Social contributions (% of revenue) in Ireland
Ireland: Social contributions (% of revenue) was 15.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Social contributions in Ireland, 1972–2024
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of revenue.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 15.6% for social contributions in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.1% on the previous year and down 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, social contributions in Ireland peaked at 19.4% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 8.9%, in 1972.
That places Ireland 54th out of 112 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 53 years of available data.
Social contributions (% of revenue) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of revenue | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 8.9% | — |
| 1973 | 9.6% | +7.8% |
| 1974 | 11.5% | +19.6% |
| 1975 | 13.6% | +18.6% |
| 1976 | 13.2% | -3.3% |
| 1977 | 13.2% | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 12.9% | -2.6% |
| 1979 | 12.9% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 12.8% | -0.9% |
| 1981 | 12.7% | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 13.1% | +3.5% |
| 1983 | 13.0% | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 13.0% | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 13.0% | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 13.1% | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 12.8% | -2.2% |
| 1988 | 13.3% | +3.9% |
| 1989 | 14.0% | +5.2% |
| 1990 | 14.1% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 14.1% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 14.3% | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 14.4% | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 14.0% | -2.6% |
| 1995 | 15.4% | +10.4% |
| 1996 | 14.4% | -6.8% |
| 1997 | 13.8% | -4.4% |
| 1998 | 13.3% | -3.3% |
| 1999 | 13.1% | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 13.3% | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 14.4% | +8.5% |
| 2002 | 14.8% | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 14.6% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 14.6% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 15.3% | +4.9% |
| 2006 | 14.7% | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 15.7% | +6.8% |
| 2008 | 17.6% | +12.2% |
| 2009 | 19.0% | +7.8% |
| 2010 | 17.8% | -6.2% |
| 2011 | 19.4% | +9.2% |
| 2012 | 18.4% | -5.3% |
| 2013 | 18.1% | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 17.9% | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 17.4% | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 17.9% | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 18.2% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 18.1% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 18.4% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 18.6% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 17.7% | -5.0% |
| 2022 | 17.4% | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 17.5% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 15.6% | -11.1% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 15.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 28.1%, 55% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 15.6% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 29.8%, 52% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 12.0% | 8.9% | 13.6% | 8 |
| 1980s | 13.1% | 12.7% | 14.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.1% | 13.1% | 15.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.4% | 13.3% | 19.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.2% | 17.4% | 19.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.4% | 15.6% | 18.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
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Frequently asked questions
- What is social contributions in Ireland?
- Social contributions in Ireland was 15.6% in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest social contributions recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 19.4% in 2011.
- What is the lowest social contributions recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.9% in 1972.
- How does Ireland rank for social contributions?
- Ireland ranks 54th out of 112 countries with data for 2024.
- Is social contributions rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Social contributions (% of revenue). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Social contributions are actual or imputed contributions payable to social insurance schemes to make provisions for social benefits to be paid. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of revenue which includes all transactions that add to the amount of economic value of a unit or sector.