Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Ireland

Ireland: Proportion of total government spending on essential services was 70.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
70.5%
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
3rd
of 114 countries
All-time high
70.5%
in 2023
All-time low
45.6%
in 2010
Years of data
24
2000–2023

Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Ireland, 2000–2023

0204060802000201120232000: 60.12001: 612002: 63.12003: 64.72004: 65.42005: 66.32006: 65.42007: 65.52008: 64.42009: 64.72010: 45.62011: 61.82012: 67.12013: 66.42014: 65.92015: 64.62016: 66.32017: 67.52018: 66.42019: 68.52020: 68.12021: 682022: 70.42023: 70.5

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

The most recent figure for proportion of total government spending on essential services in Ireland is 70.5%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 6.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services in Ireland peaked at 70.5% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 45.6%, in 2010.

Ireland ranks 3rd of 114 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of total government spending on essential services (%) in Ireland, 2000 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2000 60.1%
2001 61.0% +1.5%
2002 63.1% +3.4%
2003 64.7% +2.5%
2004 65.4% +1.0%
2005 66.3% +1.4%
2006 65.4% -1.3%
2007 65.5% +0.1%
2008 64.4% -1.8%
2009 64.7% +0.5%
2010 45.6% -29.5%
2011 61.8% +35.5%
2012 67.1% +8.6%
2013 66.4% -1.0%
2014 65.9% -0.8%
2015 64.6% -2.1%
2016 66.3% +2.6%
2017 67.5% +1.9%
2018 66.4% -1.6%
2019 68.5% +3.0%
2020 68.1% -0.5%
2021 68.0% -0.2%
2022 70.4% +3.5%
2023 70.5% +0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 64.1% 60.1% 66.3% 10
2010s 64.0% 45.6% 68.5% 10
2020s 69.2% 68.0% 70.5% 4

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 1 Finland 71.1% compare
  2. 2 Denmark 70.8% compare
  3. 4 Chile 69.9% compare
  4. 5 Japan 68.3% compare
  5. 6 Austria 68.1% compare

See the full ranking of 125 places →

More infrastructure data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of total government spending on essential services in Ireland?
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Ireland was 70.5% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 70.5% in 2023.
What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 45.6% in 2010.
How does Ireland rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services?
Ireland ranks 3rd out of 114 countries with data for 2023.
Is proportion of total government spending on essential services rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Ireland data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of total government spending on essential services (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-total-government-spending-on-essential-services-percent/ireland/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-total-government-spending-on-essential-services-percent/ireland/">Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Ireland</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Proportion of total government spending on essential services (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
125 places, 2,281 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed