Almost four in five people in Ireland reported their health as being good or very good in 2023, which was the highest in the EU, according to a new report.
The report on key health trends in Ireland was published by Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill on Monday. It established that 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 by 61.3 per cent to 13,772 between 2015 and 2024.
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The number of nurses and midwives increased by 35 per cent to almost 48,000 over the same period.
The mortality rate from cancer fell by 14.7 per cent between 2014 and 2023, while 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 also been reducing in recent years. The Government funded 77.4 per cent of total health expenditure in Ireland in 2023.
Separately, the European Cancer Inequalities Registry has published data on cancer prevention and care, which shows Ireland had the second highest rate of new cancer diagnoses among EU countries in 2022.
While Ireland’s cancer mortality rate declined significantly between 2011 and 2021, it was still higher than the EU average and the third highest in western Europe.
Furthermore, while Ireland has a higher ratio of physicians and nurses per 1,000 new cancer cases than the EU average, it has a shortage of GPs, radiologists, radiation therapists and other key medical personnel.
The report also found that the supply of diagnostic equipment, such as MRI and CTI scanners, is significantly lower here than the EU average.
Vaping rates among Irish 15-24 year-olds have increased dramatically, from 1 per cent in 2015 to 10 per cent in 2023.
On treatments, Irish patients have access to a narrower range of new oncology medicines than the EU average.
The report also warns that the cost of cancer care in Ireland is set to rise. Per capita health expenditure on cancer care is expected to grow by 80 per cent in Ireland between 2023 and 2050, compared with 59 per cent in the EU.
On the positive side, Ireland outperforms most EU countries in managing key risk factors for cancer, such as tobacco use. Alcohol consumption in Ireland has decreased and is slightly under the EU average.
