Ireland vs South Korea: Government spending as share of GDP vs. GDP per capita
Ireland
22.3%
in 2024
South Korea
22.5%
in 2024
Ireland rank
110th
South Korea rank
108th
Government spending as share of GDP vs. GDP per capita over time
- Ireland
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 22.5% against 22.3% in Ireland, a difference of 0.2%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 72 shared years of data; in 1953 it was Ireland ahead.
Ireland ranks 110th and South Korea ranks 108th of 151 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 7 and South Korea in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 25.5% | 19.3% | 6.2% | Ireland |
| 1960s | 35.5% | 17.3% | 18.2% | Ireland |
| 1970s | 45.1% | 17.0% | 28.1% | Ireland |
| 1980s | 52.1% | 15.6% | 36.5% | Ireland |
| 1990s | 40.6% | 15.0% | 25.6% | Ireland |
| 2000s | 36.1% | 18.0% | 18.1% | Ireland |
| 2010s | 36.2% | 18.9% | 17.3% | Ireland |
| 2020s | 23.1% | 24.0% | 0.9% | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita, Ireland or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 22.5% against 22.3% in Ireland as of 2024.
- What is the difference in government spending as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita between Ireland and South Korea?
- 0.2%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and South Korea?
- 72 years are reported by both, from 1953 to 2024.
- How do Ireland and South Korea rank globally for government spending as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita?
- Ireland ranks 110th and South Korea ranks 108th of 151 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Government spending as share of GDP vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Sum of all the money spent by the government on goods and services, as a percentage of GDP. It includes interest paid on government debt.