Ireland vs Poland: Government spending by function
Ireland
35.5%
in 2023
Poland
35.9%
in 2023
Ireland rank
22nd
Poland rank
20th
Government spending by function over time
- Ireland
- Poland
How they compare
Poland currently reports 35.9% against 35.5% in Ireland, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 17 shared years of data; in 2007 it was Poland ahead.
Ireland ranks 22nd and Poland ranks 20th of 37 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 1 and Poland in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | Poland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 36.7% | 35.7% | 1.0% | Ireland |
| 2010s | 34.7% | 37.9% | 3.1% | Poland |
| 2020s | 35.5% | 37.8% | 2.3% | Poland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function, Ireland or Poland?
- Poland, at 35.9% against 35.5% in Ireland as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function between Ireland and Poland?
- 0.4%, with Poland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and Poland?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do Ireland and Poland rank globally for government spending by function?
- Ireland ranks 22nd and Poland ranks 20th 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.