Belgium vs Ireland
Belgium vs Ireland: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 107.9% of GDP in Belgium and 34.8% of GDP in Ireland, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Belgium, by 73.1 percentage points, or 3.1 times that in Ireland.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Belgium has been higher since 2014, when it overtook Ireland.
- In 2025, Belgium ranked 9 and Ireland ranked 115 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Belgium at 122.1% of GDP and Ireland at 24.1% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Belgium | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 107.9 | 34.8 |
| 2024 | 103.9 | 38.4 |
| 2023 | 102.5 | 42.1 |
| 2022 | 103.3 | 42.8 |
| 2021 | 108.7 | 52.4 |
| 2020 | 111.4 | 57.1 |
| 2019 | 97.7 | 55.8 |
| 2018 | 100.1 | 61.4 |
| 2017 | 102.5 | 65.3 |
| 2016 | 105.5 | 72.7 |
| 2015 | 105.6 | 74.1 |
| 2014 | 106.6 | 101.5 |
| 2013 | 105 | 117.8 |
| 2012 | 104.3 | 119 |
| 2011 | 102.7 | 109.7 |
| 2010 | 100.2 | 86.3 |
| 2009 | 99.9 | 61.8 |
| 2008 | 93.2 | 42.5 |
| 2007 | 87.3 | 24 |
| 2006 | 91.5 | 23.7 |
| 2005 | 95.1 | 26.1 |
| 2004 | 97.2 | 28 |
| 2003 | 101.7 | 29.8 |
| 2002 | 105.4 | 30.9 |
| 2001 | 108.2 | 33.6 |
| 2000 | 109.6 | 36.4 |
| 1999 | 115.4 | 46.6 |
| 1998 | 119.2 | 51.4 |
| 1997 | 124.3 | 61.6 |
| 1996 | 129 | 69.8 |
| 1995 | 131.3 | 78.5 |
| 1994 | 137.1 | – |
| 1993 | 138.9 | – |
| 1992 | 134.7 | – |
| 1991 | 131.8 | – |
| 1990 | 130.3 | – |
| 1989 | 126.4 | – |
| 1988 | 129.7 | – |
| 1987 | 129.2 | – |
| 1986 | 124.7 | – |
| 1985 | 119.4 | – |
| 1984 | 114.6 | – |
| 1983 | 110.3 | – |
| 1982 | 99.6 | – |
| 1981 | 89.7 | – |
| 1980 | 76.8 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Belgium | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 109.8 | 33.5 |
| 2027 | 111.6 | 30.8 |
| 2028 | 114.1 | 28.7 |
| 2029 | 116.4 | 26.9 |
| 2030 | 119.3 | 25.3 |
| 2031 | 122.1 | 24.1 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Belgium vs Ireland
Health
- Life expectancyBelgium: 82.1 years in 2023Ireland: 82.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBelgium: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Ireland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBelgium: 3.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023Ireland: 2.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterBelgium: 99.7% in 2022Ireland: 96% in 2022
- DepressionBelgium: 4.11% in 2017Ireland: 4.25% in 2017
- Suicide rateBelgium: 14.3 per 100,000 people in 2017Ireland: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBelgium: 11.7 million people in 2023Ireland: 5.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthBelgium: 0.25% a year in 2023Ireland: 1.19% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBelgium: 1.38 births per woman in 2023Ireland: 1.6 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBelgium: 87.7% in 2025Ireland: 64.6% in 2025
- Median ageBelgium: 41.4 years in 2023Ireland: 38.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBelgium: 20.2% in 2023Ireland: 15.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateBelgium: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Ireland: 8.4 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBelgium: 2.01% of GDP in 2025Ireland: 0.22% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBelgium: $13.6B in 2025Ireland: $1.46B in 2025
- Military spending per personBelgium: $1,237 in 2025Ireland: $272 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBelgium: 3.7% of government spending in 2025Ireland: 0.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBelgium: 24,000 people in 2020Ireland: 9,000 people in 2020
- National powerBelgium: 0.22% of world capability in 2022Ireland: 0.05% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBelgium: 0.47% of the labour force in 2020Ireland: 0.37% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBelgium: 430 million TIV in 2025Ireland: 14 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsBelgium: 86 million TIV in 2025Ireland: 24 million TIV in 2025