Ireland vs United Kingdom

Ireland vs United Kingdom: Government debt

Government debt in 2025: 34.8% of GDP in Ireland and 102.1% of GDP in United Kingdom, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 67.3 percentage points, or 2.93 times that in Ireland.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · IMF

Ireland vs United Kingdom: Government debtGovernment debt in 2025: 34.8% of GDP in Ireland and 102.1% of GDP in United Kingdom, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 67.3 percentage points, or 2.93 times that in Ireland.
IrelandUnited KingdomIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • United Kingdom has been higher since 2015, when it overtook Ireland.
  • In 2025, Ireland ranked 115 and United Kingdom ranked 12 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ireland at 24.1% of GDP and United Kingdom at 100.2% of GDP in 2031.

Every year

% of GDP · IMF

YearIrelandUnited Kingdom
202534.8102.1
202438.499.4
202342.198.3
202242.897.1
202152.4103
202057.1104.4
201955.884.5
201861.485.3
201765.385.9
201672.787.2
201574.187.3
2014101.586.4
2013117.884.8
201211984
2011109.781
201086.375.5
200961.864.6
200842.550.7
20072443.1
200623.742.1
200526.141
20042839.8
200329.836.8
200230.935.5
200133.635
200036.437.7
199946.640.5
199851.442
199761.644.1
199669.843.7
199578.543.7
1994–40.8
1993–38
1992–33.3
1991–28.5
1990–28.5
1989–32.6
1988–37.1
1987–39.3
1986–41.4
1985–41.4
1984–42.3
1983–41.9
1982–43.1
1981–44.9
1980–42.7
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearIrelandUnited Kingdom
202633.5102
202730.8102.5
202828.7102.3
202926.9101.6
203025.3100.9
203124.1100.2

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 United Kingdom

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