-in-10 Irish people agree this is the case. And our system is far more independent than is typical elsewhere in the EU - only 5-in-10 European citizens agree that their system is independent. 🇮🇪⚖️ www.lawsociety.ie/policy-and-l...

The world became MORE equal over the past 25 years. The share of global consumption of the world's poorest nearly doubled, while that of the richest declined. The shift is driven mostly by gains in low- and middle-income economies as poorer countries grew faster than rich ones.

A beautiful milestone was reached in the EU last year: more electricity was generated by wind and solar than by fossil fuels for the first time. Ireland isn't quite there yet, but we're making good progress so hopefully by 2027 🤞🇮🇪 ember-energy.org/latest-insig...

It's wonderful to see a 20% increase in the number of new homes built in Ireland last year 🇮🇪🏘️📈. The 36,284 new dwellings was the highest number since the Statistics Office began counting in 2011. Half were in housing estates, one-third apartments, and the rest one-offs. Good progress, more to do.

Real wages are growing again in Ireland. Wage growth exceeded inflation for 8 of the past 10 years, but not in 2022 & 2023 when high inflation saw our wage packet shrink. For the past 2 years we've been back to real wage increases, and this should continue this year and next 🇮🇪👍

The majority of people in Ireland believe that the government needs to spend more on our military. 58% of us agree with this. Given the increased threat from Russia, we should act quickly to support Europe's freedom and security. 🇮🇪🪖 www.ipsos.com/en/halifax-r...

Ireland is the 5th freest nation in the world. The Atlantic Council assesses 164 nations on economic & political freedom and the rule of law. Ireland places only behind Denmark, Luxembourg, Sweden & Switzerland. That's worth celebrating 🇮🇪👍 freedom-and-prosperity-indexes.atlanticcouncil.org/rankings

The Irish passport is one of the world's most powerful. It provides visa-free access to 185 countries and territories, making it the joint 9th most useful passport in the world. 🇮🇪🎉 Ireland's EU membership makes the greatest contribution to our high ranking. www.henleyglobal.com/passport-ind...

Look at this 👇. For the first time, the majority of new cars sold in Ireland last year were hybrid or fully electric. 6-in-10 of all new cars are newly powered, with diesel- or petrol-only cars in continuing decline. Our transition to cleaner driving is well underway. 🇮🇪👏 www.cso.ie/en/releasesa...

Ireland is the 8th most socially progressive nation in the world, says the new Global Social Progress Index. The country is rated highly as an inclusive and safe society, with strong rights and freedoms, and excellent educational participation. 🇮🇪🎉 www.socialprogress.org/social-progr...

Irish workers are the world's best equipped with the new skills needed for the rapidly changing work environment, according to the IMF. What sets us apart is investment in tertiary education and lifelong learning programs that help workers adapt as technology evolves. 🇮🇪🥇 www.imf.org/en/blogs/art...

Which countries are adopting AI the fastest? Residents of the UAE, Singapore, Norway & Ireland 🇮🇪 are the top AI adopters globally, says Microsoft. Nearly half of the Irish working-age population use AI chatbots monthly, according to their data. www.economist.com/graphic-deta...

Irish teenagers are among the best in the world at math. Our 15-16 year olds rank 11th out of 80 countries in their average math scores. Asian countries top the ranking, with Estonia, Switzerland, the Netherlands & Ireland performing best in Europe. 🇮🇪👏 www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-the-b...

Overcrowded housing isn't a big problem in Ireland. Only 5% of Irish people don't have enough rooms for themselves and their families. That's one of the lowest figures in the EU - the Netherlands, Malta & Cyprus are the only nations with less. 🇮🇪🏠 ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/...

There's huge growth in renewable energy uptake in Irish homes. In just 3 years, the number with solar panels an/or a heat pump more than doubled - from 153,000 dwellings to 323,000! A quarter of all BER-assessed homes now have one or the other. 🇮🇪🏠📈👏 www.cso.ie/en/releasesa...

Did you know? People in wealthier countries are less lonely than those in poorer countries. And wealthier people are less lonely than poorer people in all countries. Economic development strengthens social connections and brings greater happiness. 🌍📈😀 www.economist.com/christmas-sp...

