THE WORLD FACTBOOK — Reference Edition 2026

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.

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

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

Environmental issues: air pollution, marine pollution; waste disposal (both household and industrial)
Climate: temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about a third of the time
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.)
Urbanization: urban population: 53.5% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.97% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 50,600 tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 50% (2011 est.)

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 242016: 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

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.)

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

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: M
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
Ports: total ports: 2 (2024)
large: 0
medium: 0
small: 2
very small: 0
ports with oil terminals: 1
key ports: Douglas, Ramsey

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

Isle of Man