Canada vs Ireland: Central government spending as share of GDP
Canada
19.1%
in 2023
Ireland
19.2%
in 2022
Canada rank
115th
Ireland rank
114th
Central government spending as share of GDP over time
- Canada
- Ireland
How they compare
Ireland currently reports 19.2% against 19.1% in Canada, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Ireland ahead.
Canada ranks 115th and Ireland ranks 114th of 157 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Canada averaged higher in 1 and Ireland in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Canada | Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 23.0% | 35.1% | 12.1% | Ireland |
| 2000s | 17.9% | 32.0% | 14.1% | Ireland |
| 2010s | 17.6% | 34.0% | 16.4% | Ireland |
| 2020s | 23.1% | 22.2% | 0.9% | Canada |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher central government spending as share of gdp, Canada or Ireland?
- Ireland, at 19.2% against 19.1% in Canada as of 2022.
- What is the difference in central government spending as share of gdp between Canada and Ireland?
- 0.1%, with Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and Ireland?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2022.
- How do Canada and Ireland rank globally for central government spending as share of gdp?
- Canada ranks 115th and Ireland ranks 114th of 157 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Central government spending as share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Central government expense (cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services), as share of GDP. It excludes capital investment, such as infrastructure or equipment.