Ireland’s current expenditure on health care was €22.5bn in 2018, 6.9% of GDP and 11.4% of GNI*. Health expenditure increased by 6% between 2017 and 2018 and by 19% between 2014 and 2018, (Table 1.1).
The System of Health Accounts measures the current expenditure on health care for residents of Ireland. A number of classifications are used which are explained in the Background Notes.
| Table 1.1: Current Health Expenditure in Ireland, 2014 to 2018 | |||
| €million | % of GDP | % of GNI* | |
| Year | Current Health Expenditure | ||
| 2014 | 18,850 | 11.5 | 15.1 |
| 2015 | 19,232 | 8.5 | 13.8 |
| 2016 | 20,143 | 8.3 | 12.8 |
| 2017 | 21,259 | 7.6 | 12.2 |
| 2018 | 22,452 | 6.9 | 11.4 |
The System of Health Accounts examines current spending on healthcare for consumption purposes. However, to give the overall health spending more context Figure 1.1 shows both current and capital health spending since 2000, with a break in the series in 2011, (see Background Notes). Current expenditure accounted for €95 and capital spending was €5 out of every €100 spent in 2018. Between 2011 and 2018 current expenditure on healthcare increased by 23% while capital spending rose by 70%, (see Table 1.2).
Current health expenditure in Ireland was 13.1% of GDP in 2011, higher than the OECD average of 8.7%. This pattern continued until 2015, when a large increase in GDP led to the ratio in Ireland dropping to 8.5%, below the OECD average of 8.8%, (see Figure 1.2).
As GNI* excludes globalisation effects, which disproportionally impact the measurement of the size of the Irish economy), it may be a more appropriate indicator to use. Current health expenditure in Ireland, as a % of GNI*, was 11.4% in 2018.
| Total Health Care Expenditure | Capital Expenditure | Current Expenditure | |
| 2000 | 6.92175232686613 | 0.521585032507154 | 6.40016729435898 |
| 2001 | 8.53180886877449 | 0.727265464877989 | 7.8045434038965 |
| 2002 | 9.8962979284674 | 0.821661173997352 | 9.07463675447005 |
| 2003 | 10.9502528018978 | 0.748789008511227 | 10.2014637933866 |
| 2004 | 12.1998044899761 | 0.918258199367311 | 11.2815462906088 |
| 2005 | 13.6808559891815 | 0.665283652984776 | 13.0155723361967 |
| 2006 | 14.4378262794809 | 0.538652991834767 | 13.8991732876462 |
| 2007 | 16.2632608595315 | 0.876599739853958 | 15.3866611196776 |
| 2008 | 17.8979569498856 | 0.807171633577503 | 17.0907853163081 |
| 2009 | 18.508938227549 | 0.670789731730698 | 17.8381484958183 |
| 2010 | 18.1989739479447 | 0.582628664268421 | 17.6163452836763 |
| 2011 | 18.9967941537155 | 0.7154103892484 | 18.2813837644671 |
| 2012 | 19.211219369504 | 0.5098823121393 | 18.7013370573647 |
| 2013 | 19.4025106620809 | 0.8970053371051 | 18.5055053249758 |
| 2014 | 19.7279430595156 | 0.8777219360024 | 18.8502211235132 |
| 2015 | 20.2742040769639 | 1.0422538198817 | 19.2319502570822 |
| 2016 | 21.2989346343412 | 1.1557393214419 | 20.1431953128993 |
| 2017 | 22.3696038299446 | 1.1103415532391 | 21.2592622767055 |
| 2018 | 23.6646354402628 | 1.2129895339309 | 22.4516459063319 |
Please note: There is a break in the series in 2011.
| Current Expenditure % GDP, Ireland | Current Expenditure % GNI*, Ireland | Current Expenditure % GDP, OECD Average (adjusted) | |
| 2000 | 5.90639285193704 | 6.77854571623947 | 7.2498656357818 |
| 2001 | 6.40278227945534 | 7.502637279759 | 7.50368637450284 |
| 2002 | 6.67517746345612 | 7.98261501976606 | 7.74853027001789 |
| 2003 | 6.99784867155068 | 8.16352212908244 | 8.00322882478371 |
| 2004 | 7.22361072803041 | 8.41755677386794 | 8.03553801340461 |
| 2005 | 7.65720995434511 | 8.91099145307933 | 7.96486111111111 |
| 2006 | 7.51619500421591 | 8.66510391738746 | 7.90497222222222 |
| 2007 | 7.80834751879056 | 9.12705380713213 | 7.87927777777778 |
| 2008 | 9.11280122652353 | 10.6570962875276 | 8.16136111111111 |
| 2009 | 10.5282051181703 | 12.8812036913233 | 8.82905555555555 |
| 2010 | 10.6022287858329 | 13.2824233641785 | 8.71911111111111 |
| 2011 | 13.1429148025445 | 17.7683392238986 | 8.6695 |
| 2012 | 12.8210384298363 | 17.7486064666111 | 8.74277777777778 |
| 2013 | 12.4966541710928 | 16.3929501673539 | 8.78444444444445 |
| 2014 | 11.5244086026036 | 15.0947684029007 | 8.76441666666667 |
| 2015 | 8.54215802793693 | 13.8031241709219 | 8.77486111111112 |
| 2016 | 8.26389389121412 | 12.7834437145301 | 8.85166666666667 |
| 2017 | 7.55614802699124 | 12.2049527875152 | 8.8065 |
| 2018 | 6.92870367133424 | 11.3702271010719 | 8.79730555555556 |
Please note: There is a break in the series in 2011.
| Table 1.2: Revised Health Care Expenditure in Ireland, 2011 to 2018 | |||||||||
| €million | |||||||||
| 2011 1 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | ||
| Total Health Care Expenditure (€m) | 18,997 | 19,211 | 19,403 | 19,728 | 20,274 | 21,299 | 22,370 | 23,665 | |
| Capital Expenditure (€m)2 | 715 | 510 | 897 | 878 | 1,042 | 1,156 | 1,110 | 1,213 | |
| Current Expenditure (€m) | 18,281 | 18,701 | 18,506 | 18,850 | 19,232 | 20,143 | 21,259 | 22,452 | |
| Current Public Expenditure (€m) | 13,232 | 13,487 | 13,173 | 13,387 | 13,855 | 14,592 | 15,474 | 16,590 | |
| Current Private Expenditure (€m) | 5,049 | 5,214 | 5,332 | 5,464 | 5,377 | 5,551 | 5,785 | 5,862 | |
| Current Expenditure: | % | ||||||||
| % GDP, Ireland | 13.1 | 12.8 | 12.5 | 11.5 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 7.6 | 6.9 | |
| % GNI*, Ireland | 17.8 | 17.7 | 16.4 | 15.1 | 13.8 | 12.8 | 12.2 | 11.4 | |
| % GDP, OECD Average (adjusted)3 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.8 | |
| 1 Break in series | |||||||||
| 2 Sourced from CSO National Accounts data | |||||||||
| 3 OECD Average recalculated with revised Irish data and latest GDP estimates | |||||||||
Next Chapter >> Financing Schemes of Health Care Services
