Social protection spending as share of total government spending in Ireland
Ireland: Social protection spending as share of total government spending was 35.5% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Social protection spending as share of total government spending in Ireland, 2007–2023
Source: OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of government expenditure.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 35.5% for social protection spending as share of total government spending in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and down 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, social protection spending as share of total government spending in Ireland peaked at 37.8% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 26.9%, in 2010.
Ireland ranks 22nd of 37 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Social protection spending as share of total government spending in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 35.9% | — |
| 2008 | 36.4% | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 37.8% | +3.7% |
| 2010 | 26.9% | -28.7% |
| 2011 | 33.8% | +25.6% |
| 2012 | 37.2% | +9.9% |
| 2013 | 36.9% | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 35.9% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 34.9% | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 35.4% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 35.8% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 34.8% | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 35.7% | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 36.1% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 34.8% | -3.5% |
| 2022 | 35.5% | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 35.5% | +0.1% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 35.5% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 37.5%, 95% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 35.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 36.4%, 98% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Social protection spending as share of total government spending in Ireland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | -28.7% | 37.8% | 26.9% |
| 2011 | +25.6% | 26.9% | 33.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 36.7% | 35.9% | 37.8% | 3 |
| 2010s | 34.7% | 26.9% | 37.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.5% | 34.8% | 36.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More reference data data for Ireland
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0921 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.87 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 3.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.6 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 21.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.5015 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is social protection spending as share of total government spending in Ireland?
- Social protection spending as share of total government spending in Ireland was 35.5% in 2023, according to OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest social protection spending as share of total government spending recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 37.8% in 2009.
- What is the lowest social protection spending as share of total government spending recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.9% in 2010.
- How does Ireland rank for social protection spending as share of total government spending?
- Ireland ranks 22nd out of 37 countries with data for 2023.
- Is social protection spending as share of total government spending rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Social protection spending as share of total government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by total government expenditure, expressed as a percentage.