Ireland Business Confidence

OECD standardised business confidence indicator (long-term average = 100).

Business Confidence in Ireland decreased to 98.85 points in Sep 2026 from 99.03 points in Aug 2026.

98.85
▼ −0.18Sep 2026 · previous 99.03Monthly · index points · Source: OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Ireland Business Confidence — History

Drag or pinch to zoom.

Loading chart…

Ireland Business Confidence — analysis in simple words

Latest reading

Business Confidence in Ireland decreased to 98.85 points in Sep 2026 from 99.03 points in Aug 2026.

It has fallen in each of the last three months.

Recent trend

A year earlier (Sep 2025) it was 99.15, so the latest figure is 0.29 lower.

Over the past five years the average was 99.54, with a range from 97.82 to 103.74. The latest value is below that five-year average.

Historical context

This data series starts in Jan 1985 and has 501 monthly observations. The latest reading is higher than 28% of all of them.

The highest value on record is 107.32 (Nov 1999) and the lowest is 87.18 (Mar 2009). The long-run average is 100.00.

Compared with other countries

Among 45 economies with recent data, Ireland ranks 38th from the top. The median across all these economies is 99.98, so Ireland is below the typical country.

Within Europe & Central Asia (29 economies with data) it ranks 25th; the regional median is 100.16.

Statistics

Latest
98.85Sep 2026
Previous
99.03
5-year average
99.54
Long-run average
100.00since Jan 1985
All-time high
107.32Nov 1999
All-time low
87.18Mar 2009
Observations
501Monthly

Recent Data

PeriodValueChange
Sep 202698.85▼ −0.18
Aug 202699.03▼ −0.00
Jul 202699.04▼ −0.07
Jun 202699.10▼ −0.67
May 202699.78▼ −0.96
Apr 2026100.74▼ −0.59
Mar 2026101.33▲ +0.39
Feb 2026100.94▲ +0.39
Jan 2026100.55▲ +0.68
Dec 202599.86▲ +0.75
Nov 202599.11▼ −0.13
Oct 202599.24▲ +0.09
Sep 202599.15▲ +0.07
Aug 202599.08▲ +0.18
Jul 202598.90▼ −0.07
Jun 202598.96▲ +0.01
May 202598.95▼ −0.18
Apr 202599.13▼ −0.96
Mar 2025100.09▼ −0.30
Feb 2025100.38▲ +0.25
Jan 2025100.13▲ +0.59
Dec 202499.54▼ −0.21
Nov 202499.75▲ +0.18
Oct 202499.57▲ +0.53
Sep 202499.04▼ −0.06
Aug 202499.11▲ +0.11
Jul 202498.99▲ +0.32
Jun 202498.67▲ +0.47
May 202498.20▲ +0.22
Apr 202497.98

Business Confidence — Ireland vs Peers

Latest available reading for each economy (periods may differ). Ireland highlighted.

Loading chart…
See all countries →

More Ireland indicators

GDP Annual Growth Rate-0.4%Q2 2026Interest Rate2.50%Sep 2026Inflation Rate3.4%Jul 2026Unemployment Rate5.0%Aug 2026Government Debt to GDP34.8%2025Balance of Trade$289.9B2025Current Account to GDP6.3%2025GDP$721.7B2025GDP Growth Rate10.18%Q2 2026Industrial Production1.6%Jul 2026
Ireland economy overview →   Business Confidence — all countries →

Understanding Business Confidence — a simple guide

What it measures

The OECD standardised business confidence indicator, based on surveys asking companies about production, orders and stocks.

How it is calculated

Survey answers from businesses are combined and standardised by the OECD so that 100 equals the long-term average.

Simple example

A reading of 101.5 means businesses are somewhat more optimistic than their long-run norm.

▲ When it is high or rising

High confidence often comes before more investment and hiring.

▼ When it is low or falling

Low confidence often comes before cuts in production and investment.

Why it matters for the economy and markets

Confident businesses tend to invest and hire more, so this survey often moves ahead of actual production and employment data.

How to read it

100 is the long-term average. Values above 100 mean companies are more optimistic than usual; below 100, more pessimistic.

What to look at alongside it

Industrial production, PMI-type surveys and the leading indicator.

Key terms

Survey indicator
Based on opinions of managers rather than measured output.

Data source

OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (series OECD business confidence (BCI)), monthly data from Jan 1985 to Sep 2026. Values are shown exactly as published by the source and may be revised later.

How to use the chart

Use the 5Y / 10Y / 25Y / Max buttons to change the time range, or drag the slider under the chart. Hover (or tap) on the line to see the exact value for any period. Dashed lines and hatched bars are IMF projections, not actual data. The “Download CSV” button gives you the full data series.

Frequently asked questions

What is the current business confidence of Ireland?
Ireland business confidence was 98.85 in Sep 2026, compared with 99.03 in the previous period, according to OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest and lowest business confidence of Ireland?
Since Jan 1985, the highest reading was 107.32 (Nov 1999) and the lowest was 87.18 (Mar 2009).
What does business confidence measure?
The OECD standardised business confidence indicator, based on surveys asking companies about production, orders and stocks.

Data are sourced from official international organisations (IMF, World Bank, BIS) and national authorities, and are shown for educational and informational purposes only. They are not investment advice and no recommendation is made. Figures may be revised by the source; IMF figures for the current and future years are projections. This page was last updated on Saturday, October 17, 2026.