General government final consumption expenditure in Ireland
Ireland: General government final consumption expenditure was 11.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
General government final consumption expenditure in Ireland, 1970–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 11.2% for general government final consumption expenditure in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.9% on the previous year and down 7.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, general government final consumption expenditure in Ireland peaked at 22.1% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 11.0%, in 2022.
Ireland ranks 152nd of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 56 years of available data.
General government final consumption expenditure in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 16.3% | — |
| 1971 | 17.0% | +4.1% |
| 1972 | 17.1% | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 17.4% | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 19.1% | +9.7% |
| 1975 | 20.7% | +8.3% |
| 1976 | 20.1% | -3.0% |
| 1977 | 19.0% | -5.4% |
| 1978 | 19.0% | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 20.1% | +5.7% |
| 1980 | 22.1% | +9.9% |
| 1981 | 22.1% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 22.0% | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 21.5% | -2.2% |
| 1984 | 20.8% | -3.3% |
| 1985 | 20.6% | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 20.9% | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 19.7% | -5.6% |
| 1988 | 18.0% | -8.9% |
| 1989 | 16.7% | -7.1% |
| 1990 | 17.2% | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 18.2% | +5.8% |
| 1992 | 18.5% | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 18.3% | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 18.2% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 17.2% | -5.2% |
| 1996 | 16.6% | -3.6% |
| 1997 | 16.1% | -2.9% |
| 1998 | 15.5% | -3.5% |
| 1999 | 15.0% | -3.4% |
| 2000 | 14.7% | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 15.4% | +4.4% |
| 2002 | 15.8% | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 16.1% | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 16.2% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 16.1% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 16.2% | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 16.8% | +3.8% |
| 2008 | 18.7% | +10.7% |
| 2009 | 20.0% | +7.4% |
| 2010 | 18.7% | -6.8% |
| 2011 | 19.0% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 18.1% | -4.5% |
| 2013 | 16.9% | -6.9% |
| 2014 | 16.0% | -5.1% |
| 2015 | 12.1% | -24.2% |
| 2016 | 12.5% | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 11.9% | -4.8% |
| 2018 | 11.8% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 11.8% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 12.6% | +6.7% |
| 2021 | 11.7% | -6.9% |
| 2022 | 11.0% | -6.3% |
| 2023 | 12.1% | +10.2% |
| 2024 | 12.1% | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 11.2% | -6.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.6% | 16.3% | 20.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 20.4% | 16.7% | 22.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.1% | 15.0% | 18.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.6% | 14.7% | 20.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.9% | 11.8% | 19.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.8% | 11.0% | 12.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More economy & growth data for Ireland
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.96 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.52 Percent per annum (2029)
- Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per capita 35,990 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 21.94 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.5939 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per capita 78,151 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), annual growth rate 16.8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.5256 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per capita 69,162 current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 14.64 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is general government final consumption expenditure in Ireland?
- General government final consumption expenditure in Ireland was 11.2% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
- What is the highest general government final consumption expenditure recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 22.1% in 1981.
- What is the lowest general government final consumption expenditure recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.0% in 2022.
- How does Ireland rank for general government final consumption expenditure?
- Ireland ranks 152nd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is general government final consumption expenditure rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs), published as part of General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Final consumption expenditure is expenditure on goods and services by resident institutional units for the direct satisfaction of human needs or wants, whether individual or collective. General government FCE includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees), and most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.