Happy 2026! Let's hope it's as good as 2025 was for the world. 🌍 There was lots to celebrate. More people are thriving and fewer suffering than ever before. Global unemployment at its lowest level since 1991. Record wheat, rice and soybeans harvests. Extreme poverty falling almost everywhere.

Have a wonderful Christmas break. And maybe a break from social media! Research shows only 3% of social media users post toxic content so ignore the slop you see from such a tiny and unrepresentative group, focus on the positives, and celebrate all you achieved this year. 🥳

Dublin has been crowned the 9th most liveable city in the world! Cities were ranked on factors such as security, political stability, air quality, healthcare, housing availability, infrastructure & recreation. Dublin has its challenges, like every other city, but we should celebrate its positives 🇮🇪🎉

The number of Irish people in mortgage arrears on their family homes has fallen to the lowest level since 2009. 3.4% are in arrears - half the figure of just 2 years ago. The strength of Ireland's economy and jobs market helped improve people's circumstances. 🇮🇪🏠 www.centralbank.ie/statistics/d...

Ireland is the 3rd largest exporter of digital services in the world! Only the USA & UK export more. It's thanks to our position as a European hub for major tech firms that create high-skilled jobs and contribute valuable tax income. 🇮🇪🥉 www.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-top-d...

Ireland is the 4th freest country in the world according to the new Human Freedom Index 2025. 🇮🇪👏 Irish residents enjoy exceptionally strong freedom of movement, of religion, of relationships, and of expression. Only the Swiss, Danes and New Zealanders rank higher. www.cato.org/human-freedo...

The waiting time for medical treatment in Ireland is reducing. While the number on the waiting list remains the same, there has been a dramatic decline in those waiting over 18 months. The vast majority now wait less than 6 months. That's progress 🇮🇪👏 www.oecd.org/en/publicati...

Ireland has one of the most highly educated populations in the world - and our immigrants help to make that so. Those born in another EU nation are typically more highly educated than those born in Ireland, but those born outside of the EU are the most highly educated of all. 🇮🇪

The number of Irish households experiencing enforced deprivation is in decline. 14.8% cannot afford items such as new clothes, furniture, or keeping their home warm. It's too high a number, but one that's improved hugely in the past 2 years as inflation has decreased. www.cso.ie/en/releasesa...

Which economy did best in 2025? According to The Economist, Portugal came #1 and Ireland #2. It's based on 5 indicators: inflation, 'inflation breadth', GDP, jobs & stock market performance among 36 mostly rich OECD countries. That's something worth celebrating 🇮🇪 www.economist.com/finance-and-...

The Irish are surprisingly pro-NATO. 71% of us expect NATO to have an overall positive influence on the world in the next decade. That's more supportive than 26 countries in this survey on world affairs. Should Ireland work more closely with NATO countries on security? www.ipsos.com/en/halifax-r...

Irish people have never been more satisfied with their lives. 98% of us are fairly (51%) or very (47%) satisfied - the highest of any EU country last year according to Eurobarometer. 🇮🇪 Hear me discuss this and other aspects of Ireland's progress with Matt Cooper open.spotify.com/episode/4Nvy...

I join Matt Cooper on his Magnified podcast to talk about Ireland's progress and how to achieve national happiness. I contend that Ireland is an exemplar of positive progress - 98% of Irish people say they are satisfied with their lives today! 🇮🇪 Catch it wherever you get your podcasts.

Irish household wealth more than doubled over the past decade, and is forecast to double again in the next 10 years. Importantly, as our wealth increased so wealth inequality *decreased* - Ireland is now more equal than most European nations. 🇮🇪 www.davy.ie/market-and-i...

Would you believe it? The Irish are healthy eaters! 70% of us consume vegetables daily. That's one of the highest figures in Europe - only the Belgians beat us (it must be the Brussels sprouts 😂!). www.oecd.org/en/publicati...

The cost of living is increasing in Ireland but people's wages are growing faster than prices, so most people have more money in their pockets than they had last year. Real wages are growing by about 3% a year, except for the pandemic year of 2022. 🇮🇪 www.fiscalcouncil.ie/fiscal-asses...

