2020 Edition

Background

The Isle of Man was part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century, when it was ceded to Scotland. The isle came under English lordship in the 14th century before being purchased by the British Government 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.

Area

land

572 sq km

total

572 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than three times the size of Washington, D.C.

Climate

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

Coastline

160 km

Elevation

highest point

Snaefell 621 m

lowest point

Irish Sea 0 m

Geographic coordinates

54 15 N, 4 30 W

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

69.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 41.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 28% (2023 est.)

forest

6.4% (2023 est.)

other

24.5% (2023 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

12 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

occasional high winds and rough seas

Natural resources

none

Population distribution

most people concentrated in cities and large towns; Douglas, in the southeast, is the largest

Terrain

hills in north and south bisected by central valley

Age structure

0-14 years

16% (male 7,701/female 7,100)

15-64 years

61.9% (male 29,035/female 28,044)

65 years and over

22.1% (2024 est.) (male 9,595/female 10,794)

Birth rate

10.25 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

10.2 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

36.5 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

2.7 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

62.4 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

25.9 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

Ethnic groups

White 94.7%, Asian 3.1%, Mixed 1%, Black 0.6%, other 0.4% (2021 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.9 (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

4.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

84.4 years

male

80.7 years

total population

82.5 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

27,000 DOUGLAS (capital) (2018)

Median age

female

46.1 years

male

43.7 years

total

45.1 years (2025 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Manx

noun

Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)

Net migration rate

4.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population

female

46,123

male

46,543

total

92,666 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.41% (2025 est.)

Religions

Christian 54.7%, Muslim 0.5%, Buddhist 0.5%, Hindu 0.4%, Jewish 0.2%, none 43.8% (2021 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.) NA

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.08 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.89 male(s)/female

at birth

1.08 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.87 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.97% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

53.5% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US government, but 24 local authorities each hold elections

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology

the name comes from the Gaelic name Dubhghlais, or "black stream," referring to a nearby river; a second river was called Fionnghlais, or "white stream;" both river names were later shortened to Dhoo and Glass, respectively, which coincidentally comprised the elements of the town's name

geographic coordinates

54 09 N, 4 29 W

name

Douglas

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Constitution

amendment process

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

history

development of the Isle of Man constitution dates to at least the 14th century

Country name

abbreviation

I.O.M.

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Isle of Man

etymology

the name "man" may be derived from the Gaelic word for "mountain;" the local name is from the words ellan, or "island," and Vannin, a form of the name Mannan

local long form

Ellan Vannin

Dependency status

British crown dependency

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (British crown dependency)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the lieutenant governor

chief of state

Lord of Mann King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir John LORIMER (since 29 September 2021)

election results

2021: Alfred CANNAN (independent) elected chief minister; Tynwald House of Keys vote - 21 of 24 2016: Howard QUAYLE elected chief minister; Tynwald House of Keys vote - 21 of 33

election/appointment process

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)

expected date of next election

2026

head of government

Chief Minister Alfred CANNAN (since 12 October 2021)

most recent election date

23 September 2021

Flag

description: 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; a two-sided emblem is used to allow the toes to point clockwise on both sides of the flag  history: 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

Government type

parliamentary democracy (Tynwald)

Independence

none (British Crown dependency)

International organization participation

UPU

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

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 (not formally part of the High Court but is administered as such) deals with serious criminal cases

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

Legal system

UK laws apply, as well as Manx statutes

Legislative branch

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

Tynwald (High Court of Tynwald)

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

House of Keys

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

September 2026

most recent election date

9/23/2021

number of seats

24 (directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

independent (21); Manx Labour Party (2); Liberal Vannin (1)

percentage of women in chamber

40%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Legislative Council

expected date of next election

March 2028

most recent election date

3/14/2023

number of seats

11 (3 appointed, 8 indirectly elected)

percentage of women in chamber

36.4%

scope of elections

partial renewal

term in office

4 years

National anthem(s)

history

official anthem, as a British Crown dependency; played when the sovereign, members of the royal family, or the lieutenant governor are present

lyrics/music

unknown

title

"God Save the King"

National coat of arms

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom granted the Isle of Man’s coat of arms on July 12, 1996; the triskelion (three conjoined legs) on the shield represents resilience, resourcefulness, and hope; the Latin motto means “Wherever you throw it, it will stand,” a reference to the islanders’ ability to stand strong; the peregrine falcon represents the two falcons that the Isle of Man has paid to the UK monarch on Coronation Day since 1406, and the raven symbolizes the island’s former status as a Viking colony; the crown represents the UK monarch’s status as the Lord of Mann, although the island is self-governing

National color(s)

red, white

National holiday

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

National symbol(s)

triskelion (a motif of three legs)

Political parties

Green Party  Liberal Vannin Party or LVP  Manx Labor Party

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry

Economic overview

high-income British island economy; known financial services and tourism industries; taxation incentives for technology and financial firms to operate; historic fishing and agriculture industries are declining; major online gambling and film industry locale

Exchange rates

Currency

Manx pounds (IMP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

0.78 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.727 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.811 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.805 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

0.782 (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, artwork, vegetables, fruits, whiskies (2022)

Exports - partners

almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.4% (2022 est.)

industry

6.9% (2022 est.)

services

95.1% (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$7.431 billion (2022 est.)

Imports - commodities

ships, delivery trucks (2022)

Imports - partners

almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)

Industrial production growth rate

-29.5% (2022 est.)

Industries

financial services, light manufacturing, tourism

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-8.8% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

3.8% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

-4.2% (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

national public radio has 3 FM stations and 1 AM station; 2 commercial radio broadcasters; receives radio and TV services via relays from British TV and radio broadcasters

Internet country code

.im

Airports

4 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

M

Heliports

1 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 102, container ship 6, general cargo 27, oil tanker 56, other 78

total

269 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Douglas, Ramsey

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

1

small

2

total ports

2 (2024)

very small

0

Railways

narrow gauge

6 km (2008) 1.076-m gauge (6 km electrified)

total

63 km (2008)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Environmental issues

air pollution, marine pollution; waste disposal (both household and industrial)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

50,600 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

50% (2011 est.)