More than half (53.2%) of people described their general health as ‘very good’ in 2022, while 1.7% said it was ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’. Rural areas with high urban influence had the highest rates with ‘very good’ health at 58.4% and the lowest rate of ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’ health at 1.4%. The lowest rates with ‘very good’ health were in Independent urban towns at 48.5% while these areas also had the highest proportion with ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’ health at 2.2%.
| Date | Very bad | Bad | Fair | Good | Very Good | Not Stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cities | 0.3 | 1.5 | 8.4 | 28.5 | 51.6 | 9.7 |
| Satellite urban towns | 0.3 | 1.2 | 7.6 | 29.5 | 56.6 | 4.8 |
| Independent urban towns | 0.4 | 1.8 | 10.3 | 31.5 | 48.5 | 7.5 |
| Rural areas with high urban influence | 0.3 | 1.1 | 7.5 | 28.6 | 58.4 | 4.2 |
| Rural areas with moderate urban influence | 0.3 | 1.2 | 8.7 | 30.3 | 55.5 | 4 |
| Highly rural/remote areas | 0.4 | 1.5 | 10.4 | 31.7 | 51.2 | 4.8 |
| State | 0.3 | 1.4 | 8.7 | 29.7 | 53.2 | 6.7 |
The proportion of the population with a disability/difficulty to any extent was 21.6% in Ireland in 2022. This varied from 23.8% in Independent urban towns to 19.7% in Rural areas with high urban influence, see Table 6.2.
Of the 1,099,163 experiencing a long-lasting condition or difficulty to any extent, 404,625, or 37%, were experiencing one to a great extent. Across the six area types, the proportion of people experiencing a disability/difficulty to a great extent ranged from 6.9% in Rural areas with high urban influence to 9.7% of those in Independent urban towns.
Looking again at those experiencing a long-lasting condition or difficulty to a great extent, there were more females than males across each of the six area types, see Table 6.2 and Figure 6.2.
| Type of urban or rural area | Female (Some extent) | Male (Some extent) | Female (Great extent) | Male (Great extent) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | 12.9 | 15 | 7 | 8.8 |
| Cities | 12.5 | 14.2 | 6.5 | 7.7 |
| Satellite urban towns | 13.1 | 15.2 | 8.9 | 10.5 |
| Independent urban towns | 13.1 | 12.6 | 6.7 | 7 |
| Rural areas with high urban influence | 13.7 | 13.1 | 7.4 | 7.6 |
| Rural areas with moderate urban influence | 14.3 | 14 | 8.5 | 8.9 |
| Highly rural/remote areas | 13.1 | 14.2 | 7.4 | 8.5 |
Of those experiencing a disability or difficulty to a great extent, 'Difficulty working at a job or business or attending school or college' was the most common, at 43.6%. It was also the most common disability or difficulty to a great extent across all six area types, see Table 6.4 for more details.
Independent urban towns had the highest proportion of medical card holders in 2022, at 41.5%, followed closely by Highly rural/remote areas at 40.2%. Rural areas with high urban influence had the lowest proportion at 25.9%, while the State average was 31.8%, see Table 6.5 and Figure 6.3. Note that Medical Card Holders included anyone (excluding GP Visit Card Holders) eligible under the General Medical Services Scheme on Census Night 2022, see Background Notes for further details.
| Type of urban or rural area | Proportion of persons holding a medical card (%) |
|---|---|
| State | 31.8 |
| Cities | 29.4 |
| Satellite urban towns | 26.5 |
| Independent urban towns | 41.5 |
| Rural areas with high urban influence | 25.9 |
| Rural areas with moderate urban influence | 32.1 |
| Highly rural/remote areas | 40.2 |
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