Debt judgments against Irish consumers fall

The number and total value of judgments registered against Irish consumers fell sharply in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period last year, figures released today by registrar Irish Judgments show.

The number of judgments against consumers fell by 45 percent, from 1,160 to 632, while the total value fell by 62 percent, from over €72 million to just under €28 million.

The average value of consumer judgments fell by nearly 30 percent, from €62,470 to £43,973. The median value fell by a much greater percentage, by 41 percent, from €13,218 to €7,796.

Mick McAteer as Registrar said “The latest data on judgments suggests that income support and regulatory interventions have shielded Irish households from the worst effects of the financial shocks caused by Covid19. But, the picture may be very different once the support measures are unwound.”

Statistics

	Half Year 2019	Half Year 2020	Change (compared with 2019)
Judgments against consumers
volume	1,160	632	-45.52%
total value	€72,465,077	€27,791,106	-61.65%
Average* value	€62,470	€43,973	-29.61%
median	€13,218	€7,796	-41.02%

*Average value refers to the ‘mean’. The mean average tends to be higher than the median, as it more likely to be distorted by outlying, high value cases.