Ireland’s economic momentum slowed markedly at the start of 2026, with Gross National Product (GNP) growth easing to 1.5% in the first quarter, down from 3.5% in the fourth quarter of 2025.
On a quarter-over-quarter basis, the latest figure shows that the pace of expansion has almost halved compared with the previous period, when GNP grew 3.5% versus the third quarter of 2025. The current reading reflects the comparison of the first quarter of 2026 with the fourth quarter of 2025, while the earlier 3.5% was measured against the third quarter of 2025.
The updated data, released on 4 June 2026, point to a cooling but still positive growth trajectory, indicating that Ireland’s economy continues to expand, albeit at a significantly slower rate than at the end of last year.
