Public healthcare spending as a share of GDP in Ireland
Ireland: Public healthcare spending as a share of GDP was 5.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Public healthcare spending as a share of GDP in Ireland, 2000–2023
Source: Global Health Expenditure Database, WHO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 5.0% for public healthcare spending as a share of gdp in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.3% on the previous year and down 29.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, public healthcare spending as a share of gdp in Ireland peaked at 8.1% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 4.6%, in 2000.
Ireland ranks 51st of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Public healthcare spending as a share of GDP in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 4.6% | — |
| 2001 | 5.0% | +9.7% |
| 2002 | 5.3% | +5.1% |
| 2003 | 5.5% | +4.7% |
| 2004 | 5.7% | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 6.0% | +5.8% |
| 2006 | 5.8% | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 6.2% | +5.8% |
| 2008 | 7.2% | +17.0% |
| 2009 | 8.1% | +12.0% |
| 2010 | 8.0% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 7.6% | -5.6% |
| 2012 | 7.6% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 7.1% | -5.8% |
| 2014 | 6.6% | -7.7% |
| 2015 | 5.1% | -22.8% |
| 2016 | 5.3% | +4.2% |
| 2017 | 5.0% | -5.2% |
| 2018 | 5.0% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 4.9% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 5.4% | +10.8% |
| 2021 | 4.9% | -8.7% |
| 2022 | 4.6% | -6.7% |
| 2023 | 5.0% | +9.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.9% | 4.6% | 8.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.2% | 4.9% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.0% | 4.6% | 5.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More health data for Ireland
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -4.76 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.89 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,122 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 20 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate -0.8894 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.0884 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate -0.8627 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.0926 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is public healthcare spending as a share of gdp in Ireland?
- Public healthcare spending as a share of gdp in Ireland was 5.0% in 2023, according to Global Health Expenditure Database, WHO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest public healthcare spending as a share of gdp recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 8.1% in 2009.
- What is the lowest public healthcare spending as a share of gdp recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.6% in 2000.
- How does Ireland rank for public healthcare spending as a share of gdp?
- Ireland ranks 51st out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is public healthcare spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Global Health Expenditure Database, WHO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Public healthcare spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Domestic general government expenditure on health from domestic sources, expressed as a share of GDP.