Measuring Ireland's Progress 2023

Ireland: Current public expenditure on health care

• Current public expenditure on health care in Ireland was €24.0bn in 2022, up €1.8bn or 8.2% since 2021 (see Table 5.1).
• As a percentage of Gross National Income (GNI), public health spending decreased from 8.7% in 2012 to 7.4% by 2022, with 2016 having the lowest percentage over the time period at 6.0%.
• As a proportion of Modified GNI (GNI*), public expenditure on health care was 10.3% in 2022, up from 8.3% in 2021.
• Between 2012 and 2022, public health spending per capita at constant 2022 prices rose from €3,396 to €4,623, an increase of 36.1% (see Figure 5.1). During that time period it rose most sharply between 2019 and 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, rising by 13.3%.

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

• In 2022, current health care spending (public and private) in Ireland as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 6.1%. This was the third lowest in the EU27 (see Table 5.2).
• As a percentage of Modified Gross National Income (GNI*), current expenditure on health care in Ireland was 11.6% in 2022.
• Germany had the highest proportion of GDP allocated towards health care in the EU27 in 2022 at 12.6%, while Luxembourg had the lowest at 5.6%.
• Germany had the highest spending per capita on health care in the EU27 in 2022 at €5,317 per person in purchasing power standards. Ireland's spending per capita was the ninth highest at €4,136, above the EU27 average of €3,685 (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 2022, Irish male life expectancy at birth was 80.9 years, which was second highest in the EU27, and 3.0 years higher than the EU27 average of 77.9 years (see Table 5.4).
• Female life expectancy at birth in Ireland was 84.2 years in 2022 which was 0.9 years higher than the EU27 average of 83.3 years, but lower than seven other countries.
• Sweden had the highest male life expectancy in the EU27 in 2022, at 81.4 years, and Latvia had the lowest at 69.4 years. Spain had the highest female life expectancy at 85.9 years, while Bulgaria had the lowest at 77.9 years.
• Women had a higher life expectancy at birth than men in all EU27 countries in 2022. The largest gender differential was Latvia (10.0 years) and the smallest was the Netherlands (2.9 years). Ireland's differential was the second 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 65.2 years in 2022, which was the sixth highest in the EU27 and 2.8 years above the EU27 average of 62.4 years. while Malta was highest at 70.1 years (see Table 5.5 and Map 5.3).
• In 2022, females in Ireland had a healthy life expectancy at birth of 66.8 years. This the sixth highest in the EU27 and 4.0 years higher than the EU27 average of 62.8 years, while Malta was highest at 70.3 years (see Table 5.5 and Map 5.4).
• In 2022, females had a higher healthy life expectancy than males in 19 countries of the EU27, including Ireland where the differential was 1.6 years. Eight countries had a higher healthy life expectancy for males than females.

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

• Males in Ireland in 2022 could expect to live 65.2 healthy life years, and 15.7 years in poor health, out of a total life expectancy of 80.9 years. This is equivalent to a proportion of life expectancy in poor health of 19.4% (see Table 5.6).
• Of the EU27 countries, Ireland had the 12th lowest proportion of male life expectancy in poor health. The countries with the lowest proportion of life expectancy in poor health were Bulgaria (8.6%), Malta (12.8%) and Greece (15.5%).
• The EU27 average for male healthy life years in 2022 was 62.4 years, while the average expected number of years in poor health was 15.5 years. The average proportion of male life expectancy in poor health was 19.9%.
• Denmark had the highest proportion of male life expectancy in poor health in the EU27 in 2022, at 28.2%.

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

• In 2022, females in Ireland could expect to experience 66.8 healthy life years and 17.4 years in poor health, out of a total life expectancy of 84.2 years (see Table 5.7).
• In the EU27, Ireland had the eighth lowest proportion of life expectancy in poor health for females in 2022 at 20.7%. Bulgaria had the lowest proportion of life expectancy in poor health (11.6%), followed by Malta (16.9%).
• The EU27 average for female healthy life expectancy in 2022 was 62.8 years, while the number of years in poor health was 20.5 years. The average proportion of female life expectancy in poor health was 24.6%.
• Denmark had the highest proportion of female life expectancy in poor health at 34.4%, followed by Finland at 32.6%.