Ireland was the 5th most expensive country in the European Union last year.

That is according to figures released today by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

They show prices here were 17% above the EU average in 2011.

That is an improvement on 2008 when prices in Ireland were the 2nd-highest in the Union.

The figures also show our unemployment rate was the 5th highest in 2011.

We also have the highest fertility rate and the lowest divorce rate in Europe.

Meanwhile our population is increasing at a higher rate than any other EU country.

The stats show that the GDP growth here rate was 1.4% in 2011 while the public balance deficit stood at 13.1% of GDP – the largest of any EU member state.

But this is seen as a big improvement on 2010 when it was 31.2%.

Government debt also increased substantially to 108.2% of GDP last year making it the 3rd highest debt/GDP ratio in the EU.

The same report shows the number of kidnapping and related offences increased by over 40% over the 6 year period 2005-2011 and the number of weapons and explosives offences increased by over one-third and.

However the number of murders/manslaughters decreased from its peak of 84 in 2007 to 44 in 2011.

Read the full report href="http://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/releasespublications/documents/otherreleases/2011/measuringirelandsprogress2011.pdf">here

/>

Related stories

href="http://www.newstalk.ie/2012/news/irish-population-slows-as-more-emigrate-says-cso/">Irish population slows as more emigrate, says CSO

href="http://www.newstalk.ie/2012/news/eleven-crime-groups-see-fall-in-activity-says-cso/">Eleven crime groups see fall in activity, says CSO