IT HAS BEEN, by any measure, an extraordinary year.

As part of our Review of the Year, we look back at some of the numbers from the year from the small (the points difference between Dublin and Kerry in this year’s All-Ireland football final) to the big (the world’s population this year) to the gigantic (mainly involving Ireland’s debt…).

Ireland

92: The approval rating of Mary McAleese in per cent towards the end of her term – the highest rating ever achieved by any Taoiseach, minister or political leader.

21: The percentage of Irish people who have never used the internet.

17.4 : The percentage vote Fianna Fáil won in February’s general election.

39.1: The lowest percentage vote Fianna Fáil had won in any election before February.

1: The points difference between Kerry and Dublin in this year’s all-Ireland football final. Dublin won by 1-12 to Kerry’s 1-11.

3: Where Ireland comes in a ranking of wealthy European countries. Luxembourg topped the list followed by The Netherlands.

701,101: The number of votes Michael D Higgins received in the presidential election in October.

11.5: The percentage difference between Sean Gallagher’s showing in the final opinion poll of the presidential campaign (40 per cent) and what he actually received on the day (28.5 per cent).

100: The amount in euros of the new controversial household charge introduced in Budget 2012. A campaign is encouraging people to boycott the charge.

9: Years since Ireland’s football team has qualified for a major tournament before qualifying for next year’s European Championships in November.

World

7 billion: The world’s population as of 31 October, according to the UN.

2: The number of people in Mexico who speak Ayapeneco, an indigenous language. The two people had a falling out and no longer speak to each other.

1.5 million: The number of Americans who have served in Iraq. President Obama officially announced the end of the 9-year-long war in December.

Finance

9.15 billion: The amount in euros that Ireland received in bailout loans from the IMF this year. The latest €3.9 billion was released in December.

2.2 billion: The amount in euros of cuts to public spending announced by public expenditure minister Brendan Howlin in the first part of the Budget.

1.6 billion: The amount in euros of tax increases announced by finance minister Michael Noonan.

1,210: The total number of billionaires in the world – a new record.

4,500,000,000,000: The combined wealth in dollars of the world’s billionaires.

3.4 out of 10: The number of US millionaires who say they don’t feel rich, according to a survey by Fidelity Investments. Many said they would need at least $7.5 million in order to feel wealthy.