Ireland
Government finance and cost-of-living data from Eurostat — spending, debt, tax, and comparative prices.
Headline stats
Debt peaked at 118.9% GDP in 2012 — now 32.9%.
Government debt
32.9% GDP
2025
EU27 avg: 81.7% GDP (2025)
Govt expenditure
22.4% GDP
2024
Budget surplus
1.8% GDP
2025
EU27 avg: 3.1% GDP (2025)
Tax revenue
6.3% GDP
2024
Public sector jobs
759k
2024
Tax rates
What Ireland takes — statutory rates and effective burden on workers.
Labour tax wedge
24% of labour cost
2025
Top income tax rate
40%
2024
Corporate tax rate
12.5%
2024
Standard VAT rate
23%
2024
Labour tax wedge: effective % of gross labour cost (salary + employer contributions) going to income tax and social contributions for a single person at average wage. Source: Eurostat earn_nt_taxrate. Statutory rates: OECD Taxing Wages 2024 / EC Taxation Trends 2024.
Comparative prices
Ireland is 18.4% more expensive than the EU average overall (2024). Index: EU27 = 100.
| Category | Price index | vs EU avg |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level | 118.4 | +18.4% |
| Food & non-alcoholic drinks | 114.5 | +14.5% |
| Housing, utilities & energy | 187.3 | +87.3% |
| Restaurants & hotels | 129.3 | +29.3% |
| Transport | 108.7 | +8.7% |
| Health | 178.7 | +78.7% |
| Education | 119.5 | +19.5% |
| Clothing & footwear | 100.2 | +0.2% |
| Recreation & culture | 113.4 | +13.4% |
| Alcohol & tobacco | 204.5 | +104.5% |
| Household furnishings | 110.8 | +10.8% |
| Communication | 139.8 | +39.8% |
| Miscellaneous | 137.5 | +37.5% |
Source: Eurostat prc_ppp_ind. EU27_2020 = 100. Green = cheaper than EU average.
Government debt since 2011
| Year | Debt (% GDP) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 109.6 | — |
| 2012 | 118.9 | +9.3 |
| 2013 | 117.7 | -1.2 |
| 2014 | 101.4 | -16.3 |
| 2015 | 74 | -27.4 |
| 2016 | 72.7 | -1.3 |
| 2017 | 65.2 | -7.5 |
| 2018 | 61.3 | -3.9 |
| 2019 | 55.8 | -5.5 |
| 2020 | 56.9 | +1.1 |
| 2021 | 52.4 | -4.5 |
| 2022 | 43 | -9.4 |
| 2023 | 41.8 | -1.2 |
| 2024 | 38.3 | -3.5 |
| 2025 | 32.9 | -5.4 |
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Data sources
| Dataset | Source | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Govt expenditure / debt / deficit | Eurostat gov_10dd_edpt1 | 1995–2025 |
| Tax revenue | Eurostat gov_10a_taxag | 1995–2025 |
| Public employment (NACE O-Q) | Eurostat nama_10_a64_e | 1995–2024 |
| Tax breakdown (VAT, income, social) | Eurostat gov_10a_taxag | 2000–2023 |
| Labour tax wedge | Eurostat earn_nt_taxrate | 2000–2023 |
| Statutory tax rates (income, corporate, VAT) | OECD / EC Taxation Trends 2024 | 2024 |
| Comparative price levels (13 categories) | Eurostat prc_ppp_ind | 1995–2024 |