Measuring Ireland's Progress 2026

Ireland: Current public expenditure on health care

• Current public expenditure on health care in Ireland was €28.2bn in 2024, up €2.5bn or 9.5% since 2023 (see Table 5.1).
• As a percentage of Gross National Income (GNI), public health spending decreased from 7.8% in 2014 to 6.6% by 2024, with 2017 having the lowest percentage over the time period at 6.4%.
• As a proportion of Modified GNI (GNI*), public expenditure on health care was 8.8% in 2024, down from 8.9% in 2023.
• Between 2014 and 2024, public health spending per capita at constant 2024 prices rose from €3,666 to €5,245, an increase of 43.1% (see Figure 5.1). During that time period it rose most sharply between 2019 and 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, rising by 13.6%.

By country: Current expenditure on health as a percentage of GDP

• In 2024, current health care spending (public and private) in Ireland as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 6.4%. This was the third lowest, along with Hungary, among EU27 countries for which data was available (see Table 5.2).
• As a percentage of Modified Gross National Income (GNI*), current expenditure on health care in Ireland was 11.3% in 2024.
• Germany had the highest proportion of GDP allocated towards health care in the EU27 in 2024 at 12.2%, while Luxembourg had the lowest at 5.7%.
• Germany had the highest health care spending per capita in the EU27 in 2024, at €5,791 per person in purchasing power standards. Ireland’s spending per capita was the seventh highest, at €4,773, among EU27 countries for which data was available (see Figure 5.2).

Ireland: Life expectancy at birth and at age 65 by sex

• Life expectancy at birth for males in 2016 was 79.6 years in Ireland, an increase of 22.2 years since 1926 (see Table 5.3).
• For females, life expectancy at birth in 2016 was 83.4 years, a rise of 25.5 years since 1926.
• In 1926, life expectancy for females was higher than for males by 0.5 years. This gender gap widened to 5.7 years in 1986, but narrowed to 3.8 years by 2016.
• A 65-year-old man in 2016 could expect to live for another 18.3 years compared to 21.0 years for a 65-year-old woman, resulting in a gender differential of 2.7 years. The gender differential at age 65 peaked at 3.7 years in 1991.

By country: Life expectancy at birth by sex

• In 2024, Irish male life expectancy at birth was 81.4 years, which was the fourth highest in the EU27 (tied with Spain), and 2.5 years higher than the EU27 average of 78.9 years (see Table 5.4). Sweden had the highest male life expectancy in the EU27 in 2024, at 82.3 years, while Latvia had the lowest at 71.4 years.
• Female life expectancy at birth in Ireland was 84.7 years in 2024 which was 0.6 years higher than the EU27 average of 84.1 years, but lower than nine other EU countries. Spain had the highest female life expectancy at 86.5 years, while Bulgaria had the lowest at 79.5 years.
• Women had a higher life expectancy at birth than men in all EU27 countries in 2024. The largest gender differential was Latvia (9.8 years) and the smallest was the Netherlands (2.8 years). Ireland’s differential was the third smallest at 3.3 years.

By country: Healthy life years at birth by sex

• Healthy life expectancy is the number of years a person can expect to live in a healthy state. It is calculated using mortality data and self-perceived health-related limitations to activity (see Background Notes).
• Males in Ireland had a healthy life expectancy of 66.6 years in 2024, the seventh highest in the EU27 (of countries whose data was available) and 1.8 years above the EU27 average of 64.8 years. Italy recorded the highest healthy life expectancy for males at 72.9 years (see Table 5.5 and Map 5.3).
• In 2024, females in Ireland had a healthy life expectancy at birth of 67.3 years. This is the seventh highest in the EU27 and 1.8 years higher than the EU27 average of 65.5 years, while Italy was highest at 73.8 years (see Table 5.5 and Map 5.4).
• In 2024, females had a higher healthy life expectancy than males in eighteen of the EU27 countries, including Ireland, where the differential was 0.7 years. In seven countries, males had a higher healthy life expectancy than females. The healthy life expectancy in Spain was the same for males and females at 68.6 years.

By country: Proportion of life expectancy in poor health for males

• Males in Ireland in 2024 could expect to live 66.6 healthy life years, and 14.8 years in poor health, out of a total life expectancy of 81.4 years. This is equivalent to a proportion of life expectancy in poor health of 18.2% (see Table 5.6). 
• Of the EU27 countries (of which data available), Ireland had the 14th lowest proportion of male life expectancy in poor health. The countries with the lowest proportion of life expectancy in poor health were Bulgaria (7.5%), Italy (10.7%) and Romania (12.1%).
• The EU27 average for male healthy life years in 2024 was 64.8 years, while the average expected number of years in poor health was 14.1 years. This corresponds to an average of 17.9% of male life expectancy being spent in poor health. The proportion of male life expectancy spent in poor health in Ireland is 0.3 percentage points higher than the EU27 average.
• Latvia had the highest proportion of male life expectancy in poor health in the EU27 in 2024, at 28.4%.

By country: Proportion of life expectancy in poor health for females

• In 2024, females in Ireland could expect to experience 67.3 healthy life years and 17.4 years in poor health, out of a total life expectancy of 84.7 years (see Table 5.7).
• Among the EU27 countries (of which data was available), Ireland had the tenth-lowest proportion of life expectancy in poor health for females in 2024 at 20.5%. Bulgaria had the lowest proportion of life expectancy in poor health (10.2%), followed by Italy (13.9%) and Greece (16.1%). While Bulgaria also has the lowest female life expectancy in the EU27 (79.5 years), Italy is among the countries with the highest female life expectancy (85.7 years). Greece has a female life expectancy of 84.4 years.
• The EU27 average for female healthy life expectancy in 2024 was 65.5 years, while the number of years in poor health was 18.6 years. The average proportion of female life expectancy in poor health was 22.1%. In comparison, the proportion of female life expectancy spent in poor health is 1.6 percentage points lower that the EU27 average.
• Finland had the highest proportion of female life expectancy spent in poor health at 33.7%, among the EU27 countries for which data was available.