Ireland vs United States of America: Government spending by function as a share of GDP
Ireland
7.8%
in 2023
United States of America
7.9%
in 2023
Ireland rank
37th
United States of America rank
36th
Government spending by function as a share of GDP over time
- Ireland
- United States of America
How they compare
United States of America currently reports 7.9% against 7.8% in Ireland, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 17 shared years of data; in 2007 it was Ireland ahead.
Ireland ranks 37th and United States of America ranks 36th of 37 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 2 and United States of America in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.2% | 7.7% | 7.5% | Ireland |
| 2010s | 12.3% | 8.0% | 4.3% | Ireland |
| 2020s | 8.2% | 10.0% | 1.8% | United States of America |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function as a share of gdp, Ireland or United States of America?
- United States of America, at 7.9% against 7.8% in Ireland as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function as a share of gdp between Ireland and United States of America?
- 0.1%, with United States of America ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and United States of America?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do Ireland and United States of America rank globally for government spending by function as a share of gdp?
- Ireland ranks 37th and United States of America ranks 36th of 37 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Government spending by function as a share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.