Bank of Ireland card spending up 5.7% in December 2025
- Consumers out in force during the Christmas period
- Spending on electrical goods up 6.3%, social spending up 2.8%
- Total value of Bank of Ireland card spending rose by 5.3% throughout 2025
- ATM withdrawals continue to fall – down 3.7% in 2025
Bank of Ireland’s latest credit and debit card spending data reveals that spending rose 5.7% last December, remaining ahead of the latest CPI inflation number of 3.2% posted in November, and indicating real price adjusted spending growth by Irish households.
Consumers were out in force during the Christmas period, with spending in a host of the main categories higher when compared with December 2024. Spending on electrical goods was up by 6.3%, spending on services spiked by +5.7%, outlay in restaurants and pub rose by 2.5% as revellers enjoyed the Christmas break, and retail spending recorded a 1.0% increase.
One area which does show a continuing decline is ATM withdrawals, which fell 3.7% last year, accounting for 13% of monthly spending. This is a steep drop from pre-Covid times where cash would often account for around 30% of monthly spending and continues a trend where cash as a percentage of total Bank of Ireland card spending has fallen for the past 5 years in a row.
Sizable year-on-year December spending increases were also posted in education (+10.5%) and health (+9.5%), whilst entertainment spend rose +2.8%. Total Bank of Ireland card spending during 2025 was up 5.3% as consumers looked beyond the ongoing global economic and political uncertainty, with card spending hikes reflecting a domestic economy where activity is increasing, real incomes are rising, inflation is moderate, and unemployment is still low.
Bank of Ireland Chief Economist, Conall MacCoille, added: “Consumers came out spending over Christmas across most major categories. And one trend is impossible to ignore, cash usage continued its slide – ATM withdrawals dropped again last year and now make up just 13% of monthly spending, a dramatic fall from the pre‑Covid era.”
“These spending figures are strong and in line with expectations, with Q3 2025 national accounts showing that annual consumer spending grew robustly in the first 9 months of the year, up 2.9% on average. This is consistent with other indicators such as the 5.1% rise in VAT receipts in 2025 and c5% rise in earnings to Q3 2025. While inflation ticked up towards late 2025, it’s likely to average around 2.2% for the year, and this card spending data reflects that real consumer spending rose by close to 3% in 2025 – in line with our forecasts.”