The Central Statistics Office's annual round-up of statistics has detailed the effects of the recession on Ireland's performance last year.
The CSO's report, called Measuring Ireland's Progress, says Ireland's public deficit of 14.3% of economic output was the highest of any EU member state last year, while government debt increased to nearly two-thirds of output, having been only a quarter two years before.
Read the full report from the CSO here
The CSO report says Ireland's employment rate fell below the EU average last year, and its unemployment rate was the sixth highest rate in the EU.
While prices fell in 2009 - the only other EU states with price falls were Portugal and Spain - Irish prices remain high by EU standards. The CSO's report also says the productivity of the Irish workforce remained above the EU average in 2009.
According to the CSO, Ireland had the lowest divorce rate and the highest fertility rate in the EU last year, and its population is increasing at a higher rate than in any other EU country.
In 2009, Ireland had the highest proportion of young people in the EU, and the lowest proportion of old people. The CSO report says the proportion of the Irish population aged 25-34 that has completed third-level education, at 45%, is the second highest in the EU.
But the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level is high by EU standards. At 17.9, the ratio is the fifth highest of 27 EU countries, though the early school-leaver rate of 11.3% is better than the EU average of 14.9%.
