Estonia vs Ireland: Government spending by function
Estonia
31.3%
in 2023
Ireland
35.5%
in 2023
Estonia rank
25th
Ireland rank
22nd
Government spending by function over time
- Estonia
- Ireland
How they compare
Ireland currently reports 35.5% against 31.3% in Estonia, a difference of 4.2%.
That makes Ireland's figure about 1.1 times Estonia's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 17 shared years of data; in 2007 it was Ireland ahead.
Estonia ranks 25th and Ireland ranks 22nd of 37 countries.
Ireland has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Estonia | Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 29.2% | 36.7% | 7.5% | Ireland |
| 2010s | 31.7% | 34.7% | 3.1% | Ireland |
| 2020s | 31.7% | 35.5% | 3.8% | Ireland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function, Estonia or Ireland?
- Ireland, at 35.5% against 31.3% in Estonia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function between Estonia and Ireland?
- 4.2%, with Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Estonia and Ireland?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do Estonia and Ireland rank globally for government spending by function?
- Estonia ranks 25th and Ireland ranks 22nd of 37 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2026) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Government spending by function. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by total government expenditure, expressed as a percentage.