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Main Findings

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Indicators 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.5: Global Indicators

The World population was estimated at 7.3 billion persons in 2015 and is forecast to increase by 16% to 8.5 billion in 2030. In Ireland, men have approximately 20 years additional life expectancy compared with people in Africa and women 22 years. The proportion of people living on less than €1.25 a day in East Asia fell from 61% in 1990 to just 4% in 2015. European countries donate a higher proportion of their Gross National Income to official development assistance than other economically developed regions.

Indicator 2.1: General government debt and balance

General government debt in Ireland fell from 75% of GDP in 1995 to 24% in 2006 before increasing to 119% in 2013. Debt fell again to 79% of GDP in 2015.

Indicator 2.2: Net receipts from the EU

Ireland received a net €1.5 billion from the EU in 2000. In 2015 this had fallen to €169 million. In 2015 Germany’s net contribution was over €17 billion while Poland’s net receipts were just over €9 billion.

Indicator 2.5: Exchequer tax revenue

Income tax as a proportion of total exchequer tax revenue decreased from 36% in 1995 to 27% in 2006 but then increased to 40% in 2016. Corporation tax increased from 10% of total exchequer tax revenue in 1995 to 15% in 2006. It fell to 10% in 2011 but increased to 15% in 2016.

Indicator 2.6: Income tax distribution

In 2014, persons earning under €20,000 accounted for 9% of total taxable income and paid 1% of total income tax. In contrast, those earning over €100,000 accounted for 22% of total taxable income and paid 43% of total income tax.

Indicator 2.7: General government expenditure on pay and social welfare

The proportion of general government expenditure accounted for by wages, salaries and pensions was 44% in 1995. This fell to 37% in 2010 before rising to 47% in 2015.
In 1995, social welfare accounted for 32% of general government current expenditure. By 2005 this had fallen to 27% before rising again to 37% in 2015.

Indicator 2.13: Dwelling completions

France had the highest levels of completions of residential units per 1,000 persons in Europe between 2007 and 2016 at 59. Ireland had the fourth highest completion level at 53 per 1,000 persons over this period, although completions fell from 18 per 1,000 persons in 2007 to 2 in 2013 before rising to 3 in 2016.

Indicator 3.3: Emigration and immigration

Emigration levels increased from 25,000 persons in 1997 to 89,000 in 2013 before falling to 76,000 in 2016. Immigration levels peaked in 2007 at 151,000 before falling to 42,000 in 2010 and rising again to 79,000 in 2016.

Indicator 3.8: Life expectancy

Life expectancy at birth for males in Ireland increased from 49 years in 1901 to 78 in 2011. Life expectancy at birth for females increased from 50 years in 1901 to 83 in 2011.

Indicators 3.12 and 3.13: Usual means of travel to school and work

The proportion of children aged 5-12 being driven to school increased from 26% in 1986 to 63% in 2016. The proportion of children aged 13-18 going to school as car passengers rose from 12% to 43% over the same period. In 2016, two out of three persons drove to work.

Indicator 4.11: Total primary energy requirement

Ireland’s imported energy dependency increased from 69% in 1990 to 88% in 2015. Import dependency on oil decreased from 71% of total fuel imports in 1990 to 58% in 2015. Import dependency on coal fell from 29% to 12% over this period. In contrast, import dependency on gas increased from 0% to 29% of total fuel imports between 1990 and 2015.

Indicator 4.13: New private vehicles licensed by emission class

The number of new private cars registered in emission bands A or B increased from 12% in 2005 to 96% in 2016.

Indicator 4.14: Municipal waste

The amount of municipal waste sent to landfill decreased from 2 million tonnes in 2001 to just over 1 million tonnes in 2012. This represented a reduction in the disposal rate of municipal waste to landfill from 87% to 41% over this period. The recovery rate of packaging waste increased from 25% in 2010 to 88% in 2013.

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