Government expenditure on education, US$ in Ireland
Ireland: Government expenditure on education, US$ was 15,432 millions in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2021)
15,432 millions
Change on year
up 10.8%
World rank
34th
of 181 countries
All-time high
15,432 millions
in 2021
All-time low
197.22 millions
in 1971
Years of data
49
1971–2021
Government expenditure on education, US$ in Ireland, 1971–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in millions.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 15,432 millions for government expenditure on education, us$ in 2021. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 10.8% on the previous year and up 10.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, us$ in Ireland peaked at 15,432 millions in 2021 and was at its lowest, 197.22 millions, in 1971.
Ireland ranks 34th of 181 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Government expenditure on education, US$ in Ireland, year by year
| Year | millions | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 197.22 millions | — |
| 1972 | 235.38 millions | +19.3% |
| 1973 | 291.17 millions | +23.7% |
| 1974 | 350.57 millions | +20.4% |
| 1976 | 406.18 millions | +15.9% |
| 1977 | 572.01 millions | +40.8% |
| 1978 | 742.3 millions | +29.8% |
| 1979 | 968.75 millions | +30.5% |
| 1980 | 1,157 millions | +19.5% |
| 1981 | 1,185 millions | +2.4% |
| 1982 | 1,157 millions | -2.3% |
| 1983 | 1,131 millions | -2.3% |
| 1984 | 1,062 millions | -6.1% |
| 1985 | 1,116 millions | +5.1% |
| 1986 | 1,522 millions | +36.4% |
| 1987 | 1,875 millions | +23.2% |
| 1988 | 1,895 millions | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 1,849 millions | -2.4% |
| 1990 | 2,268 millions | +22.7% |
| 1991 | 2,381 millions | +5.0% |
| 1992 | 2,799 millions | +17.6% |
| 1993 | 2,681 millions | -4.2% |
| 1994 | 2,963 millions | +10.5% |
| 1995 | 3,368 millions | +13.7% |
| 1996 | 3,603 millions | +7.0% |
| 1998 | 3,867 millions | +7.3% |
| 1999 | 4,088 millions | +5.7% |
| 2000 | 4,141 millions | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 4,470 millions | +7.9% |
| 2002 | 5,279 millions | +18.1% |
| 2003 | 6,924 millions | +31.2% |
| 2004 | 8,714 millions | +25.8% |
| 2005 | 9,575 millions | +9.9% |
| 2006 | 10,558 millions | +10.3% |
| 2007 | 12,735 millions | +20.6% |
| 2008 | 15,035 millions | +18.1% |
| 2009 | 14,556 millions | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 13,426 millions | -7.8% |
| 2011 | 13,930 millions | +3.8% |
| 2012 | 12,972 millions | -6.9% |
| 2013 | 12,729 millions | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 12,634 millions | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 10,960 millions | -13.3% |
| 2016 | 11,186 millions | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 11,771 millions | +5.2% |
| 2018 | 13,064 millions | +11.0% |
| 2019 | 13,150 millions | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 13,933 millions | +6.0% |
| 2021 | 15,432 millions | +10.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 470.45 millions | 197.22 millions | 968.75 millions | 8 |
| 1980s | 1,395 millions | 1,062 millions | 1,895 millions | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,113 millions | 2,268 millions | 4,088 millions | 9 |
| 2000s | 9,199 millions | 4,141 millions | 15,035 millions | 10 |
| 2010s | 12,582 millions | 10,960 millions | 13,930 millions | 10 |
| 2020s | 14,683 millions | 13,933 millions | 15,432 millions | 2 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More education data for Ireland
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,021 tertiary education (2022)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0495 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 42,162 (2023)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 2 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 65.7% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 18.1% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 13 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 5 years (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education, us$ in Ireland?
- Government expenditure on education, us$ in Ireland was 15,432 millions in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest government expenditure on education, us$ recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 15,432 millions in 2021.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, us$ recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 197.22 millions in 1971.
- How does Ireland rank for government expenditure on education, us$?
- Ireland ranks 34th out of 181 countries with data for 2021.
- Is government expenditure on education, us$ rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Government expenditure on education, US$ (millions). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 49 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release