Ireland vs Sweden
Ireland vs Sweden: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 34.8% of GDP in Ireland and 34.6% of GDP in Sweden, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Ireland, by 0.3 percentage points, or 1.01 times that in Sweden.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Ireland has been higher since 2008, when it overtook Sweden.
- In 2025, Ireland ranked 115 and Sweden ranked 118 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ireland at 24.1% of GDP and Sweden at 30.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Ireland | Sweden |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34.8 | 34.6 |
| 2024 | 38.4 | 33.9 |
| 2023 | 42.1 | 32.2 |
| 2022 | 42.8 | 34.4 |
| 2021 | 52.4 | 37.2 |
| 2020 | 57.1 | 40.5 |
| 2019 | 55.8 | 36 |
| 2018 | 61.4 | 40.2 |
| 2017 | 65.3 | 41.9 |
| 2016 | 72.7 | 43.2 |
| 2015 | 74.1 | 44.8 |
| 2014 | 101.5 | 46.1 |
| 2013 | 117.8 | 41.2 |
| 2012 | 119 | 38.1 |
| 2011 | 109.7 | 37.8 |
| 2010 | 86.3 | 38.7 |
| 2009 | 61.8 | 41.3 |
| 2008 | 42.5 | 38 |
| 2007 | 24 | 39.3 |
| 2006 | 23.7 | 43.9 |
| 2005 | 26.1 | 49 |
| 2004 | 28 | 48.7 |
| 2003 | 29.8 | 49.5 |
| 2002 | 30.9 | 49.9 |
| 2001 | 33.6 | 52 |
| 2000 | 36.4 | 50.4 |
| 1999 | 46.6 | 60.3 |
| 1998 | 51.4 | 65.4 |
| 1997 | 61.6 | 67.7 |
| 1996 | 69.8 | 68.9 |
| 1995 | 78.5 | 68.7 |
| 1994 | – | 68.6 |
| 1993 | – | 66.1 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Ireland | Sweden |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 33.5 | 35.1 |
| 2027 | 30.8 | 35.5 |
| 2028 | 28.7 | 34.8 |
| 2029 | 26.9 | 33.6 |
| 2030 | 25.3 | 32.3 |
| 2031 | 24.1 | 30.7 |
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 Sweden
Health
- Life expectancyIreland: 82.4 years in 2023Sweden: 83.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIreland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Sweden: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIreland: 2.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Sweden: 1.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterIreland: 96% in 2022Sweden: 99.7% in 2022
- DepressionIreland: 4.25% in 2017Sweden: 4.49% in 2017
- Suicide rateIreland: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Sweden: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIreland: 5.2 million people in 2023Sweden: 10.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthIreland: 1.19% a year in 2023Sweden: 0.56% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIreland: 1.6 births per woman in 2023Sweden: 1.43 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIreland: 64.6% in 2025Sweden: 89.1% in 2025
- Median ageIreland: 38.4 years in 2023Sweden: 39.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIreland: 15.5% in 2023Sweden: 20.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateIreland: 8.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Sweden: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIreland: 0.22% of GDP in 2025Sweden: 2.47% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIreland: $1.46B in 2025Sweden: $15B in 2025
- Military spending per personIreland: $272 in 2025Sweden: $1,549 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIreland: 0.9% of government spending in 2025Sweden: 5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIreland: 9,000 people in 2020Sweden: 15,000 people in 2020
- National powerIreland: 0.05% of world capability in 2022Sweden: 0.19% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIreland: 0.37% of the labour force in 2020Sweden: 0.27% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIreland: 14 million TIV in 2025Sweden: 146 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIreland: 24 million TIV in 2025Sweden: 235 million TIV in 2025