OECD ECONOMIC SURVEY OF IRELAND
Boosting resilience to tackle longer-run challenges
Dublin
12 February 2025
Strong job creation has driven domestic demand
GDP, modified domestic demand and employment
Volume, index 2019 fourth quarter = 100
Note: Modified domestic demand excludes large transactions of foreign corporations that do not have a big impact on the domestic economy.
Real GDP growth, %
Modified domestic demand
Unemployment rate, %
Harmonised consumer price inflation, %
Note: The historical data reflect the Central Statistics Office’s 28 January 2025 preliminary GDP estimate, but the projections are those from the December 2024 OECD Economic Outlook. Modified domestic demand excludes large transactions of foreign corporations that do not have a big impact on the domestic economy.
Source: OECD, Economic Outlook (database).
Ensuring longrun fiscal sustainability
The current fiscal situation is robust
Improving planning and spending control processes, including in the health sector, would boost public spending efficiency
Cumulative monthly health spending overruns Billion EUR
Source: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council.
Improving the business environment
Reducing labour shortages would help boost growth and deliver key investment
Source: Central Statistical Office and Eurostat. Job vacancy rates 4-quarter moving averages
Note: The job vacancy rate measures the number of job posts that are vacant as a percentage of all jobs, i.e., vacant and occupied.
More public support to reduce childcare costs would help address labour shortages
Note: Net childcare cost measures the net reduction in family budgets resulting from the use of full-time centre-based care. Estimates are for a couple with two children, with both parents working at the average wage not receiving any housing and social assistance benefits.
Source: OECD, Tax and Benefit model.
Enhanced competition and digitalisation would lower legal costs
Note: Legal services and accounting is the closest Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices category to legal fees and includes charges for assistance with income tax payments.
Making housing more affordable
Housing supply has not kept up with population growth
Source: Central Statistical Office.
Increasing the use of modern technologies would boost productivity in the construction sector
Note: The EU aggregate refers to the unweighted average of 27 EU member countries. The values refer to euros in purchasing power parity.
Source: Eurostat, National Accounts.
More efficient social housing allocation systems can help address homelessness
People experiencing homelessness
Note: Based on recent data from Ireland’s Housing Agency, the number of individuals registering for emergency accommodation was 15,199 in November 2024, up from 10,448 in November 2019.
Source: OECD, Affordable Housing database.
Accelerating the climate transition
More action is needed to reach net-zero emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions and targets Million tons CO2 equivalent
Note: The linear path is the interpolated path to the emissions reduction targets relative to 2018 levels for 2030 and 2050 (net-zero emissions) as stated in the 2021 Climate Action Plan.
Source: Environmental Protection Agency; International Energy Agency, Environment Statistics (Air and Climate) –
database.
A more efficient planning system would speed up the expansion of renewables
Disclaimers:
The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law. This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.