Ireland vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Public sector employment as a share of total employment
Ireland
29.3%
in 2020
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
28.9%
in 2018
Ireland rank
9th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
11th
Public sector employment as a share of total employment over time
- Ireland
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
Ireland currently reports 29.3% against 28.9% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a difference of 0.4%.
Across all 14 years both countries report, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been ahead every year.
Ireland ranks 9th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 11th of 79 countries.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 27.0% | 31.5% | 4.4% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2010s | 26.8% | 28.8% | 2.0% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Ireland, at 29.3% against 28.9% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 2020.
- What is the difference in public sector employment as a share of total employment between Ireland and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 0.4%, with Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 14 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2018.
- How do Ireland and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for public sector employment as a share of total employment?
- Ireland ranks 9th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 11th 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.