- Bulletin 26-2: IMD World Competitiveness Rankings 2026
- ESRI publishes new research on SME Financing
- ESRI publishes new research on AI adoption among Irish SMEs
- Bulletin 26-1: Public Investment in Transport Infrastructure: A Competitiveness and Productivity Perspective
- Appointment of new Chair of the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council
- Bulletin 25-5: Benchmarking the Performance of Ireland’s Public Administration, 2024
- NCPC Welcomes Publication of Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan
- Budget 2026 and Competitiveness: Navigating Uncertainty
- NCPC Welcomes Government's Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity
- Call for Expressions of Interest - Member of the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council
- Bulletin 25-4: IMD World Competitiveness Rankings
- Ireland's Competitiveness Challenge 2025
- The Chair presents to the second annual Competitiveness Summit of Ministers hosted by the Taoiseach
- Bulletin 25-3: The Competitiveness Implications of Post-Pandemic Learning Losses
- Bulletin 25-2: Re-estimating Ireland’s International Competitiveness Performance
- Retrospective Review, 2020-2023
- NCPC's South-East Regional Seminar
- Bulletin 25-1: Developments in Ireland's National Productivity Statistics
- The Government Response to Ireland’s Competitiveness Challenge 2024
- Budget 2025 and Competitiveness: Investing in Ireland’s Future Prosperity
- NCPC Chair attends the Competitiveness Summit
- Ireland's Competitiveness Challenge 2024
- Bulletin 24-4 IMD World Competitiveness Rankings
- Bulletin 24-3 Competitiveness and the Housing Market in Ireland
- NCPC's Mid-West Regional Seminar
- NCPC Welcomes DETE-ESRI Joint Economic Research Programme Seminar
- Bulletin 24-2 Ireland’s Competitiveness and Productivity Framework
- ESRI Publish Working Paper of DETE ESRI Joint Research Programme
- Bulletin 24-1 Re-estimating Ireland’s International Innovation Performance
Bulletin 26-2: IMD World Competitiveness Rankings 2026
The NCPC is pleased to publish Bulletin 26-2 on IMD World Competitiveness Rankings. This Bulletin provides an assessment of Ireland’s performance in the latest annual World Competitiveness Rankings by the IMD. This year’s IMD report ranks Ireland as the most competitive country in the euro zone area and the 7th most competitive economy in the world (out of 70 economies), maintaining last year's position.
Some of the Key Findings include:
- Ireland is ranked 7th out of 70 economies in the IMD’s World Competitiveness Yearbook in 2026, remaining consistent with the 2025 ranking. Within the euro area, Ireland remained the most competitive.
- Ireland improved across almost all competitiveness trends, particularly under Business Efficiency where our position increased from 11th in 2025 to 5th in 2026, and Economic Performance where our ranking increases from 9th in 2025 to 2nd in 2026 mainly as a result of an increase in ranking associated with the Domestic Economy.
- Ireland’s ranking for Infrastructure worsened from 17th in 2025 to 19th in 2026, whereas Government Efficiency remained stable at 5th place for 2025 and 2026.
The report sets out a range of key challenges facing Ireland’s economy, particularly over the medium to long-term. The Council places a clear emphasis on addressing those challenges that come within domestic control (in a sequenced and stra...
This is the fifth formal response issued by Government to the Competitiveness Challenge reports published annually by the Council. The Government recognises the importance and value of the Council’s ongoing work in assessing Ireland’s com...
The Council’s annual report sets out the range of key challenges facing Ireland’s economy, particularly over the medium to long-term. This year, the Council places a clear emphasis on addressing those challenges that come within domestic co...