2024 Edition Primary

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, DC

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

74.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 43.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 30.9% (2018 est.)

forest

6.1% (2018 est.)

other

19.2% (2018 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 of which 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

10.4 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Death rate

10.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

34.9

potential support ratio

2.9 (2021)

total dependency ratio

58.6

youth dependency ratio

23.6

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 99.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0.9% of population (2020)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

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

note

note: data represent population by nationality

Gross reproduction rate

0.9 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

4.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 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.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

27,000 DOUGLAS (capital) (2018)

Median age

female

46.1 years

male

43.7 years

total

44.9 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Manx

noun

Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)

Net migration rate

4.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Physician density

NA

Population

female

45,938 (2024 est.)

male

46,331

total

92,269

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

0.45% (2024 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: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: NA

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 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

1.88 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

53.5% of total population (2023)

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

Capital

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

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

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

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 Celtic word for "mountain"

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 242016: Howard QUAYLE elected chief minister; Tynwald House of Keys vote - 21 of 33

elections/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 (next to be held in 2026)

head of government

Chief Minister Alfred CANNAN (since 12 October 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; 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

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 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

Legal system

the laws of the UK apply where applicable and include Manx statutes

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Tynwald or the High Court of Tynwald consists of:Legislative Council (11 seats; renewal of 4 members every 2 years; elected members serve 4-year terms) House of Keys (24 seats; 2 members each from 12 constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

election results

Legislative Council - composition - men 6, women 4, vacant 1; percentage women 36.4% House of Keys - percent of vote by party - Liberal Vannin 5.3%, Manx Labour Party 5.1%, Green Party 3.3% independent 86.3%; seats by party - independent 21; Manx Labour Party 2, Liberal Vannin 1; composition – men 14, women 10, percentage women 41.7%; total Tynwald percentage women 40%

elections

Legislative Council - last held 14 March 2023 (next to be held by March 2028)House of Keys - last held on 23 September 2021 (next to be held on 24 September 2026)

note

note: Legislative Council includes the President of Tynwald, 2 non-voting members (the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man and the attorney general), and 8 members indirectly elected by the House of Keys

National anthem

lyrics/music

William Henry GILL [English], John J. KNEEN [Manx]/traditional

name

"Arrane Ashoonagh dy Vannin" (O Land of Our Birth)

note

note: adopted 2003, in use since 1907; serves as a local anthem; as a British Crown dependency, "God Save the King" is official (see United Kingdom) and is played when the sovereign, members of the royal family, or the lieutenant governor are present

National holiday

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

National symbol(s)

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

Political parties

Green Party Liberal Vannin Party or LVP Manx Labor PartyMec Vannin (sometimes referred to as the Manx Nationalist Party)

note

note: most members sit as independents

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry

Credit ratings

Moody's rating

Aa3 (2020)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

N/A

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 2019

0.783 (2019 est.)

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.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.3% (2021 est.)

industry

9.4% (2021 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

91.8% (2021 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$7.931 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Imports - commodities

ships, delivery trucks (2022)

Imports - partners

almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)

Industrial production growth rate

9.95% (2021 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

financial services, light manufacturing, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

1% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

4.1% (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2014 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2014

$7.428 billion (2014 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015

$6.792 billion (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2019

0.25% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-8.84% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

3.84% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2014

$84,600 (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2017

1.1% (2017 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

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

Telecommunication systems

domestic

landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system

general assessment

the Isle of Man has an extensive communications infrastructure consisting of telephone cables, submarine cables, and an array of television and mobile phone transmitters and towers (2022)

international

country code - 44; fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable

Airports

4 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

M

Heliports

1 (2024)

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

ports with oil terminals

1

small

2

total ports

2 (2024)

Railways

narrow gauge

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

note

57 0.914-mm gauge (29 km electrified) note: primarily summer tourist attractions

total

63 km (2008)

Roadways

paved

1,107 km

total

1,107 km (2022)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Climate

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

Environment - current issues

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

Land use

agricultural land

74.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 43.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 30.9% (2018 est.)

forest

6.1% (2018 est.)

other

19.2% (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

53.5% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

50,551 tons (2011 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

25,276 tons (2011 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

50% (2011 est.)