Public budgets

Ireland: public budget

What Ireland's government raised and what it spent it on, from the figures its own budget laws or a statistics office publish. Solon places every figure on the same international classification, so it can be compared with any other place.

General government, 2014

Outturn: what came in and was spent

General government: central, state and local government and social security funds together, consolidated so that money passed between them is counted once, as Eurostat's government finance statistics (ESA 2010) count it.

Amounts in USD, converted from EUR at 2014's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$88.03B · 33.1% of GDP
Spending
$97.41B · 36.6% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
-$9.38B · -3.5% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Ireland, 2014: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Ireland, 2014: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection37$36.02B
Health17.6$17.18B
General public services16.1$15.64B
Education11.5$11.21B
Economic affairs8.1$7.91B
Public order and safety3.5$3.38B
Housing and community amenities2.1$2.02B
Recreation, culture and religion1.9$1.85B
Environmental protection1.3$1.25B
Defence1$944.96M
Social protection$36.02B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age34.8$12.53B
Family and children21.4$7.72B
Unemployment18.7$6.73B
Sickness and disability11$3.98B
Housing5.3$1.92B
Survivors4.3$1.55B
Social exclusion n.e.c.3$1.1B
Social protection n.e.c.1.4$487.43M
R&D Social protection0$13.55M
Health$17.18B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Hospital services45.1$7.74B
Outpatient services33.6$5.78B
Medical products, appliances and equipment15.7$2.69B
Health n.e.c.2.6$446.11M
Public health services2.6$445.84M
R&D Health0.4$74.66M
General public services$15.64B
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Public debt transactions64.8$10.13B
Executive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairs24.6$3.84B
Foreign economic aid4.4$683.78M
General services4$631.17M
Basic research1.9$299.18M
General public services n.e.c.0.3$47.96M
R&D General public services0$0
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$0
Education$11.21B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Pre-primary and primary education40.1$4.49B
Secondary education31.1$3.49B
Tertiary education17.8$1.99B
Post-secondary non-tertiary education5.9$664.65M
Subsidiary services to education2.2$245.91M
Education n.e.c.1.5$166.2M
Education not definable by level1.4$152.78M
R&D Education0$4.78M
Economic affairs$7.91B
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Transport48$3.79B
General economic, commercial and labour affairs12.7$1B
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting12$948.55M
Fuel and energy8.5$669.83M
Economic affairs n.e.c.6.5$514.4M
R&D Economic affairs6.1$485.04M
Other industries4.1$322.69M
Mining, manufacturing and construction1.7$130.72M
Communication0.5$38.26M
Public order and safety$3.38B
Public order and safety, in detail, as a share of it
Public order and safety, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Police services51.7$1.75B
Law courts18.3$616.82M
Prisons15$505.49M
Fire-protection services10.6$357.37M
Public order and safety n.e.c.4.5$151.98M
R&D Public order and safety0$0
Housing and community amenities$2.02B
Housing and community amenities, in detail, as a share of it
Housing and community amenities, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Water supply65.4$1.32B
Housing development19.5$394.83M
Community development9.2$185.86M
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.4.5$91.67M
Street lighting1.3$26.84M
R&D Housing and community amenities0$531.4K
Recreation, culture and religion$1.85B
Recreation, culture and religion, in detail, as a share of it
Recreation, culture and religion, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Cultural services39.4$730.68M
Broadcasting and publishing services34.4$637.15M
Recreational and sporting services23.3$432.03M
Religious and other community services2.4$45.3M
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.0.4$7.31M
R&D Recreation, culture and religion0.1$1.06M
Environmental protection$1.25B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Waste water management42.6$532.33M
Protection of biodiversity and landscape29.3$366.4M
Environmental protection n.e.c.9.8$122.22M
Waste management9.2$114.78M
Pollution abatement7.6$94.85M
R&D Environmental protection1.5$18.86M
Defence$944.96M
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence85.4$807.2M
Defence n.e.c.5.8$55.27M
Foreign military aid5.7$53.8M
Civil defence3$28.7M
R&D Defence0$0

Where the money comes from

Ireland, 2014: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Ireland, 2014: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Taxes on income and wealth37.6$33.06B
Taxes on sales, production and imports32.1$28.24B
Social contributions17.7$15.55B
Sales, fees and charges6.3$5.52B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)4.6$4.09B
Capital transfers and taxes received1.3$1.15B
Other transfers received0.5$423.13M
Subsidies received0$0
Taxes on income and wealth$33.06B
Taxes on income and wealth, in detail, as a share of it
Taxes on income and wealth, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Taxes on income92.5$30.58B
Other taxes on wealth and income7.5$2.49B
Taxes on sales, production and imports$28.24B
Taxes on sales, production and imports, in detail, as a share of it
Taxes on sales, production and imports, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Value added tax54.2$15.31B
Not broken down, or fitting no category45.8$12.93B

Over the years

38.3 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99538.4 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99637.5 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99736.3 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99836 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99935.5 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00033.2 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00132.4 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00233 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00334.1 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00434.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00536.4 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00636 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00734.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00833 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00932.8 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01033.4 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01133.9 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01233.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01333.1 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01426.1 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01526.7 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01625 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01724.9 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01824.3 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01921.9 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02022.2 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02122.2 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02223.8 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02326.5 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02424 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02540.4 % of GDPSpending · 1,99538.6 % of GDPSpending · 1,99636.1 % of GDPSpending · 1,99734.2 % of GDPSpending · 1,99832.5 % of GDPSpending · 1,99930.6 % of GDPSpending · 2,00032.2 % of GDPSpending · 2,00132.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,00232.7 % of GDPSpending · 2,00332.8 % of GDPSpending · 2,00433 % of GDPSpending · 2,00533.6 % of GDPSpending · 2,00635.7 % of GDPSpending · 2,00741.6 % of GDPSpending · 2,00846.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,00965 % of GDPSpending · 2,01046.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,01142.3 % of GDPSpending · 2,01239.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,01336.6 % of GDPSpending · 2,01428.1 % of GDPSpending · 2,01527.5 % of GDPSpending · 2,01625.3 % of GDPSpending · 2,01724.8 % of GDPSpending · 2,01823.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,01926.8 % of GDPSpending · 2,02023.5 % of GDPSpending · 2,02120.6 % of GDPSpending · 2,02222.4 % of GDPSpending · 2,02322.4 % of GDPSpending · 2,024
Ireland: revenue and spending, 1995–2025
Ireland: revenue and spending, 1995–2025
PeriodRevenue (% of GDP)Spending (% of GDP)
1,99538.340.4
1,99638.438.6
1,99737.536.1
1,99836.334.2
1,9993632.5
2,00035.530.6
2,00133.232.2
2,00232.432.9
2,0033332.7
2,00434.132.8
2,00534.633
2,00636.433.6
2,0073635.7
2,00834.641.6
2,0093346.9
2,01032.865
2,01133.446.9
2,01233.942.3
2,01333.639.9
2,01433.136.6
2,01526.128.1
2,01626.727.5
2,0172525.3
2,01824.924.8
2,01924.323.9
2,02021.926.8
2,02122.223.5
2,02222.220.6
2,02323.822.4
2,02426.522.4
2,02524
Where these figures come from

Series read from Eurostat, government finance statistics (gov_10a_main, gov_10a_exp) on 2026-11-11.

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