Tax revenue (% of GDP) in Ireland
Ireland: Tax revenue (% of GDP) was 17.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Tax revenue in Ireland, 1972–2024
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for tax revenue in Ireland is 17.9%, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 2.4% on the previous year and down 20.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tax revenue in Ireland peaked at 28.8% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 15.9%, in 2020.
Ireland ranks 68th of 157 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 53 years of available data.
Tax revenue (% of GDP) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 21.9% | — |
| 1973 | 22.2% | +1.4% |
| 1974 | 22.0% | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 21.3% | -3.2% |
| 1976 | 23.7% | +11.1% |
| 1977 | 22.5% | -4.8% |
| 1978 | 22.1% | -1.9% |
| 1979 | 22.0% | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 24.2% | +10.3% |
| 1981 | 25.3% | +4.5% |
| 1982 | 26.4% | +4.2% |
| 1983 | 27.5% | +4.4% |
| 1984 | 28.1% | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 27.2% | -3.2% |
| 1986 | 27.4% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 27.4% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 28.8% | +4.7% |
| 1989 | 25.8% | -10.2% |
| 1990 | 25.4% | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 25.6% | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 25.9% | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 25.8% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 27.1% | +4.7% |
| 1995 | 26.5% | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 27.2% | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 26.9% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 26.5% | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 26.7% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 26.3% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 24.2% | -8.1% |
| 2002 | 23.5% | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 24.2% | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 25.1% | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 25.5% | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 26.8% | +5.3% |
| 2007 | 25.9% | -3.3% |
| 2008 | 23.8% | -8.2% |
| 2009 | 22.1% | -7.3% |
| 2010 | 21.9% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 21.7% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 22.3% | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 22.5% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 22.5% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 18.1% | -19.4% |
| 2016 | 18.6% | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 17.6% | -5.5% |
| 2018 | 17.6% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 17.4% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 15.9% | -8.2% |
| 2021 | 16.6% | +4.4% |
| 2022 | 16.8% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 17.5% | +4.5% |
| 2024 | 17.9% | +2.4% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 17.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 20.7%, 87% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 17.9% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 20.8%, 86% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.2% | 21.3% | 23.7% | 8 |
| 1980s | 26.8% | 24.2% | 28.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 26.4% | 25.4% | 27.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.7% | 22.1% | 26.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.0% | 17.4% | 22.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.0% | 15.9% | 17.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More public sector data for Ireland
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 14.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 11.86 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -74.29 % change on previous year (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tax revenue in Ireland?
- Tax revenue in Ireland was 17.9% in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest tax revenue recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 28.8% in 1988.
- What is the lowest tax revenue recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.9% in 2020.
- How does Ireland rank for tax revenue?
- Ireland ranks 68th out of 157 countries with data for 2024.
- Is tax revenue rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Tax revenue (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Taxes are compulsory, unrequited payments, in cash or in kind, made by institutional units to government units. 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.