Ireland vs Least developed countries: Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-)

Ireland
4.4%
in 2024
Least developed countries
-2.5%
in 2021
Ireland rank
10th
Least developed countries rank
7th

Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) over time

  • Ireland
  • Least developed countries
-30-20-100197219982024

How they compare

Ireland currently reports 4.4% against -2.5% in Least developed countries, a difference of 6.9%.

That makes Ireland's figure about 1.8 times Least developed countries's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 12 shared years of data; in 2009 it was Least developed countries ahead.

Ireland ranks 10th and Least developed countries ranks 7th of 156 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 1 and Least developed countries in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Ireland Least developed countries Difference Ahead
2000s -13.8% -3.3% 10.6% Least developed countries
2010s -5.9% -1.7% 4.2% Least developed countries
2020s -3.0% -3.2% 0.2% Ireland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher net lending (+) / net borrowing (-), Ireland or Least developed countries?
Ireland, at 4.4% against -2.5% in Least developed countries as of 2024.
What is the difference in net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) between Ireland and Least developed countries?
6.9%, with Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and Least developed countries?
12 years are reported by both, from 2009 to 2021.
How do Ireland and Least developed countries rank globally for net lending (+) / net borrowing (-)?
Ireland ranks 10th and Least developed countries ranks 7th of 156 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Ireland vs Least developed countries: Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-). Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/net-lending-net-borrowing-percent-of-gdp/ireland/least-developed-countries-un-classification/

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About this data

Indicator
Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
182 places, 5,229 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Net lending (+) / net borrowing (–) equals government revenue minus expense, minus net investment in nonfinancial assets. It is also equal to the net result of transactions in financial assets and liabilities. Net lending/net borrowing is a summary measure indicating the extent to which government is either putting financial resources at the disposal of other sectors in the economy or abroad, or utilizing the financial resources generated by other sectors in the economy or from abroad. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.