Finance

Pharma-driven Irish GDP growth revised down to 7.4% q/q in Q1

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on July 8, 2025

1 min read

· Last updated: January 23, 2026

Add as preferred source on Google
Pharma-driven Irish GDP growth revised down to 7.4% q/q in Q1
Global Banking & Finance Awards 2026 — Call for Entries

DUBLIN (Reuters) -Rapid growth in Ireland's gross domestic product (GDP) during the first three months of the year was revised down on Tuesday to 7.4% quarter-on-quarter from 9.7% previously. The

Ireland's Q1 GDP Growth Adjusted Down to 7.4% Amid Pharma Surge

DUBLIN (Reuters) -Rapid growth in Ireland's gross domestic product (GDP) during the first three months of the year was revised down on Tuesday to 7.4% quarter-on-quarter from 9.7% previously.

The growth was driven by a surge in pharmaceutical exports to the U.S. ahead of threatened tariffs, officials have said.

With Ireland's large multinational sector often distorting GDP, officials prefer to use modified domestic demand (MDD) to gauge the strength of the domestic economy.

Quarter-on-quarter MDD growth was revised sharply up to 2.0% from a provisional 0.8%, Central Statistics Office (CSO) data showed.

Revisions to previous quarters meant MDD grew by a slower 1.8% in 2024 compared to the 2.7% initially reported.

GDP, which is still used to calculate Ireland's share of activity across the euro zone, grew by 2.6% in 2024 versus an initial estimate of +1.2%.

Modified gross national income (GNI*), an annual measure that also strips out the distorting impacts of multinationals to give a more accurate picture of the total size of the Irish economy, suggested it grew by 4.8% in 2024 compared to 2023.

(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Conor Humphries)

Key Takeaways

  • Ireland's Q1 GDP growth revised to 7.4% from 9.7%.
  • Pharmaceutical exports to the U.S. drove the growth.
  • Modified domestic demand increased to 2.0%.
  • GDP growth in 2024 was 2.6%, revised from 1.2%.
  • Modified GNI* grew by 4.8% in 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the revised GDP growth for Ireland in Q1?
Ireland's GDP growth for the first quarter was revised down to 7.4% quarter-on-quarter from a previous estimate of 9.7%.
What drove the growth in Ireland's GDP?
The growth was primarily driven by a surge in pharmaceutical exports to the U.S. ahead of threatened tariffs.
What is modified domestic demand (MDD)?
Modified domestic demand (MDD) is a metric preferred by officials to gauge the strength of the domestic economy, as it accounts for distortions from the large multinational sector.
How did MDD growth change in the latest revision?
The quarter-on-quarter MDD growth was revised sharply up to 2.0% from a provisional estimate of 0.8%.
What does modified gross national income (GNI*) indicate?
Modified gross national income (GNI*) is an annual measure that strips out the distorting impacts of multinationals to provide a more accurate picture of the total size of the Irish economy.

Tags

Related Articles

More from Finance

Explore more articles in the Finance category