Which has higher government expenditure on education, total, Ireland or Malta?

Malta, at 12.5% against 12.3% in Ireland as of 2022.

How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and Malta?

28 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2021.

Where does this data come from?

Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Ireland vs Malta: Government expenditure on education, total

Ireland

12.3%

in 2021

Malta

12.5%

in 2022

Ireland rank

105th

Malta rank

102nd

Government expenditure on education, total over time

Ireland
Malta

How they compare

Malta currently reports 12.5% against 12.3% in Ireland, a difference of 0.2%.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 28 shared years of data; in 1981 it was Ireland ahead.

Ireland ranks 105th and Malta ranks 102nd of 193 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 3 and Malta in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Ireland	Malta	Difference	Ahead
1980s	11.5%	0.0%	11.5%	Ireland
1990s	11.9%	0.0%	11.9%	Ireland
2000s	13.1%	12.0%	1.2%	Ireland
2010s	12.7%	15.4%	2.7%	Malta
2020s	12.3%	12.5%	0.2%	Malta

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher government expenditure on education, total, Ireland or Malta?: Malta, at 12.5% against 12.3% in Ireland as of 2022.
What is the difference in government expenditure on education, total between Ireland and Malta?: 0.2%, with Malta ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and Malta?: 28 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2021.
How do Ireland and Malta rank globally for government expenditure on education, total?: Ireland ranks 105th and Malta ranks 102nd of 193 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Ireland vs Malta: Government expenditure on education, total. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/government-expenditure-on-education-total-percent-of-government-expenditure/ireland/malta/

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About this data

Indicator: Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure)
Unit: % of government expenditure
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 239 places, 5,722 data points, 1980–2025
Last refreshed: 03 September 2026

General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.