Living in Ireland

Ireland is the rare high-paying economy in Europe where English alone is enough to work, which makes the landing simpler than across most of its neighbors. The draw is the cluster of tech, engineering, and finance multinationals that have made the country a base, and hiring there stays within reach for someone arriving without local ties. Pay sits near the top and prices have climbed to meet it, though a salary still leaves you genuinely ahead, with tax taking only a modest share.

Ireland is firmly a destination country, with about 1M foreign-born residents — roughly 19% of the population — a community that has grown 48% over the past decade. The largest groups come from the United Kingdom (293.6K), Ukraine, and Poland. Ireland also has a substantial diaspora of its own, 710.3K, with the UK its most common destination.