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Card spending in Restaurants/Dining in Ireland: Central Bank figures to August 2026
The Central Bank of Ireland's "Restaurants/Dining" sub-sector took €1,005.9 million in card payments in August 2026. That is the highest month in the series from March 2023 on, and 12.6% above August 2025 by our arithmetic. For January to August 2026 the total is €6,883.1 million, up 9.3% on the same months of 2025, also ours. These are card payments only, in euro as published, and the table gives no price adjustment. They are not total sales and not volume, and the Central Bank has no separate figure for cafés.
How much is spent by card in the Restaurants/Dining sub-sector?
The Central Bank's figure for August 2026 is €1,005.9 million (1,005,870 thousand in its table), the highest month in the series from March 2023 on. The lowest month in that span is January 2024, at €605.2 million.
One label matters. The Central Bank calls this sub-sector "Restaurants/Dining", and I use that label exactly. I do not say what it includes beyond those words, and the Central Bank has no separate figure for cafés.
Calendar year totals, which are the sum of the Central Bank's months and so ours: €8,934.6 million in 2024 and €9,602.2 million in 2025.
How does Restaurants/Dining card spending compare with a year earlier?
The figures are higher than a year ago. August 2026 is 12.6% above August 2025 (€893.0 million), and January to August 2026 is 9.3% above January to August 2025 (€6,297.3 million). Both percentages are ours, worked out from the Central Bank's monthly figures.
This is card payments only, in euro as published, and the table gives no price adjustment. The Central Bank's table gives no reason for any year-on-year movement, so this page gives none. Its one note on a break in the series is quoted below.
The Central Bank's notes say: "The increase in the volume of cards issued and related payment activity in March 2023 is due to inclusion of additional customer accounts that fall within the scope of the reporting requirements." So this page compares only months from March 2023 on.
How much of Restaurants/Dining card spending is Non-Domestic?
In August 2026 the Central Bank's "Non-Domestic" figure was €221.4 million, which is 22.0% of the total by our arithmetic. Its "Domestic" figure was €784.5 million. I use those two labels as the Central Bank gives them and do not define them.
Against August 2025, Domestic is up 12.2% and Non-Domestic is up 14.2%. Both are ours.
What is the average card payment in Restaurants/Dining?
The average was €18.98 in August 2026, against €19.00 in August 2025. Both are ours: the Central Bank's value divided by its number of payments. In August 2026 the Central Bank counts 52,994,401 payments.
An average of value over payments is not a menu price and not the size of a bill. It is one number made from two Central Bank columns.
Does this mean restaurants are busier?
No. These are card payments, not sales and not volume, in euro as published with no price adjustment in the table, and the series has no separate figure for cafés. A higher figure in euro does not tell you how many customers came in.
For volume, see our page on the CSO services index for food service. For prices, see our page on café and restaurant prices.
Where do these numbers come from?
They come from the Central Bank of Ireland's Monthly Card Payment Statistics, Table 4, Card Expenditure by Sector and Sub-Sector. I took the sub-sector Restaurants/Dining, channel All, in value (thousands of euro) and in number of payments, month by month from October 2022 to August 2026. I read the file on 20 October 2026.
You can download the months as a CSV. If you cite it: Cupán Studio, from Central Bank of Ireland Monthly Card Payment Statistics, Table 4, read 20 October 2026.
| Month | All | Domestic | Non-Domestic |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 748.6 | 586.1 | 162.5 |
| August 2024 | 824.8 | 643.6 | 181.3 |
| August 2025 | 893.0 | 699.3 | 193.8 |
| August 2026 | 1,005.9 | 784.5 | 221.4 |
Domestic and Non-Domestic may not add to the total exactly because of rounding.
Sources
- Central Bank of Ireland, Monthly Card Payment Statistics, Table 4, read 20 October 2026.
Figures from the Central Bank of Ireland's Monthly Card Payment Statistics, Table 4, read 20 October 2026; percentages, sums and averages are ours. Card payments only. A summary of published statistics, not financial advice. Cupán Studio builds websites for cafés in Ireland.
One coffee or café fact a day, drawn. That is what we post on Instagram. @cupanstudio
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