Subnational government expenditure in Ireland
Ireland: Subnational government expenditure was 22.37 Percentage of GDP in 2024. ▼ Falling
Subnational government expenditure in Ireland, 2000–2024
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, subnational government expenditure in Ireland stood at 22.37 Percentage of GDP.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 38.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, subnational government expenditure in Ireland peaked at 64.99 Percentage of GDP in 2010 and was at its lowest, 20.53 Percentage of GDP, in 2022.
That places Ireland 36th out of 36 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Subnational government expenditure in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Percentage of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 30.57 Percentage of GDP | — |
| 2001 | 32.17 Percentage of GDP | +5.3% |
| 2002 | 32.88 Percentage of GDP | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 32.66 Percentage of GDP | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 32.85 Percentage of GDP | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 33.04 Percentage of GDP | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 33.59 Percentage of GDP | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 35.66 Percentage of GDP | +6.2% |
| 2008 | 41.59 Percentage of GDP | +16.6% |
| 2009 | 46.9 Percentage of GDP | +12.8% |
| 2010 | 64.99 Percentage of GDP | +38.6% |
| 2011 | 46.89 Percentage of GDP | -27.9% |
| 2012 | 42.3 Percentage of GDP | -9.8% |
| 2013 | 39.89 Percentage of GDP | -5.7% |
| 2014 | 36.59 Percentage of GDP | -8.3% |
| 2015 | 28.09 Percentage of GDP | -23.2% |
| 2016 | 27.53 Percentage of GDP | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 25.29 Percentage of GDP | -8.1% |
| 2018 | 24.76 Percentage of GDP | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 23.89 Percentage of GDP | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 26.91 Percentage of GDP | +12.6% |
| 2021 | 23.55 Percentage of GDP | -12.5% |
| 2022 | 20.53 Percentage of GDP | -12.8% |
| 2023 | 22.39 Percentage of GDP | +9.1% |
| 2024 | 22.37 Percentage of GDP | -0.1% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 22.37 Percentage of GDP is below the median for high income countries, which is 45.47 Percentage of GDP, 49% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 22.37 Percentage of GDP is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 47.14 Percentage of GDP, 47% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 35.19 Percentage of GDP | 30.57 Percentage of GDP | 46.9 Percentage of GDP | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.02 Percentage of GDP | 23.89 Percentage of GDP | 64.99 Percentage of GDP | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.15 Percentage of GDP | 20.53 Percentage of GDP | 26.91 Percentage of GDP | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More public sector data for Ireland
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Democracy 7 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is subnational government expenditure in Ireland?
- Subnational government expenditure in Ireland was 22.37 Percentage of GDP in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest subnational government expenditure recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 64.99 Percentage of GDP in 2010.
- What is the lowest subnational government expenditure recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.53 Percentage of GDP in 2022.
- How does Ireland rank for subnational government expenditure?
- Ireland ranks 36th out of 36 countries with data for 2024.
- Is subnational government expenditure rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Subnational government expenditure. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
This dataset includes subnational government expenditure expressed in several units of measures: USD PPP, USD PPP per capita, percentage of GDP, and percentage of total public expenditure. The Subnational Government Structure and Finance Dashboard compiles several datasets with comparable data on institutional organisation and public finance at subnational government level. It provides data for the time period 2000 - 2024 (based on data availability), for all 38 OECD member countries, and the average for the European Union. It includes data for the subnational government sector, for both state and local government levels for some federal countries. The data for the latest year available is also available in PDF format and via an Interactive dashboard.