Dublin, December 9, 2025 — The Irish authority has flagged a marked rise in market concentration across key parts of the services sector, warning that competition has weakened in digitally intensive industries and that the trend risks entrenching market power.
Concerns
In its State of Competition in Ireland report, the CCPC said concentration and average markups have increased across multiple service industries since 2016. By 2022, the top four firms held an average market share of 37 percent, up 12 percentage points from 2008, signalling that dominant players are tightening their grip.
The pattern is most pronounced in information and communications services and in professional, scientific and technical services, where a small number of firms now account for a growing share of turnover.
Market dynamics
The authority noted some positive indicators, including a rising turnover share among younger firms and measurable productivity gains, suggesting that new entrants can still drive dynamism.
To complement the main study, the CCPC also published work on barriers to entry and expansion. These reports identify persistent obstacles for prospective and scaling businesses, including capital constraints, regulatory burdens and legal costs.
Implementation and oversight
CCPC Chair Brian McHugh said: “Competitive markets are vital for a healthy economy. Our initial findings show an increase in concentration and average markups, meaning the promotion of strong competition has never been more important.
“The report acts as a warning about weakening competition in some sectors. In the CCPC, we will use the findings of this report to help us focus our activities on areas where increased competition can have the biggest impact.”
