Government expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education in Ireland
Ireland: Government expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education was 405.98 millions in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
405.98 millions
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
11th
of 93 countries
All-time high
1,037 millions
in 2010
All-time low
201.71 millions
in 1998
Years of data
24
1998–2021
Government expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education in Ireland, 1998–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in millions.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 405.98 millions for government expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% on the previous year and down 58.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education in Ireland peaked at 1,037 millions in 2010 and was at its lowest, 201.71 millions, in 1998.
Ireland ranks 11th of 93 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Government expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education in Ireland, year by year
| Year | millions | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 201.71 millions | — |
| 1999 | 225.46 millions | +11.8% |
| 2000 | 258.31 millions | +14.6% |
| 2001 | 287.76 millions | +11.4% |
| 2002 | 326.25 millions | +13.4% |
| 2003 | 360.76 millions | +10.6% |
| 2004 | 773.1 millions | +114.3% |
| 2005 | 879.72 millions | +13.8% |
| 2006 | 835.26 millions | -5.1% |
| 2007 | 894 millions | +7.0% |
| 2008 | 806.99 millions | -9.7% |
| 2009 | 892.37 millions | +10.6% |
| 2010 | 1,037 millions | +16.2% |
| 2011 | 978.8 millions | -5.6% |
| 2012 | 903.49 millions | -7.7% |
| 2013 | 886.67 millions | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 957.52 millions | +8.0% |
| 2015 | 561.12 millions | -41.4% |
| 2016 | 547.45 millions | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 337.37 millions | -38.4% |
| 2018 | 348.6 millions | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 359.04 millions | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 397.93 millions | +10.8% |
| 2021 | 405.98 millions | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 213.58 millions | 201.71 millions | 225.46 millions | 2 |
| 2000s | 631.45 millions | 258.31 millions | 894 millions | 10 |
| 2010s | 691.73 millions | 337.37 millions | 1,037 millions | 10 |
| 2020s | 401.96 millions | 397.93 millions | 405.98 millions | 2 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 8 France 510.33 millions compare
- 9 New Zealand 477.31 millions compare
- 10 Iran, Islamic Republic of 407.7 millions compare
- 12 Sweden 391.46 millions compare
- 13 Poland 244.77 millions compare
- 14 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 231.24 millions compare
More education data for Ireland
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 456,625 (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.55 % change on previous year (2022)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 42,162 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 3.17 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 233,132 (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.56 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 223,493 (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.54 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 102,720 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -6.21 % change on previous year (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education in Ireland?
- Government expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education in Ireland was 405.98 millions in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest government expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 1,037 millions in 2010.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 201.71 millions in 1998.
- How does Ireland rank for government expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education?
- Ireland ranks 11th out of 93 countries with data for 2021.
- Is government expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 58.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Government expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education, constant US$ (millions). 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