Interest payments in Ireland

Ireland: Interest payments was 3.3% in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
3.3%
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
107th
of 152 countries
All-time high
21.0%
in 1990
All-time low
3.1%
in 2007
Years of data
51
1972–2022

Interest payments in Ireland, 1972–2022

5101520197219972022

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of expense.

Analysis

The most recent figure for interest payments in Ireland is 3.3%, measured in 2022.

The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 67.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, interest payments in Ireland peaked at 21.0% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 3.1%, in 2007.

That places Ireland 107th out of 152 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Interest payments in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Interest payments (% of expense) in Ireland, 1972 to 2022.
Year % of expense Change
1972 10.8%
1973 11.0% +2.0%
1974 10.5% -4.1%
1975 10.9% +3.8%
1976 12.4% +13.9%
1977 13.5% +8.3%
1978 14.1% +5.1%
1979 14.3% +1.4%
1980 14.1% -1.7%
1981 15.3% +8.3%
1982 17.2% +12.3%
1983 17.4% +1.2%
1984 18.2% +4.7%
1985 19.5% +7.5%
1986 18.7% -4.4%
1987 18.5% -0.9%
1988 18.9% +2.1%
1989 19.9% +5.2%
1990 21.0% +5.6%
1991 19.6% -6.8%
1992 17.9% -8.3%
1993 16.8% -6.4%
1994 15.5% -7.4%
1995 13.7% -12.1%
1996 12.3% -9.8%
1997 11.1% -10.3%
1998 10.6% -3.8%
1999 7.9% -25.4%
2000 6.9% -13.1%
2001 4.8% -29.7%
2002 4.3% -10.3%
2003 4.0% -8.1%
2004 3.6% -9.6%
2005 3.3% -8.4%
2006 3.2% -2.9%
2007 3.1% -2.5%
2008 3.4% +9.8%
2009 4.5% +32.3%
2010 4.5% -0.4%
2011 7.5% +64.9%
2012 10.3% +38.0%
2013 11.2% +9.1%
2014 11.0% -2.3%
2015 9.6% -13.0%
2016 8.8% -7.7%
2017 8.1% -8.6%
2018 6.9% -14.9%
2019 5.8% -16.0%
2020 4.0% -30.9%
2021 3.3% -17.5%
2022 3.3% +0.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 12.2% 10.5% 14.3% 8
1980s 17.8% 14.1% 19.9% 10
1990s 14.6% 7.9% 21.0% 10
2000s 4.1% 3.1% 6.9% 10
2010s 8.4% 4.5% 11.2% 10
2020s 3.5% 3.3% 4.0% 3

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 104 Saudi Arabia 3.4% compare
  2. 105 France 3.4% compare
  3. 106 Burundi 3.3% compare
  4. 108 Belgium 3.2% compare
  5. 109 Kyrgyzstan 3.2% compare
  6. 110 Czechia 3.1% compare

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More public sector data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is interest payments in Ireland?
Interest payments in Ireland was 3.3% in 2022, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest interest payments recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 21.0% in 1990.
What is the lowest interest payments recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 3.1% in 2007.
How does Ireland rank for interest payments?
Ireland ranks 107th out of 152 countries with data for 2022.
Is interest payments rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 67.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ireland data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Interest payments (% of expense). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Interest payments in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/interest-payments-percent-of-expense/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Interest payments (% of expense)
Unit
% of expense
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
193 places, 5,277 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Interest payments include interest payments on government debt (including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments) to domestic and foreign residents. This indicator is expressed as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.