The Irish Advantage: Why Ireland is Winning the Post-Brexit Battle for Talent and Investment
In the years since Brexit, a new European landscape has taken shape. For international investors, executives, and families weighing their options, the question of where to build a future in an English-speaking EU nation has become more critical than ever. While conversations often revolve around policy and tax, a recent, comprehensive report from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) allows us to look at the hard data.
The evidence is clear and compelling. Across key metrics of prosperity, productivity, and quality of life, Ireland has established a significant and growing advantage. For those making a strategic decision about their future, the data points to one clear conclusion: the smart move is to Ireland.
Higher Living Standards and Greater Earning Potential
The most fundamental measure of a country’s success is the prosperity of its people. The ESRI report reveals a substantial gap in favour of Ireland.
A resident’s actual spending power is best measured by household disposable income. On this front, incomes were 18.3 per cent higher in Ireland than in neighbouring Northern Ireland in 2018, with the report noting this gap has widened over time.
Looking at national output, Ireland’s GNI* per capita—a reliable measure of domestic economic strength—was 57 per cent higher than GDP per capita in NI in 2022.
This prosperity is reflected in wages. Hourly earnings, adjusted for purchasing power, were 36 per cent higher in Ireland than in NI in 2022.
A World-Class Hub for Productivity and Innovation
This wealth is not accidental; it is built on a foundation of exceptional productivity, driven by a world-leading Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) sector.
The report finds that productivity levels in foreign-owned firms in Ireland were almost four times that in NI in the same year.
This high-performance environment attracts the world’s top companies, evidenced by the explosive growth in employment within these firms. Between 2015 and 2021, the number of people employed in foreign-owned businesses in Ireland surged from 304,000 to 572,000, while the number in NI remained almost static.
This confirms Ireland’s status not just as a business-friendly location, but as a global centre of high-value, productive excellence.
A Superior Quality of Life: Health and Longevity
Beyond the economic figures, the data reveals a tangible advantage in quality of life. The ultimate indicator of a nation’s well-being is the health and longevity of its population.
In 2021, life expectancy for a child born in Ireland was 82.4 years.
This is a full two years longer than in Northern Ireland (80.4 years) and also significantly ahead of the UK average (80.7 years).
The ESRI report links this growing divergence in life expectancy directly to Ireland's superior living standards and better access to education and healthcare.
Investing in the Future: A Commitment to Education
A country that invests in its young people is a country that is investing in its future. The ESRI data shows Ireland’s educational system is delivering superior outcomes, ensuring a skilled and capable workforce for decades to come.
In 2022, enrolment rates among 15-19 year olds in Ireland stood at 93.9 per cent, a remarkable 21 percentage points ahead of the figure for NI.
Critically, Ireland has been far more successful at keeping young people in the system. Rates of early school leaving fell to just 2.7 per cent in Ireland in 2022, while they increased to 10 per cent in NI over the same period.
When choosing a European base post-Brexit, the decision for investors, executives, and families must be a strategic one. The evidence on prosperity, productivity, health, and education paints a clear and consistent picture. The Irish Advantage is real, measurable, and growing.