Ireland — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Ireland, 1971–2021.
Education spending for Ireland was 2.90% in 2021, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 49 years, from 1971 to 2021. The highest recorded value was 6.16% in 2009. Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.87% per year.
Ireland ranks 137 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 80%. The median for Europe & Central Asia is 4.59%, so Ireland sits below it. It peaked in 2009 and has fallen 53% since. Over the last decade (2011–2021) the figure moved down 50%. Within Europe & Central Asia it ranks 41 of 45 economies; San Marino (2.90%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 23% in 2015. That is 29% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 16th of 53 in 1971 → 17th of 63 in 1980 → 15th of 50 in 1990 → 53rd of 116 in 2000 → 22nd of 130 in 2010 → 125th of 157 in 2020 → 125th of 152 in 2021.
Key figures
Full history — 1971 to 2021
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2.9% | -0.3 pp |
| 2020 | 3.19% | -0.0 pp |
| 2019 | 3.23% | -0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 3.3% | -0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 3.38% | -0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 3.66% | +0.0 pp |
| 2015 | 3.62% | -1.1 pp |
| 2014 | 4.74% | -0.5 pp |
| 2013 | 5.23% | -0.5 pp |
| 2012 | 5.71% | -0.1 pp |
| 2011 | 5.77% | -0.3 pp |
| 2010 | 6.05% | -0.1 pp |
| 2009 | 6.16% | +0.7 pp |
| 2008 | 5.46% | +0.7 pp |
| 2007 | 4.72% | +0.2 pp |
| 2006 | 4.55% | +0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 4.52% | +0.0 pp |
| 2004 | 4.48% | +0.3 pp |
| 2003 | 4.2% | +0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 4.1% | +0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 4.09% | -0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 4.13% | -0.0 pp |
| 1999 | 4.13% | -0.2 pp |
| 1998 | 4.29% | -0.5 pp |
| 1996 | 4.75% | -0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 4.87% | -0.3 pp |
| 1994 | 5.19% | +0.1 pp |
| 1993 | 5.12% | +0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 5.01% | +0.2 pp |
| 1991 | 4.78% | +0.2 pp |
| 1990 | 4.6% | -0.1 pp |
| 1989 | 4.71% | -0.3 pp |
| 1988 | 5.02% | -0.5 pp |
| 1987 | 5.53% | +0.2 pp |
| 1986 | 5.3% | +0.1 pp |
| 1985 | 5.25% | -0.0 pp |
| 1984 | 5.28% | -0.2 pp |
| 1983 | 5.45% | +0.1 pp |
| 1982 | 5.39% | -0.3 pp |
| 1981 | 5.73% | +0.4 pp |
| 1980 | 5.32% | +0.0 pp |
| 1979 | 5.29% | +0.2 pp |
| 1978 | 5.07% | -0.0 pp |
| 1977 | 5.09% | +0.8 pp |
| 1976 | 4.3% | -0.4 pp |
| 1974 | 4.69% | +0.1 pp |
| 1973 | 4.61% | -0.0 pp |
| 1972 | 4.62% | +0.1 pp |
| 1971 | 4.49% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Ireland’s Education spending in 1972?
4.62% (1972). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of GDP, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Ireland’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1971 and 2021 the series was shrinking overall: -35.3% in total — about 0.9% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2021: 2.9%; 2020: 3.19%; 2019: 3.23%; 2018: 3.3%; 2017: 3.38%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS — Government Education Spending (% of GDP). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.