pre_text: Note 14 – Employee Benefit Plans Pension Benefit Plan We maintain a defined benefit pension plan covering employees in certain foreign countries. The pension benefit plan obligations and funded status as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, were as follows: The accumulated benefit obligation was $43.9 million and $37.2 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The increase in the accumulated benefit obligation and the actuarial loss was primarily attributable to a decrease in the discount rate during 2019.
table: (In thousands) 2019 2018
table: Change in projected benefit obligation:
table: Projected benefit obligation at beginning of period $37,245 $34,893
table: Service cost 1,471 1,193
table: Interest cost 634 727
table: Actuarial loss - experience 453 38
table: Actuarial loss - assumptions 5,091 2,139
table: Benefit payments (166) (138)
table: Effects of foreign currency exchange rate changes (826) (1,607)
table: Projected benefit obligation at end of period 43,902 37,245
table: Change in plan assets:
table: Fair value of plan assets at beginning of period 24,159 26,624
table: Actual gain (loss) on plan assets 4,392 (2,024)
table: Contributions — 688
table: Effects of foreign currency exchange rate changes (535) (1,129)
table: Fair value of plan assets at end of period 28,016 24,159
table: Unfunded status at end of period $(15,886) $(13,086)
question: Analyse this data from a financial earnings document. What was the change in interest cost between 2018 and 2019?