Map of Isle of Man | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


Background: Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost extinct Manx Gaelic language. The Isle of Man is a British Crown dependency, which makes it a self-governing possession of the British Crown that is not part of the UK. The UK Government, however, remains constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.


top of page


Location: Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland

Geographic coordinates: 54 15 N, 4 30 W

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 572 km²
Land: 572 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 160 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm

Climate: temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about a third of the time

Terrain: hills in north and south bisected by central valley

Elevation
Highest point: Snaefell 621 m
Lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m

Natural resources: none

Land use
Agricultural land: 74.7% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 43.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 30.9% (2018 est.)
Forest: 6.1% (2018 est.)
Other: 19.2% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: occasional high winds and rough seas

Geography
Note: one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest and is a bird sanctuary


top of page


Population
Distribution: most people concentrated in cities and large towns of which Douglas, in the southeast, is the largest: 90,895 (July 2021 est.)
Growth rate: 0.55% (2021 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: Manxman(men), Manxwoman(women)
Adjective: Manx

Ethnic groups: British 92.6%, European 5%, Asian 1%, African 1%, other 0.2% (2011 est.)
Note: data represent population by nationality

Languages: English, Manx Gaelic (about 2% of the population has some knowledge)

Religions: Protestant (Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends), Roman Catholic

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 16.28% (male 7,688/female 7,046)
15-24 years: 11.02% (male 5,328/female 4,642)
25-54 years: 37.8% (male 17,080/female 17,131)
55-64 years: 13.82% (male 6,284/female 6,219)
65 years and over: 21.08% (male 9,023/female 10,058) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: NA
Youth dependency ratio: NA
Elderly dependency ratio: NA
Potential support ratio: NA

Median age
Total: 44.6 years
Male: 43.6 years
Female: 45.6 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.55% (2021 est.)

Birth rate: 10.69 births/1000 population (2021 est.)

Death rate: 10.19 deaths/1000 population (2021 est.)

Net migration rate: 5.01 migrant(s)/1000 population (2021 est.)

Population distribution: most people concentrated in cities and large towns of which Douglas, in the southeast, is the largest

Urbanization
Urban population: 53.1% of total population (2021)
Rate of urbanization: 0.97% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 27,000 DOUGLAS (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: air pollution, marine pollution; waste disposal (both household and industrial)

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.15 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.31 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 4.67 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.92 deaths/1000 live births (2021 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 81.84 years
Male: 80.01 years
Female: 83.8 years (2021 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA

Drinking water source
Improved: total: 100% of population
Unimproved: total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: NA

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 10.1%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 11.8%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 8.2% (2011 est.)


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Isle of Man
Abbreviation: I.O.M.
Etymology: the name 'man' may be derived from the Celtic word for 'mountain'

Government type: parliamentary democracy (Tynwald)

Capital
Name: Douglas
Geographic coordinates: 54 09 N, 4 29 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Etymology: name derives from the Dhoo and Glass Rivers, which flow through the valley in which the town is located and which in Manx mean the 'dark' and the 'light' rivers respectively

Administrative divisions: none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 24 local authorities each with its own elections

Dependent areas

Independence: none (British Crown dependency)

National holiday: Tynwald Day, 5 July (1417); date Tynwald Day was first recorded

Constitution
History: development of the Isle of Man constitution dates to at least the 14th century
Amendments: proposed as a bill in the House of Keys, by the 'Government,' by a 'Member of the House,' or through petition to the House or Legislative Council; passage normally requires three separate readings and approval of at least 13 House members; following both House and Council agreement, assent is required by the lieutenant governor on behalf of the Crown; the constitution has been expanded and amended many times, last in 2020

Legal system: the laws of the UK apply where applicable and include Manx statutes

International law organization participation

Citizenship: see United Kingdom

Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir John LORIMER (since 29 September 2021)
Head of government: Chief Minister Alfred CANNAN (since 12 October 2021)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the lieutenant governor
Elections and appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister indirectly elected by the Tynwald for a 5-year term (eligible for second term); election last held on 23 September 2021
Election results: Alfred CANNAN (independent) elected chief minister; Tynwald House of Keys vote - 21 of 24

