Iceland vs Ireland: Public sector employment as a share of total employment
Iceland
29.9%
in 2013
Ireland
29.3%
in 2020
Iceland rank
8th
Ireland rank
9th
Public sector employment as a share of total employment over time
- Iceland
- Ireland
How they compare
Iceland currently reports 29.9% against 29.3% in Ireland, a difference of 0.6%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 10 shared years of data; in 2004 it was Iceland ahead.
Iceland ranks 8th and Ireland ranks 9th of 79 countries.
Iceland has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 29.8% | 26.9% | 3.0% | Iceland |
| 2010s | 31.3% | 27.3% | 4.0% | Iceland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher public sector employment as a share of total employment, Iceland or Ireland?
- Iceland, at 29.9% against 29.3% in Ireland as of 2013.
- What is the difference in public sector employment as a share of total employment between Iceland and Ireland?
- 0.6%, with Iceland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Ireland?
- 10 years are reported by both, from 2004 to 2013.
- How do Iceland and Ireland rank globally for public sector employment as a share of total employment?
- Iceland ranks 8th and Ireland ranks 9th of 79 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Bank (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Public sector employment as a share of total employment. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of all employed people who are paid employees of the public sector, including government, the armed forces, public services, and state-owned enterprises.