Statistical Databases
Reliable databases for Leaving Cert Economics — perfect for using real Irish and international statistics in answers, projects, and data questions.
Ireland: official statistics, policy, and markets
Central Statistics Office (CSO)
Ireland’s official stats. Use it to back up LC answers with real figures for inflation, unemployment, growth, trade, population and living standards.
data.gov.ie (Ireland’s Open Data Portal)
A gateway to public sector datasets (transport, housing, environment, health, education). Great for finding charts for “topical issues” questions.
Central Bank of Ireland (CBI)
Best for banking/credit, interest rates, mortgages, savings, and financial stability. Useful when linking macro policy to households and firms.
ESRI (Economic and Social Research Institute)
High-quality Irish research used by media and policymakers. Perfect for evaluation: “what does the evidence say?” on housing, inequality, tax, welfare, and growth.
Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC)
Ireland’s budget watchdog. Brilliant for Fiscal Policy chapters: deficits/surpluses, debt sustainability, budget stance, and “is government spending sustainable?”
NTMA (National Treasury Management Agency)
Key for government borrowing and the national debt. Useful for linking bond markets, debt servicing costs, and fiscal choices to the wider economy.
CCPC (Competition and Consumer Protection Commission)
Ideal for Market Structures/Competition questions: monopolies, mergers, consumer welfare, and how regulation protects consumers in real Irish markets.
Where Your Money Goes (Irish Government spending)
Interactive breakdown of government expenditure by department. Perfect for Fiscal Policy and “budget priorities” evaluation in long answers.
Daft.ie Reports (housing market)
A very common real-world source for housing: rents and house prices. Useful for market failure, government intervention, and living standards.
Tip: quote the *trend* (up/down, % change, regional differences) and link it to supply/demand, interest rates, income, and policy.
Citizens Information
Not a “stats database”, but extremely useful for real-life policy context: welfare, taxes, employment rights, housing supports—great for examples.
Annual reports (companies & public bodies)
Annual reports often contain clear charts on profits, costs, investment, employment, prices, and risks. Use them for firm behaviour, competition, and regulation examples.
- gov.ie publications (search “Annual Report”)
- Tip: for companies, search “Investor Relations + Annual Report”.
International (EU & global)
Eurostat (EU & Eurozone)
Best for comparing Ireland to EU averages: inflation, unemployment, living standards, trade, productivity, and demographics.
IMF Data (International Monetary Fund)
Global macro data and forecasts. Useful for growth/development, trade, inflation, unemployment, debt, and comparing countries over time.
OECD Data Explorer
Great for cross-country comparisons: wages, inequality, education, productivity, tax, and living standards across developed economies.
World Bank Data
Best for Economic Growth & Development: poverty, life expectancy, education, infrastructure, and long-run living standards across the world.
Statista
Handy charts across loads of topics (markets, industries, consumer trends). Great for quick context — but note that some content is paywalled.