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral Tynwald or the High Court of Tynwald consists of:
Legislative Council (11 seats; includes the President of Tynwald, 2 ex-officio members - the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man and the attorney general (non-voting) - and 8 members indirectly elected by the House of Keys with renewal of 4 members every 2 years; elected members serve 4-year terms)
House of Keys (24 seats; 2 members directly elected by simple majority vote from 12 constituencies to serve 5-year terms)
Elections: Legislative Council - last held 29 February 2020 (next to be held on 28 February 2022)
House of Keys - last held on 23 September 2021 (next to be held in September 2026)
Election results: Legislative Council - composition (as of 2021) - men 6, women 3, 2 vacancies; percent of women 27.3%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Isle of Man High Court of Justice (consists of 3 permanent judges or 'deemsters' and 1 judge of appeal; organized into the Staff of Government Division or Court of Appeal and the Civil Division); the Court of General Gaol Delivery is not formally part of the High Court but is administered as though part of the High Court and deals with serious criminal cases; note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
Judge selection and term of office: deemsters appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor; deemsters can serve until age 70
Subordinate courts: High Court; Court of Summary Gaol Delivery; Summary Courts; Magistrate's Court; specialized courts

Political parties and leaders: Green Party [Andrew: red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (triskelion), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem is used; the flag is based on the coat of arms of the last recognized Norse King of Mann, Magnus III (r. 1252-65); the triskelion has its roots in an early Celtic sun symbol

National symbols: triskelion (a motif of three legs); national colors: red, white

National anthem
Name: 'Arrane Ashoonagh dy Vannin' (O Land of Our Birth)
Lyrics and music: William Henry GILL [English], John J. KNEEN [Manx]/traditional
Note: adopted 2003, in use since 1907; serves as a local anthem; as a British Crown dependency, 'God Save the Queen' is official (see United Kingdom) and is played when the sovereign, members of the royal family, or the lieutenant governor are present

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $6.792 billion (2015 est.)
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate: -8.6% (2015 est.)

17.9% (2014 est.)

2.1% (2010 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $84,600 (2014 est.)

$86,200 (2013 est.)

$73,700 (2012 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1% (FY12/13 est.)
Industry: 13% (FY12/13 est.)
Services: 86% (FY12/13 est.)

Agriculture products: cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry

Industries: financial services, light manufacturing, tourism

Industrial production growth rate

Labor force: 41,790 (2006)
By occupation manufacturing: 5% (2006 est.)
By occupation construction: 8% (2006 est.)
By occupation tourism: 1% (2006 est.)
By occupation transport and communications: 9% (2006 est.)
By occupation agriculture,forestry,andfishing: 2% (2006 est.)
By occupation gas,electricity,andwater: 1% (2006 est.)
By occupation wholesaleandretaildistribution: 11% (2006 est.)
By occupation professionalandscientificservices: 20% (2006 est.)
By occupation public administration: 7% (2006 est.)
By occupation bankingandfinance: 23% (2006 est.)
By occupation entertainmentandcatering: 5% (2006 est.)
By occupation miscellaneousservices: 8% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate: 1.1% (2017 est.)

2% (April 2011 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 10.1%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 11.8%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 8.2% (2011 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA
Highest 10: NA

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $965 million (FY05/06 est.)
Expenditures: $943 million (FY05/06 est.)
Surplus or deficit: $0.3% (of GDP) (FY05/06 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 14.2% (of GDP) (FY05/06 est.)

Public debt

Revenue
From forest resources forest revenues: 0% of GDP (2017 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.1% (2017 est.)

1% (2016 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: NA
Commodities: tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb

Imports: NA
Commodities: timber, fertilizers, fish

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


top of page


Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media: national public radio broadcasts over 3 FM stations and 1 AM station; 2 commercial broadcasters operating with 1 having multiple FM stations; receives radio and TV services via relays from British TV and radio broadcasters

Internet
Country code: .im
Users total: 63,500 (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: M

Airports
Total: 1 (2013)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2019)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 500 km (2008)

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Douglas, Ramsey


top of page


Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs