Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Ireland
Ireland: Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits was 1.3% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Ireland, 1980–2021
Source: OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Ireland is 1.3%, measured in 2021.
That represents a change of down 11.7% on the previous year and down 58.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Ireland peaked at 3.7% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 1980.
Ireland ranks 35th of 41 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1.1% | — |
| 1981 | 1.1% | +7.9% |
| 1982 | 1.4% | +24.6% |
| 1983 | 1.4% | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 1.4% | -2.9% |
| 1985 | 1.4% | -1.8% |
| 1986 | 1.5% | +10.7% |
| 1987 | 1.5% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 1.4% | -6.0% |
| 1989 | 1.3% | -7.6% |
| 1990 | 1.9% | +42.9% |
| 1991 | 2.0% | +5.3% |
| 1992 | 2.1% | +4.0% |
| 1993 | 2.1% | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 2.1% | +3.3% |
| 1995 | 2.1% | -3.0% |
| 1996 | 2.2% | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 2.1% | -4.3% |
| 1998 | 2.1% | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 2.1% | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 1.9% | -5.0% |
| 2001 | 2.2% | +12.4% |
| 2002 | 2.5% | +16.1% |
| 2003 | 2.7% | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 2.6% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 2.6% | -3.1% |
| 2006 | 2.6% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 2.7% | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 3.2% | +17.7% |
| 2009 | 3.7% | +15.8% |
| 2010 | 3.4% | -7.0% |
| 2011 | 3.2% | -6.6% |
| 2012 | 3.1% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 2.9% | -8.5% |
| 2014 | 2.6% | -10.0% |
| 2015 | 1.9% | -25.6% |
| 2016 | 1.9% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 1.8% | -8.0% |
| 2018 | 1.7% | -4.8% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | -5.3% |
| 2020 | 1.5% | -6.1% |
| 2021 | 1.3% | -11.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.1% | 1.9% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.7% | 1.9% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.4% | 1.6% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More work & labour data for Ireland
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.4574 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4405 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.9335 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 4,354 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,447 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,638 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,649 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,286 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Ireland?
- Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Ireland was 1.3% in 2021, according to OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment vs. public spending on family benefits recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 2009.
- What is the lowest female employment vs. public spending on family benefits recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 1980.
- How does Ireland rank for female employment vs. public spending on family benefits?
- Ireland ranks 35th out of 41 countries with data for 2021.
- Is female employment vs. public spending on family benefits rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 58.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Public social expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage. Includes both in-cash and in-kind benefits in family programs.