The Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD recently highlighted that Ireland has retained its position as the EU country with the highest self-reported rate of good health.
Data in the latest State of Health in the EU Country Health Profiles shows that four-in-five (80 per cent) Irish adults rated their health as ‘good’ or ‘very good’ in 2024. This is the highest proportion in the European Union, and maintains the high rate recorded in 2023.
Country-specific profiles, published by the OECD and European Observatory in co-operation with the European Commission, provide an overview of health and health systems in the EU/European Economic Area, and highlight areas of strong performance as well as challenges.
Minister Carroll MacNeill said: “Our health service strives to provide quality care that enables people to live not just longer, but better. Life expectancy in Ireland is now 1.5 years above the EU average, at 82.9 years, and it’s reassuring to see that the vast majority of adults rate their health as good or very good, the highest rate in the EU.
“This and other data contained in Ireland’s Country Health Profile provide very valuable insights into the effectiveness and accessibility of our healthcare services and help to inform future policy.”
Highlights in Ireland’s country health profile include:
- Life expectancy at birth was 82.9 years in 2023, 1.5 years above the EU average.
- Daily smoking prevalence in Ireland fell to 14 per cent in 2022, well below the EU average of 19 per cent, reflecting the impact of sustained tobacco control policies.
- Ireland’s health spending per capita is 17 per cent above the EU average (2023).
- Ireland’s avoidable mortality rate is 21 per cent lower than the EU average, and 30-day survival after heart attacks and strokes exceeds EU levels.
- Cancer survival rates in Ireland have improved across all cancer types in the last decade.
- Retail pharmaceutical spending in Ireland is 7 per cent below the EU average in 2023.
Challenges in Ireland’s health performance are also noted. Inpatient care accounted for 35 per cent of health expenditure in 2023, above the EU average of 28 per cent, underscoring the challenges facing Sláintecare’s ambition to shift care demand toward strengthened primary and community settings.
In 2024, 5 per cent of adults in Ireland reported unmet needs for primary care, above the EU average of 3 per cent. The report also highlighted delays in access to new medicines, due to protracted Health Technology Assessment processes and pricing processes.
Minister Carroll MacNeill said: “We want to provide timely, quality care as close to home as possible, which is why we are investing in and expanding our prevention and primary care services.
“We have driven significant progress in recent years… These developments are the foundations of a larger, better equipped health service that can meet the needs of our growing and ageing population.”
This year’s Country Health Profile also notes a rise in the number of young people using e-cigarettes. In 2022, 19 per cent of adults in Ireland were classified as having obesity, four percentage points higher than 2017 (15 per cent) and also above the EU average of 15 per cent.
Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Jennifer
Murnane O’Connor said: “While I welcome the recorded reduction in smoking rates, the increase in vaping continues to be a concern, one which we are proactively tackling.
“We have already banned the sale of vapes to under 18s and work is underway to ban single-use vapes as well as restricting the flavours and packaging of the remaining products. The HSE has also launched a vaping prevention information campaign, aimed at helping parents to support their children to avoid vaping.
“Ireland has long been a world leader in tobacco control and I look forward to seeing the impact of our current policy measures reflected in future Country Health Profiles.”
She added that she was “concerned that our obesity levels remain higher than the EU average, particularly given that obesity leads to a significant burden on health services”.
