10 percentage point swing from .com to .ie is revealed
The .ie Domain Profile Report, examines the makeup of the .ie database, including the counties and countries where .ie domains are registered and additional information about the wider .ie ecosystem.
As this .ie Domain Profile Report is the last to measure the 2010s, we also take the opportunity to review standout facts and figures from the last decade. .ie has now overtaken .com to become the online identity of choice for Irish businesses and individuals.
Swing to .ie
At the end of 2019, the total number of .ie domains in the national database was 280,958, up from 154,918 at the end of 2010 (+81%). The substantial increase from 2010 to 2019 demonstrates the unrelenting pace of digital transformation and reflects the decade of work to make .ie domains more accessible and relevant to Ireland’s changing needs.
Over the last ten years, .ie enjoyed a 10 percentage point swing in market share of Ireland’s hosted domains from .com. In 2010, .com comprised 43% of all Irish hosted domains, versus 40% for .ie. In 2019, .ie comprised 50% of hosted domains, whereas .com’s share shrank to 33%.
New .ie registrations
50,167 new .ie domains were registered in 2019. In 2018 we implemented a rule change making it easier and faster to register a .ie. When comparing 2019 registrations to 2017 registrations (pre-rule change), the positive effect is clear: new registrations grew by +27%.
61% of all new .ie domains in 2019 were registered by companies or the self-employed. Almost 80% of the total .ie database now comprises these two types.
Other findings
- In an era of increasing social media restrictions, new .ie registrations by individuals rose by +27% last year as more seek a private digital space that they fully control.
- On the island of Ireland, Fermanagh recorded the largest percentage increase in new .ie domain registrations in 2019 (+146%), albeit from a low base. Roscommon (+25.7%) followed.
- Dublin and Cork both recorded decreases in the number of new .ie domains registered (-6.8% and -1.9% respectively) but also recorded the largest overall number of new .ie registrations (18,966 and 4,055).
- 51% of .ie websites now have an SSL security certificate (+45% YoY). Google downgrades search results for websites without SSL certificates.
- 422 .ie domains were put up for sale on the ‘secondary market’ in 2019, up from 291 in 2018 (+45% YoY). This indicates strong demand for the .ie brand.
Comment
Speaking about the .ie Domain Profile Report, our Chief Executive David Curtin, said:
“The 2010s were a period of monumental growth for the .ie domain, powered by a combination of rapid technological and social change through the explosion of digital media and e-commerce and the proliferation of internet-enabled devices, and because of key strategic decisions taken by .IE’s Policy Advisory Committee.
“The most fundamental of these was ‘liberalisation’, a rule change implemented in 2018 that dropped the requirement for applicants to prove their claim to a particular .ie domain name. This made it easier and faster for people with a connection to Ireland to secure their .ie domain of choice and build a web presence for personal or commercial use.
“As Ireland becomes more globalised and the internet connects us to more international businesses and institutions, it’s essential that our communities can identify themselves online as familiar, local, and Irish through the trusted .ie brand.”
For further information, visit our .ie Domain Profile Report page where you can download the full report and factsheet.
Naomi Temple is our Marketing Specialist working within our corporate communications team.