Ireland vs Saudi Arabia
Ireland vs Saudi Arabia: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 34.8% of GDP in Ireland and 31.8% of GDP in Saudi Arabia, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Ireland, by 3 percentage points, or 1.1 times that in Saudi Arabia.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Ireland has been higher since 2007, when it overtook Saudi Arabia.
- In 2025, Ireland ranked 115 and Saudi Arabia ranked 122 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ireland at 24.1% of GDP and Saudi Arabia at 48.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Ireland | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34.8 | 31.8 |
| 2024 | 38.4 | 25.9 |
| 2023 | 42.1 | 23 |
| 2022 | 42.8 | 21.3 |
| 2021 | 52.4 | 25.5 |
| 2020 | 57.1 | 29.7 |
| 2019 | 55.8 | 20.3 |
| 2018 | 61.4 | 16.8 |
| 2017 | 65.3 | 16 |
| 2016 | 72.7 | 12.3 |
| 2015 | 74.1 | 5.5 |
| 2014 | 101.5 | 1.5 |
| 2013 | 117.8 | 2.1 |
| 2012 | 119 | 3 |
| 2011 | 109.7 | 5.3 |
| 2010 | 86.3 | 8.4 |
| 2009 | 61.8 | 14 |
| 2008 | 42.5 | 12.1 |
| 2007 | 24 | 17.1 |
| 2006 | 23.7 | 25.8 |
| 2005 | 26.1 | 37.3 |
| 2004 | 28 | 62.9 |
| 2003 | 29.8 | 81.6 |
| 2002 | 30.9 | 96.4 |
| 2001 | 33.6 | 93.2 |
| 2000 | 36.4 | 86.7 |
| 1999 | 46.6 | 103 |
| 1998 | 51.4 | 101.5 |
| 1997 | 61.6 | 76.7 |
| 1996 | 69.8 | 75.2 |
| 1995 | 78.5 | 74.3 |
| 1994 | – | 67.9 |
| 1993 | – | 58.6 |
| 1992 | – | 47.8 |
| 1991 | – | 39.4 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Ireland | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 33.5 | 35.4 |
| 2027 | 30.8 | 37.3 |
| 2028 | 28.7 | 40.2 |
| 2029 | 26.9 | 43.1 |
| 2030 | 25.3 | 45.9 |
| 2031 | 24.1 | 48.7 |
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
Ireland vs Saudi Arabia
Health
- Life expectancyIreland: 82.4 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIreland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Saudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIreland: 2.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Saudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIreland: 4.25% in 2017Saudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateIreland: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Saudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIreland: 5.2 million people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthIreland: 1.19% a year in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIreland: 1.6 births per woman in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIreland: 64.6% in 2025Saudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025
- Median ageIreland: 38.4 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIreland: 15.5% in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateIreland: 8.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIreland: 0.22% of GDP in 2025Saudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIreland: $1.46B in 2025Saudi Arabia: $81.5B in 2025
- Military spending per personIreland: $272 in 2025Saudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIreland: 0.9% of government spending in 2025Saudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIreland: 9,000 people in 2020Saudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020
- National powerIreland: 0.05% of world capability in 2022Saudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIreland: 0.37% of the labour force in 2020Saudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIreland: 14 million TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIreland: 24 million TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023