Ireland's low spending driven by young population, report finds.

A new report by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (Ifac) found that Ireland is economically closer to Boston than Berlin due to its low-tax, low-spend nature. This is driven by demographics, specifically a relatively young population, which means less spending on pensions and healthcare. However, as the population ages, spending in these areas is expected to rise, aligning Ireland with other European countries. The State also collects significantly less tax revenue per person than the European average.