Ireland vs Spain: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 34.8% of GDP in Ireland and 100.5% of GDP in Spain, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Spain, by 65.7 percentage points, or 2.88 times that in Ireland.
IrelandSpain
Watch it change on the mapChange since 1995, percentage points · IMF
Latest figures
% of GDP · IMF
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 | Projected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 34.8 2025 | 74.1 | 115 of 149 | 24.1 2031 |
| Spain | 100.5 2025 | 102.4 | 14 of 149 | 89.4 2031 |
What the numbers say
- Spain has been higher since 2014, when it overtook Ireland.
- In 2025, Ireland ranked 115 and Spain ranked 14 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ireland at 24.1% of GDP and Spain at 89.4% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Ireland | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34.8 | 100.5 |
| 2024 | 38.4 | 101.4 |
| 2023 | 42.1 | 105.2 |
| 2022 | 42.8 | 109.2 |
| 2021 | 52.4 | 115.6 |
| 2020 | 57.1 | 119.2 |
| 2019 | 55.8 | 97.6 |
| 2018 | 61.4 | 99.7 |
| 2017 | 65.3 | 101.1 |
| 2016 | 72.7 | 102 |
| 2015 | 74.1 | 102.4 |
| 2014 | 101.5 | 104.4 |
| 2013 | 117.8 | 100 |
| 2012 | 119 | 89.6 |
| 2011 | 109.7 | 69.5 |
| 2010 | 86.3 | 60.3 |
| 2009 | 61.8 | 53.1 |
| 2008 | 42.5 | 39.6 |
| 2007 | 24 | 35.7 |
| 2006 | 23.7 | 39 |
| 2005 | 26.1 | 42.4 |
| 2004 | 28 | 45.3 |
| 2003 | 29.8 | 47.7 |
| 2002 | 30.9 | 51.2 |
| 2001 | 33.6 | 54.1 |
| 2000 | 36.4 | 57.8 |
| 1999 | 46.6 | 60.9 |
| 1998 | 51.4 | 62.4 |
| 1997 | 61.6 | 64.3 |
| 1996 | 69.8 | 65.4 |
| 1995 | 78.5 | 61.6 |
| 1994 | – | 57 |
| 1993 | – | 54.6 |
| 1992 | – | 44.1 |
| 1991 | – | 41.9 |
| 1990 | – | 41.3 |
| 1989 | – | 39.9 |
| 1988 | – | 38.5 |
| 1987 | – | 41.9 |
| 1986 | – | 42.1 |
| 1985 | – | 40.9 |
| 1984 | – | 36 |
| 1983 | – | 29.5 |
| 1982 | – | 24.4 |
| 1981 | – | 19.5 |
| 1980 | – | 16.1 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Ireland | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 33.5 | 97.6 |
| 2027 | 30.8 | 95.2 |
| 2028 | 28.7 | 93.2 |
| 2029 | 26.9 | 92 |
| 2030 | 25.3 | 90.7 |
| 2031 | 24.1 | 89.4 |
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