The Health In Ireland Key Trends 2024 report was published recently by the Department of Health, illustrating the significant improvements in health outcomes in the past decade, and highlighting some of the challenges in the access of timely and efficient healthcare.
Highlights from the publication, which covers demographics, population health, hospital and primary care, health sector employment and expenditure, include:
- The number of people in Ireland who reported their health as being good or very good (79.5 per cent) in 2023 was the highest in the EU, well above the EU average of 67.7 per cent. Ireland also had the highest rate of self-perceived good health in 2022.
- Life expectancy in Ireland is fifth-highest in the EU, at 82.6 years.
- The population has grown by 14.8 per cent since 2015, with the over-65s group increasing by 36.5 per cent between 2015 and 2024.
- The total number of consultant and non-consultant hospital doctors employed in the public health service in Ireland increased to 13,772 (61.3 per cent increase) between 2015 and 2024.
- The number of nurses and midwives increased to almost 48,000 (34.9 per cent increase) between 2015 and 2024.
- Between 2014 and 2023, the mortality rate from cancer fell by 14.7 per cent, the mortality rate from circulatory system diseases fell by 19.5 per cent, the mortality rate for ischaemic heart disease fell by 27.7 per cent and the mortality rate from respiratory system diseases fell by 15.4 per cent.
- The proportion of total health expenditure paid for either out-of-pocket or through private health insurance has been reducing in recent years; the Government funded 77.4 per cent of total health expenditure in Ireland in 2023.
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said: “Our population is growing, and we are living longer healthier lives. With our average life expectancy now at 82.6 years, the fifth highest in the EU, we need to continue to focus on the future demands for health care.
“The Key Trends report shows our health service is one that continues to deliver better results for the people of Ireland, in some cases among the best in Europe.
“… The information contained in Key Trends is very useful in helping us to monitor the impact of our policies which protect and promote the health of the nation, as well as to keep focused on making improvements as we plan for the future.”
