Ireland vs Malta: Public sector employment as a share of total employment
Ireland
29.3%
in 2020
Malta
28.6%
in 2020
Ireland rank
9th
Malta rank
12th
Public sector employment as a share of total employment over time
- Ireland
- Malta
How they compare
Ireland currently reports 29.3% against 28.6% in Malta, a difference of 0.7%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 14 shared years of data; in 2007 it was Malta ahead.
Ireland ranks 9th and Malta ranks 12th of 79 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 2 and Malta in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | Malta | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 27.4% | 27.0% | 0.5% | Ireland |
| 2010s | 26.9% | 28.8% | 1.9% | Malta |
| 2020s | 29.3% | 28.6% | 0.7% | Ireland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher public sector employment as a share of total employment, Ireland or Malta?
- Ireland, at 29.3% against 28.6% in Malta as of 2020.
- What is the difference in public sector employment as a share of total employment between Ireland and Malta?
- 0.7%, with Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and Malta?
- 14 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2020.
- How do Ireland and Malta rank globally for public sector employment as a share of total employment?
- Ireland ranks 9th and Malta ranks 12th 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.