
Gross debt in Ireland
General government debt of Ireland refers to the debts of the state, their states and municipalities, and also of public sector institutions such as social security funds.The government debt in the period from 2000 to 2021 was between 36.5 billion and 286.0 billion USD. The highest level within the past 21 years was reached in 2013. However, the liabilities in 2021 have been only 279 billion USD The budget deficit in the same year was 8.0 billion USD.
Based on the number of inhabitants, this is a debt of 55,422 USD per person. For comparison, the average debt per person in the same year in the European Union was 35,341 USD.
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Gross debt of the last 21 years in billion USD
This is how much debt Ireland can afford
In accordance with the Maastricht Treaty, government debt in Ireland is aggregated for the federal, state and local governments as well as state institutions, and therefore includes the debt of all public budgets. As it is gross debt, the government's assets are not deducted. According to the EU convergence criteria, each EU country must meet certain requirements. For the debt budget, these two conditions in particular are decisive:- Consolidated gross debt may not exceed 60% of gross domestic product (GDP).
- The budget deficit, i.e. new annual debt, may not exceed 3% of GDP.
At the end of 2021, the debt of all EU countries averaged 92 percent.
Year | Ireland total | % of GDP | per capita | EU per capita |
---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | 36.48 bn USD | 36.40% | 9,586 USD | 10,328 USD |
2001 | 36.69 bn USD | 33.56% | 9,491 USD | 10,404 USD |
2002 | 39.70 bn USD | 30.87% | 10,097 USD | 11,368 USD |
2003 | 49.10 bn USD | 29.82% | 12,286 USD | 14,148 USD |
2004 | 54.59 bn USD | 28.09% | 13,413 USD | 16,162 USD |
2005 | 55.20 bn USD | 26.05% | 13,270 USD | 16,918 USD |
2006 | 54.90 bn USD | 23.65% | 12,846 USD | 17,549 USD |
2007 | 64.66 bn USD | 23.94% | 14,700 USD | 19,574 USD |
2008 | 117.10 bn USD | 42.51% | 26,083 USD | 22,721 USD |
2009 | 146.01 bn USD | 61.75% | 32,194 USD | 23,701 USD |
2010 | 191.17 bn USD | 86.16% | 41,923 USD | 25,145 USD |
2011 | 264.06 bn USD | 110.50% | 57,654 USD | 28,417 USD |
2012 | 269.70 bn USD | 119.60% | 58,635 USD | 27,784 USD |
2013 | 285.95 bn USD | 120.01% | 61,843 USD | 30,021 USD |
2014 | 269.99 bn USD | 104.26% | 57,966 USD | 30,832 USD |
2015 | 223.76 bn USD | 76.69% | 47,590 USD | 26,170 USD |
2016 | 222.09 bn USD | 74.25% | 46,702 USD | 26,655 USD |
2017 | 227.37 bn USD | 67.59% | 47,296 USD | 27,535 USD |
2018 | 243.10 bn USD | 63.02% | 49,946 USD | 29,172 USD |
2019 | 228.36 bn USD | 57.19% | 46,279 USD | 27,927 USD |
2020 | 248.86 bn USD | 58.44% | 49,918 USD | 32,227 USD |
2021 | 278.95 bn USD | 55.33% | 55,422 USD | 35,341 USD |
Comparison of gross debt per capita with the European Union in U.S. dollars
Budget deficit in Ireland

The budget balance in Ireland in the period between 1998 and 2022 varied between -71.28 billion euros and +8.46 billion euros. In 2022, Ireland reached a balance of 8.46 billion euros.
In ratio to population, this equals a new indebtedness of 1,680 euros per capita in Ireland in 2022. For comparison, the average debt per capita in the European Union in the same year was 1,254 euros.
Budget deficit and surplus in the last 24 years
Year | Ireland total | % of GDP | per capita | EU per capita |
---|---|---|---|---|
1998 | 2.08 bn USD | 2.30% | 559 USD | -398 USD |
1999 | 2.62 bn USD | 2.65% | 699 USD | -204 USD |
2000 | 4.61 bn USD | 4.60% | 1,210 USD | 112 USD |
2001 | 0.95 bn USD | 0.87% | 247 USD | -299 USD |
2002 | -0.49 bn USD | -0.38% | -125 USD | -565 USD |
2003 | 0.65 bn USD | 0.40% | 163 USD | -840 USD |
2004 | 2.59 bn USD | 1.33% | 636 USD | -920 USD |
2005 | 3.40 bn USD | 1.61% | 818 USD | -822 USD |
2006 | 6.56 bn USD | 2.82% | 1,534 USD | -568 USD |
2007 | 0.71 bn USD | 0.26% | 161 USD | -360 USD |
2008 | -19.37 bn USD | -7.03% | -4,314 USD | -1,085 USD |
2009 | -32.80 bn USD | -13.87% | -7,232 USD | -2,021 USD |
2010 | -71.28 bn USD | -32.12% | -15,630 USD | -1,970 USD |
2011 | -32.46 bn USD | -13.58% | -7,088 USD | -1,463 USD |
2012 | -19.10 bn USD | -8.47% | -4,152 USD | -1,220 USD |
2013 | -15.24 bn USD | -6.40% | -3,296 USD | -1,027 USD |
2014 | -9.36 bn USD | -3.62% | -2,010 USD | -851 USD |
2015 | -5.94 bn USD | -2.04% | -1,264 USD | -574 USD |
2016 | -2.29 bn USD | -0.77% | -482 USD | -421 USD |
2017 | -0.97 bn USD | -0.29% | -202 USD | -263 USD |
2018 | 0.52 bn USD | 0.13% | 106 USD | -134 USD |
2019 | 1.87 bn USD | 0.47% | 379 USD | -191 USD |
2020 | -21.33 bn USD | -5.01% | -4,279 USD | -2,317 USD |
2021 | -8.05 bn USD | -1.60% | -1,599 USD | -1,852 USD |
2022 | 8.46 bn USD | 1,680 USD | -1,254 USD |
(negative numbers = deficit)