New data from the OECD shows that Ireland spends less on education per student than the average, with the report showing government expenditure lower at lower secondary level than at primary level.
The OECD findings come as PISA results released earlier this month for 2025 show that Ireland’s average scores in reading and mathematics have declined – and the national curriculum body, NCCA, under fire from experts regarding changes to the Leaving Certificate.
Looking at financial resources invested in education, the Education at a Glance 2026 report says that on average across the OECD expenditure per student from primary to tertiary education was USD 13 601 in 2023, while in Ireland it was USD 13 113.
While the expenditure at primary level was almost at the average OECD spend, it was notably lower for secondary school funding.
“Government expenditure on education tends to rise with the level of education,” the report said. “In primary education, expenditure per student was USD 12 943 in 2023 in Ireland and USD 12 893 on average across the OECD.”
“In lower secondary education, it was USD 12 699 in Ireland and USD 14 291 on average across the OECD. Thus, Ireland is among the few OECD countries where expenditure is lower at lower secondary level than at primary level.”
The OECD report also noted that expenditure in primary schools is 100% “dedicated to staff compensation” compared to a 79% average across the comparative countries.
“Expenditure can be divided into capital and current expenditure: the former finances investment in assets such as infrastructure, while the latter covers regular operating costs. Current expenditure can be further broken down into staff compensation and other current expenditure, such as purchases of goods and services and routine maintenance,” the report noted.
“In Ireland, 100% of current expenditure in primary educational institutions is dedicated to staff compensation compared to 79% on average across the OECD, while the remainder is dedicated to other current expenditure.”
On average across the OECD, government expenditure per student is the highest at bachelor’s and above levels despite being the levels where government expenditure accounts for the smallest share of total expenditure. Ireland is among the countries where government expenditure constitutes a smaller share of total expenditure compared to the OECD average.
Government expenditure per student was USD 14 799 in 2023, corresponding to 58% of total expenditure at bachelor’s and above levels. In comparison, average government expenditure per student across the OECD was USD 16 405, amounting to 68% of total expenditure.
NUMBER OF CHILDREN WILL DECREASE
It also noted that the number of children aged 5-14 in Ireland is projected to decrease by 17% between 2024 and 2033, pointing to lower demand for teachers if other policies remain unchanged.
On teacher ratios, the OECD report said that in Ireland, the number of children enrolled in pre-primary education had decreased by 18% between 2015 and 2024, while the number of pre-primary teachers increased by 3%, resulting in a 20% decrease of the child-to-teacher ratio.
Women form the majority of teachers at all levels of education except tertiary, the report also found. Teachers in pre-primary education are almost entirely women with 96% of teachers being female on average across the OECD. The share of women among pre-primary teachers in Ireland is even higher at 97%.
Across the OECD, women are more strongly represented among teachers than among school management staff. In primary education, women in Ireland accounted for 84% of teachers and 62% of school management staff in 2024, a gap of 22 percentage points. This gap was larger than the OECD average of 15 percentage points.
The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) is an international group of 38 democratic countries with market-based economies that work together to promote economic growth and trade. The 38 full member countries are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, United Kingdom, and United States.