Government expenditure per student, tertiary in Ireland

Ireland: Government expenditure per student, tertiary was 15.5% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
15.5%
Change on year
down 18.2%
World rank
98th
of 111 countries
All-time high
36.2%
in 2009
All-time low
15.5%
in 2016
Years of data
19
1998–2016

Government expenditure per student, tertiary in Ireland, 1998–2016

0102030401998200720161998: 28.4 % of GDP per capita1999: 27.9 % of GDP per capita2000: 29.7 % of GDP per capita2001: 27.1 % of GDP per capita2002: 25.3 % of GDP per capita2003: 23 % of GDP per capita2004: 22.7 % of GDP per capita2005: 23.5 % of GDP per capita2006: 25 % of GDP per capita2007: 25.4 % of GDP per capita2008: 31.8 % of GDP per capita2009: 36.2 % of GDP per capita2010: 31.5 % of GDP per capita2011: 29.7 % of GDP per capita2012: 28.6 % of GDP per capita2013: 25.7 % of GDP per capita2014: 22.8 % of GDP per capita2015: 19 % of GDP per capita2016: 15.5 % of GDP per capita

Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of GDP per capita.

Analysis

Ireland recorded 15.5% for government expenditure per student, tertiary in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 19 years on record.

The figure is down 18.2% on the previous year and down 37.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure per student, tertiary in Ireland peaked at 36.2% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 15.5%, in 2016.

That places Ireland 98th out of 111 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.

Government expenditure per student, tertiary in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure per student, tertiary (% of GDP per capita) in Ireland, 1998 to 2016.
Year % of GDP per capita Change
1998 28.4%
1999 27.9% -1.8%
2000 29.7% +6.3%
2001 27.1% -8.6%
2002 25.3% -6.7%
2003 23.0% -9.1%
2004 22.7% -1.1%
2005 23.5% +3.3%
2006 25.0% +6.4%
2007 25.4% +1.7%
2008 31.8% +25.2%
2009 36.2% +13.6%
2010 31.5% -12.8%
2011 29.7% -5.8%
2012 28.6% -3.8%
2013 25.7% -10.2%
2014 22.8% -11.3%
2015 19.0% -16.6%
2016 15.5% -18.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 28.2% 27.9% 28.4% 2
2000s 27.0% 22.7% 36.2% 10
2010s 24.7% 15.5% 31.5% 7

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 95 Latvia 17.7% compare
  2. 96 Argentina 16.9% compare
  3. 97 Bulgaria 16.6% compare
  4. 99 Paraguay 14.3% compare
  5. 100 Guyana 13.7% compare
  6. 101 Greece 11.2% compare

See the full ranking of 126 places →

More education data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure per student, tertiary in Ireland?
Government expenditure per student, tertiary in Ireland was 15.5% in 2016, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest government expenditure per student, tertiary recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 36.2% in 2009.
What is the lowest government expenditure per student, tertiary recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 15.5% in 2016.
How does Ireland rank for government expenditure per student, tertiary?
Ireland ranks 98th out of 111 countries with data for 2016.
Is government expenditure per student, tertiary rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 37.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
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 Government expenditure per student, tertiary (% of GDP per capita). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Government expenditure per student, tertiary in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-per-student-tertiary-percent-of-gdp-per-capita/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure per student, tertiary (% of GDP per capita)
Unit
% of GDP per capita
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
126 places, 1,539 data points, 1984–2018
Last refreshed

Government expenditure per student is the average general government expenditure (current, capital, and transfers) per student in the given level of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP per capita.