Quarterly GDP for Ireland since 1950
Kenny, Seán LU
and Stuart, Rebecca
(2026)
In Explorations in Economic History
- Abstract
- We construct estimates of quarterly GDP (and GNP) for Ireland from 1950, linking to official data from 1995 onward, using a novel factor-augmented Chow-Lin interpolation. Compared to the only alternative series (OECD, 2025), our estimates exploit the variation in a large number of official quarterly economic data and are broadly consistent with contemporary reports. Our series permits a more granular identification of turning points in the Irish economy than was previously possible. The frequency and magnitude of quarterly contractions in the 1950s and 1980s dwarfed those of other decades resulting in lower average growth rates. In contrast, the 1990s are confirmed as a decisive period of higher growth and rapid convergence.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/4a26cd7c-9f84-4218-8cff-e896ab96effb
- author
- Kenny, Seán
LU
and Stuart, Rebecca
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026-04-22
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- epub
- subject
- keywords
- Irish quarterly GDP, principal components, Chow-Lin interpolation, factors, economic growth, E01, N14, O47, O40, P44
- in
- Explorations in Economic History
- publisher
- Academic Press
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105038924896
- ISSN
- 0014-4983
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.eeh.2026.101766
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 4a26cd7c-9f84-4218-8cff-e896ab96effb
- date added to LUP
- 2026-04-22 19:55:26
- date last changed
- 2026-05-31 04:00:55
@article{4a26cd7c-9f84-4218-8cff-e896ab96effb,
abstract = {{We construct estimates of quarterly GDP (and GNP) for Ireland from 1950, linking to official data from 1995 onward, using a novel factor-augmented Chow-Lin interpolation. Compared to the only alternative series (OECD, 2025), our estimates exploit the variation in a large number of official quarterly economic data and are broadly consistent with contemporary reports. Our series permits a more granular identification of turning points in the Irish economy than was previously possible. The frequency and magnitude of quarterly contractions in the 1950s and 1980s dwarfed those of other decades resulting in lower average growth rates. In contrast, the 1990s are confirmed as a decisive period of higher growth and rapid convergence.}},
author = {{Kenny, Seán and Stuart, Rebecca}},
issn = {{0014-4983}},
keywords = {{Irish quarterly GDP; principal components; Chow-Lin interpolation; factors; economic growth; E01; N14; O47; O40; P44}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{04}},
publisher = {{Academic Press}},
series = {{Explorations in Economic History}},
title = {{Quarterly GDP for Ireland since 1950}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eeh.2026.101766}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.eeh.2026.101766}},
year = {{2026}},
}