Expenditure on social benefits by function, type of benefit and in Ireland

Ireland: Expenditure on social benefits by function, type of benefit and was 63,754 in 2023. β—† Volatile

Latest (2023)
63,754
Change on year
up 9.7%
World rank
17th
of 35 countries
All-time high
63,754
in 2023
All-time low
6,563
in 1990
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Expenditure on social benefits by function, type of benefit and in Ireland, 1990–2023

020.0k40.0k60.0k1990200620231990: 6.6k1991: 7.2k1992: 8.0k1993: 8.2k1994: 8.7k1995: 9.2k1996: 9.8k1997: 11.2k1998: 11.4k1999: 12.6k2000: 15.5k2001: 18.4k2002: 21.4k2003: 23.4k2004: 26.0k2005: 27.9k2006: 30.3k2007: 33.3k2008: 36.8k2009: 40.0k2010: 40.4k2011: 40.4k2012: 40.7k2013: 39.6k2014: 39.8k2015: 40.6k2016: 41.4k2017: 42.9k2018: 44.5k2019: 46.6k2020: 55.7k2021: 57.4k2022: 58.1k2023: 63.8k

Source: Eurostat.

Analysis

In 2023, expenditure on social benefits by function, type of benefit and in Ireland stood at 63,754. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.

The figure is up 9.7% on the previous year and up 60.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, expenditure on social benefits by function, type of benefit and in Ireland peaked at 63,754 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 6,563, in 1990.

Ireland ranks 17th of 35 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 9,307 6,563 12,602 10
2000s 27,294 15,543 40,012 10
2010s 41,694 39,623 46,648 10
2020s 58,738 55,730 63,754 4

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 14 Finland 89,582 compare
  2. 15 Portugal 67,117 compare
  3. 16 Czech Republic 65,368 compare
  4. 18 Romania 52,511 compare
  5. 19 Greece 52,373 compare
  6. 20 Hungary 34,247 compare

See the full ranking of 45 places β†’

More reference data data for Ireland

All data for Ireland β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is expenditure on social benefits by function, type of benefit and in Ireland?
Expenditure on social benefits by function, type of benefit and in Ireland was 63,754 in 2023, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest expenditure on social benefits by function, type of benefit and recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 63,754 in 2023.
What is the lowest expenditure on social benefits by function, type of benefit and recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 6,563 in 1990.
How does Ireland rank for expenditure on social benefits by function, type of benefit and?
Ireland ranks 17th out of 35 countries with data for 2023.
Is expenditure on social benefits by function, type of benefit and rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 60.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ireland data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Expenditure on social benefits by function, type of benefit and means-testing. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Expenditure on social benefits by function, type of benefit and in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 18 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/expenditure-on-social-benefits-by-function-type-of-benefit-and-means-testing/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Expenditure on social benefits by function, type of benefit and means-testing
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
45 places, 1,186 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed