Isle of Man

Europe Douglas

Population

92.7K

Area

572 km²

GDP

$7.43B

GDP Per Capita

N/A

Pop. Density

162/km²

Quick Facts

Currency

£British pound(GBP)

Calling Code

+44

Timezone

UTC+00:00

Languages

English, Manx

Driving Side

left

Demonym

Manx

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.

Geography17

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

54 15 N, 4 30 W

Map references

Europe

Area

total : 572 sq km
land: 572 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

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

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

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.)

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Population distribution

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

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

People & Society22

Population

total: 92,666 (2025 est.)
male: 46,543
female: 46,123

Nationality

noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective: Manx

Ethnic groups

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

Languages

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

Religions

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

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)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 62.4 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 25.9 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 36.5 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 2.7 (2025 est.)

Median age

total: 45.1 years (2025 est.)
male: 43.7 years
female: 46.1 years

Population growth rate

0.41% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

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

Net migration rate

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

Population distribution

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

Urbanization

urban population: 53.5% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.97% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

27,000 DOUGLAS (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
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
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 82.5 years (2024 est.)
male: 80.7 years
female: 84.4 years

Total fertility rate

1.87 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.9 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: total: total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: NA
unimproved: rural: rural: NA
unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.) NA

Government25

Country name

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Isle of Man
local long form: Ellan Vannin
abbreviation: I.O.M.
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

Government type

parliamentary democracy (Tynwald)

Dependency status

British crown dependency

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: 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

Administrative divisions

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

Legal system

UK laws apply, as well as Manx statutes

Constitution

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

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state

Lord of Mann King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); 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

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)

most recent election date

23 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

expected date of next election

2026

Legislative branch

legislature name: Tynwald (High Court of Tynwald)
legislative structure: bicameral

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

House of Keys

number of seats

24 (directly elected)

electoral system

plurality/majority

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

most recent election date

9/23/2021

parties elected and seats per party

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

percentage of women in chamber

40%

expected date of next election

September 2026

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Legislative Council

number of seats

11 (3 appointed, 8 indirectly elected)

scope of elections

partial renewal

term in office

4 years

most recent election date

3/14/2023

percentage of women in chamber

36.4%

expected date of next election

March 2028

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

Political parties

Green Party
Liberal Vannin Party or LVP
Manx Labor Party

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy: none (British crown dependency)

International organization participation

UPU

Independence

none (British Crown dependency)

National holiday

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

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

National symbol(s)

triskelion (a motif of three legs)

National color(s)

red, white

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 anthem(s)

title: "God Save the King"
lyrics/music: unknown
history: official anthem, as a British Crown dependency; played when the sovereign, members of the royal family, or the lieutenant governor are present

Economy12

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

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022: -4.2% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2021: 3.8% (2021 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2020: -8.8% (2020 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$7.431 billion (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 0.4% (2022 est.)
industry: 6.9% (2022 est.)
services: 95.1% (2022 est.)

Agricultural products

cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry

Industries

financial services, light manufacturing, tourism

Industrial production growth rate

-29.5% (2022 est.)

Exports - partners

almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)

Exports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)

Imports - commodities

ships, delivery trucks (2022)

Exchange rates

Currency

Manx pounds (IMP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

0.782 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.805 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.811 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.727 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.78 (2020 est.)

Energy1

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Communications2

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

Transportation6

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports

4 (2025)

Heliports

1 (2025)

Railways

total: 63 km (2008)
narrow gauge: 6 km (2008) 1.076-m gauge (6 km electrified)

Merchant marine

total: 269 (2023)
by type: bulk carrier 102, container ship 6, general cargo 27, oil tanker 56, other 78