Interest payments (% of revenue) in Ireland
Ireland: Interest payments (% of revenue) was 2.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Interest payments in Ireland, 1972–2024
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of revenue.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 2.3% for interest payments in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 53 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 19.2% on the previous year and down 80.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, interest payments in Ireland peaked at 23.5% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 2.3%, in 2024.
Ireland ranks 128th of 155 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Interest payments (% of revenue) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of revenue | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 11.2% | — |
| 1973 | 11.4% | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 11.7% | +2.8% |
| 1975 | 13.5% | +15.1% |
| 1976 | 14.2% | +5.2% |
| 1977 | 15.3% | +8.0% |
| 1978 | 16.9% | +10.6% |
| 1979 | 17.4% | +2.6% |
| 1980 | 16.9% | -2.6% |
| 1981 | 18.7% | +10.3% |
| 1982 | 21.1% | +12.9% |
| 1983 | 20.7% | -1.9% |
| 1984 | 21.1% | +2.0% |
| 1985 | 23.5% | +11.3% |
| 1986 | 22.6% | -4.0% |
| 1987 | 21.9% | -2.7% |
| 1988 | 20.8% | -5.2% |
| 1989 | 20.8% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 22.2% | +6.5% |
| 1991 | 20.7% | -6.9% |
| 1992 | 19.1% | -7.7% |
| 1993 | 17.9% | -6.3% |
| 1994 | 16.4% | -8.4% |
| 1995 | 14.5% | -11.4% |
| 1996 | 12.4% | -14.5% |
| 1997 | 10.6% | -14.1% |
| 1998 | 9.9% | -7.0% |
| 1999 | 7.0% | -29.0% |
| 2000 | 5.8% | -17.5% |
| 2001 | 4.6% | -21.3% |
| 2002 | 4.3% | -5.6% |
| 2003 | 3.9% | -8.3% |
| 2004 | 3.4% | -12.8% |
| 2005 | 3.1% | -9.2% |
| 2006 | 2.9% | -6.6% |
| 2007 | 3.0% | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 4.0% | +32.6% |
| 2009 | 6.5% | +62.5% |
| 2010 | 9.1% | +40.7% |
| 2011 | 10.5% | +15.0% |
| 2012 | 12.8% | +22.2% |
| 2013 | 13.2% | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 11.9% | -9.7% |
| 2015 | 10.1% | -15.0% |
| 2016 | 8.8% | -12.8% |
| 2017 | 8.0% | -9.7% |
| 2018 | 6.6% | -16.9% |
| 2019 | 5.4% | -18.1% |
| 2020 | 4.7% | -12.9% |
| 2021 | 3.4% | -28.1% |
| 2022 | 3.0% | -13.0% |
| 2023 | 2.9% | -3.1% |
| 2024 | 2.3% | -19.2% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 2.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 3.9%, 60% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 2.3% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.5%, 66% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 14.0% | 11.2% | 17.4% | 8 |
| 1980s | 20.8% | 16.9% | 23.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.1% | 7.0% | 22.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.2% | 2.9% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.7% | 5.4% | 13.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 2.3% | 4.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
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Frequently asked questions
- What is interest payments in Ireland?
- Interest payments in Ireland was 2.3% in 2024, 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 23.5% in 1985.
- What is the lowest interest payments recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.3% in 2024.
- How does Ireland rank for interest payments?
- Ireland ranks 128th out of 155 countries with data for 2024.
- Is interest payments rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 80.6%. 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 revenue). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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 a percentage of revenue which includes all transactions that add to the amount of economic value of a unit or sector.