Ireland vs Spain: GDP growth
GDP growth in 2025: 8% a year in Ireland and 2.6% a year in Spain, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Ireland, by 5.4 percentage points, or 3.07 times that in Spain.
IrelandSpain
Watch it change on the mapChange since 1990, percentage points · IMF
Latest figures
% a year · IMF
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 | Projected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 8 2025 | 24.7 | 11 of 143 | 2.3 2031 |
| Spain | 2.6 2025 | 4.1 | 88 of 143 | 1.7 2031 |
What the numbers say
- Ireland has been higher since 2025, when it overtook Spain.
- In 2025, Ireland ranked 11 and Spain ranked 88 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ireland at 2.3% a year and Spain at 1.7% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Ireland | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | 2.6 |
| 2024 | 3.6 | 3.7 |
| 2023 | -3.3 | 2.4 |
| 2022 | 8.2 | 6.4 |
| 2021 | 16.6 | 6.7 |
| 2020 | 7 | -10.9 |
| 2019 | 5 | 2 |
| 2018 | 7.7 | 2.4 |
| 2017 | 10.1 | 2.9 |
| 2016 | 1.2 | 2.9 |
| 2015 | 24.7 | 4.1 |
| 2014 | 9.4 | 1.5 |
| 2013 | 2.2 | -1.4 |
| 2012 | -0.4 | -2.9 |
| 2011 | 1.6 | -0.6 |
| 2010 | 1.7 | 0.1 |
| 2009 | -5.1 | -3.8 |
| 2008 | -4.5 | 0.8 |
| 2007 | 5.3 | 3.5 |
| 2006 | 5 | 4 |
| 2005 | 5.7 | 3.6 |
| 2004 | 6.7 | 3.1 |
| 2003 | 3 | 2.9 |
| 2002 | 5.9 | 2.8 |
| 2001 | 5.3 | 3.9 |
| 2000 | 9.4 | 5.1 |
| 1999 | 10.5 | 4.7 |
| 1998 | 8.8 | 4.5 |
| 1997 | 10.8 | 3.9 |
| 1996 | 9.1 | 2.4 |
| 1995 | 9.6 | 4.1 |
| 1994 | 5.9 | 2.3 |
| 1993 | 2.3 | -1.3 |
| 1992 | 3.6 | 0.9 |
| 1991 | 1.6 | 2.5 |
| 1990 | 7.7 | 3.8 |
| 1989 | 5.6 | 5 |
| 1988 | 3 | 5.3 |
| 1987 | 3.6 | 5.7 |
| 1986 | 0.4 | 3.4 |
| 1985 | 1.9 | 2.4 |
| 1984 | 3.2 | 1.7 |
| 1983 | -0.7 | 1.7 |
| 1982 | 1.5 | 1.2 |
| 1981 | 2.5 | -0.4 |
| 1980 | 2.9 | 1.2 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Ireland | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | -1 | 2.5 |
| 2027 | 3.7 | 1.8 |
| 2028 | 2.9 | 1.8 |
| 2029 | 2.4 | 1.7 |
| 2030 | 2.3 | 1.7 |
| 2031 | 2.3 | 1.7 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- 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 143 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