Current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in primary in Ireland
Ireland: Current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in primary was 89.4% in 2021. ▬ Flat
Latest (2021)
89.4%
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
93rd
of 128 countries
All-time high
94.6%
in 2012
All-time low
86.3%
in 2008
Years of data
24
1998–2021
Current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in primary in Ireland, 1998–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in primary in Ireland stood at 89.4%.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in primary in Ireland peaked at 94.6% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 86.3%, in 2008.
Ireland ranks 93rd of 128 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in primary in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | 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
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More education data for Ireland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 32,531 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1,942 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 52,745 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 49,975 (2022)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 456,625 (2022)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 548,873 (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.49 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1053 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in primary in Ireland?
- Current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in primary in Ireland was 89.4% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in primary recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 94.6% in 2012.
- What is the lowest current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in primary recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 86.3% in 2008.
- How does Ireland rank for current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in primary?
- Ireland ranks 93rd out of 128 countries with data for 2021.
- Is current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in 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 UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Current expenditure as a percentage 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-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release