The more economic freedom people have, the less poverty there is that country. Ireland has one of the highest levels of economic freedom in the world, and one of its lowest poverty levels. (Poverty in the least free nations is 25 times greater!) We have made great progress 🇮🇪

The Irish economy is doing comparatively well at the moment, and Irish people know it. Along with Singapore, Australia, Poland & the Netherlands, we are the least likely people to say our country is in recession. We have our challenges, as all nations do, but we're progressing better than most 🇮🇪

Irish people are among the longest living in the world. The average person in Ireland will live to be 83 years of age. That's less than 18 months behind the world's longest livers: the Swiss and the Japanese. And the difference between males and females here is one of the smallest anywhere. 🇮🇪

Irish people strongly recognise the benefits of vaccinations. Three-quarters of those aged 65+ are vaccinated against the flu - one of the highest figure in the world. That will save lives and suffering for many elderly people this winter. 🧓🇮🇪 www.oecd.org/en/publicati...

Ireland is no longer a nation of heavy drinkers. Our alcohol consumption is ranked the 20th highest of 58 countries in the latest OECD health report. Ireland hit peak consumption in 2001 but it's dropped by one-third since then. Cheers to that 🇮🇪🥂 www.oecd.org/en/publicati... @oecd-ocde.bsky.social

How do living standards in Ireland compare to 50 years ago? The majority of Irish people agree things are better today, only a quarter think 1975 was better. The majority are correct - here and elsewhere, poverty is much reduced, incomes are higher, and longevity and health are better. 🇮🇪

Would you prefer to be born today or 50 years ago (in 1975)? Half of Irish people opt for 1975 and only a quarter for today. But Ireland was a much more miserable place back then - we've never been wealthier, healthier, better educated or happier than we are today. Bin the nostalgia! 😄

Maternal death in Ireland is an extremely rare occurrence today. In the 1940s, 200 mothers died for every 100,000 child births. That figure steadily reduced thanks to improvements in medicine and science. In 5 of the last 6 years, we had no deaths whatsoever. The positive power of progress 🇮🇪

Ireland has become a much wealthier country over the past 30 years. Our national income grew by around 150% - and that's excluding the impact of multinational corporations and inflation. Projections suggest a further 50% growth over the next 40 years 🇮🇪📈 www.gov.ie/en/departmen...

The Irish population has nearly doubled in size in the past 60 years. Ireland had just 2.8 million people in the early 1960s, and now we're around 5.5m. This reflects a positive transformation of our fortunes, but with the challenges of accommodating such fast growth. 🇮🇪 www.gov.ie/en/departmen...

The Irish government's expenditure on health is the 3rd highest in the EU per person. They spend €6,000 per man, women & child every year - twice that of the average European country. No wonder we are one of the longest living and healthiest people in the EU. 🇮🇪👍 www.gov.ie/en/departmen...

Irish exports are a massive success story. We've doubled the amount of goods exported over the past decade. But the real success has been services - we now export FOUR times the value we did a decade ago. 🇮🇪📈 www.gov.ie/en/departmen...

Ireland is the 6th freest country in the world, economically speaking. In fact, the Fraser Institute's Economic Freedom Report judges Ireland to be the freest in the EU for working, transacting, contracting, and owning and using productive property. 🇮🇪👏 www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/econ...

Irish men are 8cm taller today than they were a century ago thanks to better nutrition and less disease. The height of Irish men had barely changed in previous centuries, aside from those whose growth was stunted in the Great Famine. Great progress 🧍‍♂️🇮🇪 ourworldindata.org/grapher/aver...

Ireland is among the very best countries in the world in establishing and maintaining the rule of law. 🇮🇪👍 We rank 8th alongside Nordic & Western European nations and NZ. The rule of law is the foundation stone of a democratic society and imperative for social and economic development. A great result

Ireland has the 10th best reputation of any nation in the world among G7 countries. Citizens of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK & US rated places on factors such as trust, admiration, respect, and overall image. A strong result for Ireland 🇮🇪🎉 corporatereputationlab.com/en/canada-an...