Government debt by instrument coverage — Debt securities and loans in Ireland
Ireland: Government debt by instrument coverage — Debt securities and loans was 32.72 Percentage of GDP in 2026. ▲ Rising
Government debt by instrument coverage — Debt securities and loans in Ireland, 1995–2026
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of GDP.
Analysis
In 2026, government debt by instrument coverage — debt securities and loans in Ireland stood at 32.72 Percentage of GDP.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.4% on the previous year and down 52.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government debt by instrument coverage — debt securities and loans in Ireland peaked at 105.66 Percentage of GDP in 2013 and was at its lowest, 19.65 Percentage of GDP, in 2007.
Ireland ranks 21st of 25 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 32 years of available data.
Government debt by instrument coverage — Debt securities and loans in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Percentage of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 66.86 Percentage of GDP | — |
| 1996 | 58.06 Percentage of GDP | -13.2% |
| 1997 | 50.75 Percentage of GDP | -12.6% |
| 1998 | 41.44 Percentage of GDP | -18.4% |
| 1999 | 37.83 Percentage of GDP | -8.7% |
| 2000 | 36.73 Percentage of GDP | -2.9% |
| 2001 | 27.2 Percentage of GDP | -25.9% |
| 2002 | 26.58 Percentage of GDP | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 24.88 Percentage of GDP | -6.4% |
| 2004 | 24.86 Percentage of GDP | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 23.01 Percentage of GDP | -7.4% |
| 2006 | 21.87 Percentage of GDP | -5.0% |
| 2007 | 19.65 Percentage of GDP | -10.1% |
| 2008 | 22.43 Percentage of GDP | +14.1% |
| 2009 | 44.08 Percentage of GDP | +96.5% |
| 2010 | 67.58 Percentage of GDP | +53.3% |
| 2011 | 84.04 Percentage of GDP | +24.4% |
| 2012 | 78.8 Percentage of GDP | -6.2% |
| 2013 | 105.66 Percentage of GDP | +34.1% |
| 2014 | 99.85 Percentage of GDP | -5.5% |
| 2015 | 83.99 Percentage of GDP | -15.9% |
| 2016 | 68.36 Percentage of GDP | -18.6% |
| 2017 | 66.17 Percentage of GDP | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 59.46 Percentage of GDP | -10.1% |
| 2019 | 56.6 Percentage of GDP | -4.8% |
| 2020 | 51.29 Percentage of GDP | -9.4% |
| 2021 | 46.85 Percentage of GDP | -8.7% |
| 2022 | 44.96 Percentage of GDP | -4.0% |
| 2023 | 37 Percentage of GDP | -17.7% |
| 2024 | 35.98 Percentage of GDP | -2.8% |
| 2025 | 30.76 Percentage of GDP | -14.5% |
| 2026 | 32.72 Percentage of GDP | +6.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 50.99 Percentage of GDP | 37.83 Percentage of GDP | 66.86 Percentage of GDP | 5 |
| 2000s | 27.13 Percentage of GDP | 19.65 Percentage of GDP | 44.08 Percentage of GDP | 10 |
| 2010s | 77.05 Percentage of GDP | 56.6 Percentage of GDP | 105.66 Percentage of GDP | 10 |
| 2020s | 39.94 Percentage of GDP | 30.76 Percentage of GDP | 51.29 Percentage of GDP | 7 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More economy & growth data for Ireland
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.96 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.52 Percent per annum (2029)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), annual growth 18.89 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9555 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per capita 125,736 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), annual growth 13.88 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.8456 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per capita 111,273 current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), annual 12.29 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), per unit 0.7548 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government debt by instrument coverage — debt securities and loans in Ireland?
- Government debt by instrument coverage — debt securities and loans in Ireland was 32.72 Percentage of GDP in 2026, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest government debt by instrument coverage — debt securities and loans recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 105.66 Percentage of GDP in 2013.
- What is the lowest government debt by instrument coverage — debt securities and loans recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.65 Percentage of GDP in 2007.
- How does Ireland rank for government debt by instrument coverage — debt securities and loans?
- Ireland ranks 21st out of 25 countries with data for 2026.
- Is government debt by instrument coverage — debt securities and loans rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 52.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Government debt by instrument coverage — Debt securities and loans. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The magnitude of government debt and debt-to-GDP ratios varies depending on which measure of debt is used. To promote international comparability, the IMF, the OECD and the World Bank have agreed on a set of standard debt measures, which are defined in the Public Sector Debt Statistics Guide for Compilers and Users and the Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014. Government gross debt is shown in four categories: D1 to D4. D1 is the narrowest measure, comprising only two financial instruments: debt securities and loans. D4 (‘total gross debt’) is the broadest measure and includes debt securities, loans, Special Drawing Rights, currency and deposits, other accounts payable and insurance, pensions and standardised guarantees. The D1 to D3 measures are comparable between OECD countries. D4 is the preferred measure of debt in the international accounting standards (System of National Accounts or SNA) but cross-country comparability is more difficult for D4 because countries have different approaches to recording unfunded pension liabilities for government employees. For more information, please see the document: Measuring Government Debt: D1-D4