Note 1
As of reference period November 2025, the reporting population includes all banks resident in the Republic of Ireland. Prior to this date, interest rates and new business volumes were estimated based on data collected from a sample of credit institutions. The coverage of the statistics during this sample period was monitored to ensure that it met the requirements of Regulation ECB/2014/30.
Monthly Retail Interest Rate Statistics in Tables B.1.1 to B.2.2 cover all euro-denominated lending to, and deposits from, households and NFCs in the euro area. New business is defined as any new agreement during the month between the customer and the credit institution. This agreement covers all financial contracts that specify the interest rate for the first time, including any renegotiation of existing business (excluding automatic renewals). These statistics are compiled under ECB Regulation and are comparable across the euro area.
Quarterly Retail Interest Rate Statistics in Table B.3.1 cover all euro and non-euro denominated mortgage lending in the Republic of Ireland only. New business refers to new mortgage lending drawdowns during the quarter, broken down by type of interest rate (i.e. fixed, tracker and SVR). These statistics are not compiled under ECB MFI interest rate Regulation.
Note 2
There are a number of factors that can lead to differences between
Retail Interest Rate statistics and interest rates advertised
by resident credit institutions. These include renegotiated loans, the
inclusion of home improvement loans, and the underlying statistical
compilation methodology.
Note 3
Until November 2025, the Retail Interest Rate statistics were compiled using a sampling method as outlined in the relevant ECB Regulation and Guideline. The sampling methodology was refined and enhanced over time to maintain alignment with relevant international standards and maintain a quality sampling approach. From reference period November 2025, a census approach was undertaken to replace the sampling method outlined above. Where possible, revised methodology is applied to historic data to ensure a consistent and coherent compilation of data across time and to allow for time series analysis. The period of revisions will be determined by the impact, feasibility and cost of undertaking the revision. Occasions when methodological revisions have occurred are:
Enhancements to the calculation of the national weighted average
interest rates and national total business volumes have been introduced
in ECB Guideline (ECB/2014/15) on monetary and financial statistics.
These enhancements introduced in the Guideline involve changes to the
sampling methods. The changes made contribute to a further harmonization
of the data compilation process thus improving cross-country data
comparison. The changes apply for reference period December 2014. As a
result of these enhancements, data have been recalculated, as per the
requirements of Guideline ECB/2014/15, for previous reference
periods.
Changes applied to reduce the maximum grossing factor used in
estimating total population data. The changes reduce the potential
volatility caused by irregular high grossing factors. The impact of the
change is largely confined to new business loans to NFCs, with some
minor changes to new business consumer loans. The changes apply from
reference period April 2021. Data for previous reporting periods have
been recalculated back to February 2019. Recent data is often
provisional and may be subject to revision.
For further detail, please see the Retail
Interest Rates webpage for:
Note 4
Statistical classification of sole proprietors
In line with their treatment in ESA 2010, the Central Bank has
harmonised the treatment of sole proprietors as reported by reporting
agents across various datasets. This has resulted in a movement of loans
and deposits from the NFC to the Household sector. These amendments were
made in February 2022 with respect to reference data from February
2021.
Specifically, these changes result in an increase in loan and deposit
volume amounts reported vis-à-vis the household sector, and a decline in
balances reported vis-à-vis the NFC sector. This applies to both
outstanding and new lending volumes in Tables B.1.2 and Table B.2.1. For
lending rates, this change means that both the aggregate interest rates
on NFC loan agreements and on non-mortgage household loans has slightly
reduced. The reason for this is that, in general, loans to sole
proprietors typically attract a higher average interest rate than NFC
loans, and therefore excluding them from the NFC category results in a
slight reduction in the aggregated NFC interest rate.
Additionally, the interest rate on loans to sole proprietors is
typically lower than the average interest rate on non-mortgage household
loans, and therefore including them results in a reduction in the
aggregated interest rate on household loans ‘for other purposes’ in
Table B.2.1, and on household ‘consumer loans and other loans’ in Table
B.1.2.
Treatment of securitised loans
As a result of an update to the ECB Regulation on the balance sheet
items of credit institutions and of the monetary financial institutions
sector (recast) (ECB/2021/2), there have been changes to how certain
securitised loans are required to be classified for the purposes of
statistical reporting. The following treatment, allowed under the
previous Regulation ECB/2013/33, is no longer permitted: ‘MFIs […] may
be allowed by their NCB to exclude from the stocks […] any loans
disposed of by means of a securitisation in accordance with national
practice […]’. The removal of this derogation from the updated
Regulation ECB/2021/2 results in an increase in the reported volume of
outstanding house purchase loans in Table B.1.2.