Ireland, one of the richest countries in the EU.

"You may not know: Ireland is now one of the richest countries in the EU. This country, which has been famous for immigrants, sad poets, famines, civil wars and elves for hundreds of years, has now surpassed Germany, France and Britain in per capita GDP. " Thomas Friedman, a famous columnist in The New York Times, said this when he mentioned Ireland in a column. This is really beyond many people's expectation, or people seldom pay attention to this country with an area of just over 70,000 square kilometers and a population of less than 5 million. Some people even think it is a part of Britain. But it is such a small country that now ranks among the richest countries.

The per capita net assets are 6,543,800 euros+0,480 euros.

According to a recent national wealth survey conducted by the Bank of Ireland, the per capita net assets of Irish people have increased from 46,000 euros to148,000 euros in the past decade alone, surpassing their British neighbors, whose per capita net assets are only137,000 euros. Among the countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Ireland's per capita net assets rank ahead of the United States, second only to Japan's 206,000 euros, making it the second richest country. At present, Ireland's per capita GDP is 36,800 euros, the unemployment rate is only 4.3%, and at the same time, it has maintained a low inflation rate of 2.5% ... No matter which indicator, Ireland's economy is enough to envy many countries.

On the streets of Ireland, Mercedes-Benz BMW can be seen everywhere, and the latest Bentley and luxury Hummer are not new. When the weather is good, sports cars and private jets will be dispatched one after another. According to the latest statistics, in the first quarter of 2006 alone, Irish people spent more than 654.38 billion euros on overseas holidays, 654.38 billion euros more than the same period last year. In Dublin, with the rapid economic growth, house prices have increased by as much as 273% since 1995. The annual rent per square meter of the famous Grafton Street in Dublin has exceeded 4 100 Euro.

Ten years ago, he was a "beggar in Europe"

Looking at such Ireland, who would believe that only twenty or thirty years ago, Ireland was called "the beggar of Europe" by Europeans. Ireland has always been an agricultural country. Due to years of trade protectionism and policy problems, Ireland simply can't find decent and competitive products. The whole country is on the verge of bankruptcy, and most college students choose to move to other countries after graduation. Until 1987, Ireland's per capita GDP was still only 69% of the EU average.

After entering the 1990s, history was surprisingly rewritten. The GDP of this country is growing at the rate of 7% every year, reaching 9.2% at one time. You know, China and India, which are regarded as the engines of the global economy, have only 8%-9% GDP growth. In 2003, Ireland's per capita GDP reached 65,438 euros, which was 0.36% of the EU average. Ireland's ancestors were Celts, so some people call Ireland's economic take-off "the miracle of the Celtic tiger".

Software exports have strongly promoted the economy.

When it comes to the success of Irish economy, we can't help but mention its impressive software industry. According to William Harris, managing director of the Irish Science Foundation, the top ten software companies in the world have branches in Ireland, and more than 50% of the software products in the European market are produced in Ireland. The United States has become the largest market for Irish software. As early as 1998, Ireland surpassed the United States and India in software export, ranking first in the world. Software exports account for more than 10% of Ireland's total exports, effectively boosting the economy.

A large amount of foreign direct investment has become the most powerful support for Ireland's economic development. Ireland's corporate tax is only 12.5%, which is much lower than that of Britain's 3 1%, attracting a large number of multinational companies to settle in Ireland. At present, there are 1054 foreign companies in Ireland. Most of the world's top companies in high value-added industries such as electronic information, software, engineering, pharmacy and finance have established production bases and R&D centers in Ireland, forming a good industrial structure in Ireland and bringing up a number of first-class management and operation talents.

Michael Dell, the founder of Dell, said, "1990 We set up an office in Ireland, which attracted us. First, well-educated workers and a very good university environment nearby. Second, Ireland's industrial and commercial and tax policies have always been conducive to doing business and are not affected by the change of the ruling party. Third, Ireland has good transportation, logistics and unique geographical location-it can quickly export its products to major markets in Europe. "

If attracting foreign investment is the pillar of Ireland's economic take-off, then education is the wing to help it take off. Since 1985, the Irish government's public expenditure on education has increased by 150%, which has always been the primary expenditure when formulating the national development plan. 1996, Ireland also achieved free university education, making it one of the countries with the highest enrollment rate and the highest per capita education level among the population aged/kloc-0 to 29 in the world.

The result of "embracing globalization"

Ireland has experienced unprecedented economic growth, and now some links are beginning to show disadvantages. First of all, Ireland's economy is dominated by exports, accounting for 70% of the national economy, which is easily affected by the global economy, so Ireland urgently needs to promote domestic demand. Secondly, Ireland's industrial proportion is still very large, which is easily affected by fluctuations in raw materials and energy. At the same time, Ireland's manufacturing industry mainly comes from the outward migration of American manufacturing industry, attracting foreign direct investment with low taxes and some preferential policies, which is easily challenged by emerging economies in East Asia with more favorable tax policies. In addition, economic development has also brought some social problems, such as the widening gap between the rich and the poor and the influx of new immigrants.

In any case, Ireland's economic development has created a new myth. Although there are some problems now, compared with other European countries, Ireland has a high birth rate and a large number of immigrants, so the Bank of Ireland predicts that these factors can keep Ireland's economy growing rapidly. By 20 15, the total net wealth of Irish families will reach 1.2 trillion euros. Mary Hani, Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland, said, "This is not a miracle. We didn't dig gold. We just formulated the correct domestic policy and embraced globalization. "