The average car insurance premium in Ireland was €655 per policy in 2025, up 4% on 2024 (Central Bank of Ireland, NCID Private Motor Report 8, October 2026). That average covers every driver and every type of policy, and 93% of policies were comprehensive. Your own price depends on factors such as your experience, claims record, car and address.
The official average, and how it has moved
The premium figures in the Central Bank's National Claims Information Database (NCID) come from firms that collected 97% of private motor premiums in 2025. These are the headline figures from Report 8, published 20 October 2026:
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Average written premium per policy, 2025 | €655 |
| Change on 2024 | up 4% |
| Change since 2011 | up 36% |
| Highest quarterly average | €738, in the third quarter of 2017 |
| Quarterly average after falling 26% from that peak | €545, in the fourth quarter of 2022 |
| Fourth quarter of 2025 | €650 |
| Share of policies that were comprehensive, 2025 | 93% |
| Written policies, 2025 | about 2.41 million |
Prices have gone up and down. The Central Bank says premiums rose 67% from 2013 to 2017, fell 23% from 2017 to 2022, then rose 18% from 2022 to 2025. It also noted a falling trend in the last two quarters of 2025.
Claims costs in 2025
The Central Bank says insurers' claims cost per policy rose 10% to €424 in 2025. Damage claims cost €197 per policy, the highest in its time series, and injury claims cost €228 per policy.
The average injury claim cost €45,645 in 2025, a 14% increase on 2024 and the highest recorded, the report says.
The NCID report does not give averages by age, county or car. For a young or first-time driver, the real price can be very different from €655.
What moves your price
The CCPC and Citizens Information list the factors insurers use (checked 9 November 2026):
- Experience and licence. Less experience usually means a higher premium. A learner permit can add "hundreds of euro", Citizens Information says.
- Age. Citizens Information says insurers treat young and older drivers as high-risk and charge them more. See our guide to young driver insurance.
- Claims and no claims bonus. Each claim-free year in your own name earns a discount, the CCPC says.
- Penalty points and convictions. Points can raise the premium. Drink or dangerous driving can lead to a refusal, the CCPC says.
- Where you live and park. City drivers pay more than rural drivers. Citizens Information says drivers in Dublin normally pay a loading. A locked garage may lower the price.
- The car. Bigger engines cost more. Left-hand drive, convertible and modified cars usually cost more, the CCPC says. A more valuable car costs more to insure, Citizens Information says.
- Use. Using the car for work costs more than personal use.
- Named drivers. A young named driver can raise the price. An experienced one with a clean record can lower it.
- Level of cover and excess. A higher excess usually means a lower premium.
- How you pay. Monthly direct debit usually carries interest, the CCPC says.
One published example and what a claim can do
Insurer "from" prices apply to one example driver. AIG says its BoxClever black box cover starts from €550, excluding levies, for a 22-year-old student in Knocklyon, Dublin 16, with 1 year on a full licence and 1 year no claims bonus, driving 5,000 km a year in a 2012 Ford Fiesta 1.2 worth €5,000 (comprehensive, example correct as of 16 January 2025).
A claim can change your price sharply. The CCPC gives this example. Sarah has five years' no claims bonus, worth a 75% discount. After one claim without bonus protection, her discount drops to zero and her renewal premium jumps from €400 to €1,600.
Discount levels vary. Citizens Information says the no claims ceiling is usually around 60%, and the CCPC says most insurers reach their maximum after five or six years.
The ban on loyalty pricing
Since 1 July 2022, the Central Bank has banned "price walking" in car and home insurance. Insurers cannot charge a renewing customer more than they would charge an equivalent customer renewing for the first time. Discounts for new customers are still allowed.
The Central Bank's 2021 review found that customers who stayed with the same insurer for nine years or more paid, on average, 14% more for car insurance than an equivalent first-time renewer. The rules first came in through regulations in 2022. The Central Bank says they are now part of the Consumer Protection Code 2025.
The Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 did not create the ban. Under the Act, the Central Bank had to report to the Minister for Finance on its price walking measures, the Department of Finance said on 8 July 2022. The Act also requires insurers, from 1 January 2023, to tell you about deductions made from claim settlements.
Switching still matters, because new customer discounts are allowed. The CCPC says your renewal notice must arrive at least 20 working days before the policy ends. On the same page as the renewal price, it must show what you paid in the previous five years and any claims in that time.
How to lower the premium
The CCPC's tips to cut costs include:
- Get quotes from several insurers, including your current one, or use a broker. Ask your current insurer for a discount.
- Pay in one go if you can, to avoid interest on monthly payments.
- Get your full licence as soon as you can.
- Value the car realistically. If you insure a €10,000 car for €8,000, the CCPC says you get only 80% of the repair or replacement cost.
- Keep your licence free of points and convictions.
- Get a quote before you buy or change car.
- Build your no claims bonus, and consider whether paying to protect it is worth it.
Our guide to car insurance for first-time drivers covers the full CCPC list and the documents you need.
When paying for more cover may not be worth it
Comprehensive is not always the right spend. The CCPC says that if your car is older or low in value, you may decide comprehensive cover is not worth the extra cost.
A higher excess cuts the premium but costs you on a claim. In the CCPC's example, with a €250 excess and €1,000 of damage, you pay €250 and the insurer pays €750. Check you could afford the excess if you had to claim.
Extras add up too. Citizens Information lists bonus protection, windscreen cover, breakdown and a replacement car as optional extras that raise the price. If you already have breakdown cover elsewhere, you may not need it twice. Hiring a car abroad brings a separate excess, covered in our guide to car hire excess insurance. Learners can read learner driver insurance, and our car insurance guide has an overview.
Sources
- Central Bank of Ireland: NCID Private Motor Insurance Report 8, published 20 October 2026 (accessed 9 November 2026)
- Central Bank of Ireland: Central Bank implements new Insurance Regulations, 15 March 2022 (accessed 9 November 2026)
- Central Bank of Ireland: Review of Differential Pricing in the Private Car and Home Insurance Markets, July 2021 (accessed 9 November 2026)
- Central Bank of Ireland: Legislation for Consumer Protection (accessed 9 November 2026)
- gov.ie: Commencement of the Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022, 8 July 2022 (accessed 9 November 2026)
- Irish Statute Book: Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (accessed 9 November 2026)
- CCPC: Choosing your car insurance policy (accessed 9 November 2026)
- CCPC: Car insurance (accessed 9 November 2026)
- CCPC: Renewing your car insurance (accessed 9 November 2026)
- Citizens Information: Motor insurance (accessed 9 November 2026)
- AIG Ireland: BoxClever young and first-time driver insurance page (accessed 9 November 2026)
General information, not financial advice. Prices and rules change: check the details with the insurer before you buy.