Current education expenditure, primary in Ireland

Ireland: Current education expenditure, primary was 89.4% in 2021. ▬ Flat

Latest (2021)
89.4%
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
93rd
of 126 countries
All-time high
94.6%
in 2012
All-time low
86.3%
in 2008
Years of data
24
1998–2021

Current education expenditure, primary in Ireland, 1998–2021

0204060801001998200920211998: 93.6 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions1999: 93.2 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2000: 92.3 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2001: 89.7 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2002: 89.9 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2003: 91.7 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2004: 92.8 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2005: 90 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2006: 91.6 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2007: 87.6 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2008: 86.3 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2009: 90.5 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2010: 90.3 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2011: 92 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2012: 94.6 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2013: 93.3 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2014: 92.1 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2015: 92.8 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2016: 92.5 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2017: 90.8 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2018: 92 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2019: 90.3 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2020: 88.9 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions2021: 89.4 % of total expenditure in primary public institutions

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of total expenditure in primary public institutions.

Analysis

In 2021, current education expenditure, primary in Ireland stood at 89.4%.

That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and down 2.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, current education expenditure, primary in Ireland peaked at 94.6% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 86.3%, in 2008.

That places Ireland 93rd out of 126 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

Current education expenditure, primary in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Current education expenditure, primary (% of total expenditure in primary public institutions) in Ireland, 1998 to 2021.
Year % of total expenditure in primary public institutions Change
1998 93.6%
1999 93.2% -0.4%
2000 92.3% -1.0%
2001 89.7% -2.8%
2002 89.9% +0.2%
2003 91.7% +1.9%
2004 92.8% +1.3%
2005 90.0% -3.1%
2006 91.6% +1.8%
2007 87.6% -4.4%
2008 86.3% -1.5%
2009 90.5% +4.9%
2010 90.3% -0.2%
2011 92.0% +1.8%
2012 94.6% +2.8%
2013 93.3% -1.3%
2014 92.1% -1.3%
2015 92.8% +0.8%
2016 92.5% -0.3%
2017 90.8% -1.8%
2018 92.0% +1.3%
2019 90.3% -1.8%
2020 88.9% -1.5%
2021 89.4% +0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 93.4% 93.2% 93.6% 2
2000s 90.2% 86.3% 92.8% 10
2010s 92.0% 90.3% 94.6% 10
2020s 89.2% 88.9% 89.4% 2

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 90 Slovenia 89.7% compare
  2. 91 Austria 89.4% compare
  3. 92 Netherlands 89.4% compare
  4. 94 Mongolia 89.4% compare
  5. 95 Germany 89.3% compare
  6. 96 Panama 89.1% compare

See the full ranking of 142 places →

More education data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is current education expenditure, primary in Ireland?
Current education expenditure, primary in Ireland was 89.4% in 2021, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest current education expenditure, primary recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 94.6% in 2012.
What is the lowest current education expenditure, primary recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 86.3% in 2008.
How does Ireland rank for current education expenditure, primary?
Ireland ranks 93rd out of 126 countries with data for 2021.
Is current education expenditure, primary rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Ireland data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Current education expenditure, primary (% of total expenditure in primary public institutions). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Current education expenditure, primary in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/current-education-expenditure-primary-percent-of-total-expenditure-in-primary-public/ireland/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/current-education-expenditure-primary-percent-of-total-expenditure-in-primary-public/ireland/">Current education expenditure, primary in Ireland</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Current education expenditure, primary (% of total expenditure in primary public institutions)
Unit
% of total expenditure in primary public institutions
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
142 places, 1,933 data points, 1998–2024
Last refreshed

Current expenditure is expressed as a percentage of direct expenditure in public educational institutions (instructional and non-instructional) of the specified level of education. Financial aid to students and other transfers are excluded from direct expenditure. Current expenditure is consumed within the current year and would have to be renewed if needed in the following year. It includes staff compensation and current expenditure other than for staff compensation (ex. on teaching materials, ancillary services and administration).