A new preliminary estimate from the Central Statistics Office shows that gross domestic product shrunk by 0.6% in the final quarter of 2025 from the previous three month period.
This follows a surge earlier in the year as a result of a jump in pharmaceutical exports to the US.
The Government has long cautioned against using GDP to accurately measure economic growth as it is routinely distorted by multinational activity. Its preferred measure, modified domestic demand (MDD), is not included in the early estimates.
GDP is still used to calculate the country's share of activity across the euro zone and Irish GDP was 15.8% higher for the first nine months of the year. MDD rose 4.1% over the same time, the CSO said.
