In terms of output and employment growth, Irish economy is well ahead of the average EU economies and OECD countries. The Irish economic success as Celtic Tiger is often being compared with the Asian newly industrial countries. According to some sources, European institutions like to point to Ireland as the success of the European cohesion strategy. How this almost agricultural country with lack of industry, with the GDP of 60 per cent of the average of the European Union has over the thirty years of the membership in the EU converted into one of the most advanced High-Tec economies? One of the key factors of the success was the membership, low taxes and education. There are several more factors which have contributed to the growth of the Irish economy, and which have influenced the decrease in Irish unemployment. To identify and explain the Irish success in conjuncture most of economists use these factors:
(1) Demographic structure,
(2) Investment in education and increase in level of educational qualification,
(3) Economic openness and improvement in competitiveness,
(4) Investment aid from the European Union, and
(5) Domestic policy.

Factors of Irish success
ad 1) Demographic structure
It is useful to introduce little information on population trends in Ireland to better understand the demographic structure.

The trend in the total population of Ireland has been varied over the past fifteen years. The reasons for this are declining natural increase and migratory tendencies. The population grew by about 2.8% between 1981-86, fell slightly between 1986-91, and again grew in the 1990s. (See Table 2.1 total population in 1981-1996) The trend variations can be attributed to net external migration. There were substantial net migratory outflows from 1981-91, when the average net annual outflow amounted to 0.8% (it makes 27,000 individuals). These migratory flows are related to labour market conditions. With the improvement in labour demand in the 1990s, the migratory flow has turned positive. Nowadays, Ireland faced to immigration.

Very important demographic change in Ireland’s population was the decline in the birth rate, which fell from 22 per thousand of population in 1980 to 13.7 per thousand in 1996. The reasons for this can be increase in education of the population and far greater participation in the labour force by women. As we can see, Ireland has a interesting demographic profile, with a strong increase in population of working age and an increase in women's labour force participation.