Expenditure on tertiary education in Ireland
Ireland: Expenditure on tertiary education was 19.6% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in Ireland, 1971–2016
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
In 2016, expenditure on tertiary education in Ireland stood at 19.6%.
That represents a change of down 16.1% on the previous year and down 18.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in Ireland peaked at 30.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 14.1%, in 1971.
That places Ireland 86th out of 160 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 14.1% | — |
| 1972 | 16.4% | +16.2% |
| 1973 | 15.1% | -7.4% |
| 1974 | 15.4% | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 18.3% | +18.8% |
| 1977 | 19.5% | +7.0% |
| 1978 | 20.0% | +2.1% |
| 1979 | 19.9% | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 19.6% | -1.6% |
| 1981 | 19.5% | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 18.8% | -3.7% |
| 1983 | 18.0% | -4.4% |
| 1984 | 16.7% | -7.3% |
| 1985 | 17.7% | +6.0% |
| 1986 | 18.5% | +4.6% |
| 1987 | 19.6% | +6.2% |
| 1988 | 19.4% | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 19.6% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 21.6% | +10.4% |
| 1991 | 21.4% | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 22.3% | +4.3% |
| 1993 | 22.5% | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 23.0% | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 23.3% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 24.7% | +6.3% |
| 1998 | 25.5% | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 27.1% | +6.5% |
| 2000 | 30.3% | +11.5% |
| 2001 | 28.6% | -5.7% |
| 2002 | 27.6% | -3.2% |
| 2003 | 24.9% | -10.1% |
| 2004 | 23.5% | -5.6% |
| 2005 | 23.3% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 23.9% | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 23.4% | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 23.3% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 23.7% | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 22.2% | -6.4% |
| 2011 | 21.7% | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 21.4% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 21.5% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 20.8% | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 23.3% | +12.0% |
| 2016 | 19.6% | -16.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 17.3% | 14.1% | 20.0% | 8 |
| 1980s | 18.7% | 16.7% | 19.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.5% | 21.4% | 27.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 25.2% | 23.3% | 30.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.5% | 19.6% | 23.3% | 7 |
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 expenditure on tertiary education in Ireland?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in Ireland was 19.6% in 2016, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 30.3% in 2000.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.1% in 1971.
- How does Ireland rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- Ireland ranks 86th out of 160 countries with data for 2016.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Expenditure on tertiary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.