SDG 3.4.1 Mortality Rate Attributed to Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, Diabetes or Chronic Respiratory Disease was published by the CSO, Vital Statistics.
The standardised death rate from neoplasms per 1,000 population rose from 1.83 to 1.93 between 2010 and 2018. Over this time period, the death rate from diseases of the circulatory system fell from 2.11 to 1.88. The death rate for diseases of the respiratory system rose from 0.72 to 0.87 between 2010 and 2018, while the rate for external causes of injury and poisoning fell from 0.36 to 0.28. See Table 3.1 and Figure 3.1.
| SDG 3.4.1 Mortality by Cause of Death, 2018 | |
| Mental Disorders | 6.3 |
| Digestive System | 3.5 |
| Other | 8 |
| Nervous System | 5.3 |
| Neoplasms | 30.3 |
| Respiratory System | 13.4 |
| Injury/ poison | 4.3 |
| Circulatory System | 28.7 |
There were 15,967 male deaths and 15,149 female deaths in 2018. The rate of death per 1,000 population was 6.8 for males compared with 6.3 for females. The largest number of deaths for males were Neoplasms at 5,025 followed by diseases of the circulatory system at 4,720. See Table 3.2.
The number of deaths from diabetes rose from 514 in 2010 to 564 in 2017, an increase of 10%. Men were more likely to die from diabetes. Of the 564 deaths in 2017, 57% were male. Unspecified diabetes accounted for 305 of the 564 deaths in 2017, while non-insulin dependent diabetes accounted for 231 deaths. See Table 3.3.
There were 564 deaths from diabetes in 2017. More than 90% of diabetes deaths were to people over 65 years. Only 43 people who died from diabetes were aged under 65 years while 195 were aged 85 years or over. See Table 3.4 and Figure 3.2.
| X-axis label | Under 65 Years | 65 - 69 Years | 70 - 74 Years | 75 - 79 Years | 80 - 84 Years | 85 Years and Over |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E10 Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
| E11 Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus | 9 | 14 | 21 | 44 | 62 | 81 |
| E14 Unspecified Diabetes Mellitus | 27 | 23 | 40 | 42 | 67 | 106 |
SDG 3.4.2 Suicide Mortality Rate was published by the CSO, Vital Statistics.
The number of suicides dropped from 495 to 352 between 2010 and 2018. Four in five deaths from suicide were male in 2018. The standardised mortality rate from suicide dropped from 10.9 to 8.3 between 2010 and 2017. For males, the standardised mortality rate from suicide fell from 20.5 to 13.8 over this time period, while the rate for females from 4.1 to 3.1. See Table 3.5 and Figure 3.3.
Data for Suicide by Area of Residence, Statistical Indicator and Age is also available on the CSO Statbank.
| X-axis label | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Both Sexes | 10.6 | 10.5 | 9.1 | 9.2 | 8 | 7.2 |
| Male | 17.2 | 17.5 | 14.5 | 14.9 | 13.1 | 11.7 |
| Female | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3 | 2.9 |
Four out of five people who committed suicide in 2018 were male. There were 352 deaths by suicide in 2018 and 282 were male. One in five deaths from suicide were aged 25-34 years, another one in five was aged 35-44 years while a further one in five was aged 45-54 years. In 2018 there were 45 deaths by suicide for people aged 15-24 years and two deaths for persons aged between 5-14 years. There were very few suicides in the very young and very old age groups. Only 1% of suicides in 2018 were aged between 5-14 years or over 85 years. See Table 3.6.
SDG 3.5.1 Coverage of Treatment Interventions (Pharmacological, Psychosocial and Rehabilitation and Aftercare Services) for Substance Use Disorders was published by the Health Research Board, National Drugs Library.
There were 10,274 treatment interventions for substance use disorders involving drugs in 2018, a 17% increase from 8,806 in 2010. About three in four (74.3%) treatment interventions for drugs were male in 2018, (of those for whom gender was known). There were 7,464 treatment interventions for substance use disorders involving alcohol in 2018, a 7% increase from 8,033 in 2010. Nearly two in three (64.6%) of the alcohol interventions were male in 2018, (excluding those for whom gender was unknown). See Table 3.7.
| Coverage of Treatment Interventions for Substance Use Disorders | |
| Male- Drugs | 42.9924455970233 |
| Female- Drugs | 14.8551133160446 |
| Male- Alcohol | 27.1281993460368 |
| Female- Alcohol | 15.849475701883 |
People who had treatment interventions for drugs were younger than those with treatments for alcohol. Of the 10,274 treatment interventions for drugs in 2018, 35.6% were aged 25-34 years while 27.3% were aged 35-44 years. There were 7,464 treatment interventions for alcohol in 2018 and 34.8% were aged 45-64 years with 28.9% aged 35-44 years. See Table 3.8.
Four in ten (41%) treatment interventions for drugs in 2016 were in Dublin with 10% in Cork.
For alcohol, 23.5% of treatment interventions were in Dublin with 13% in Cork. See Table 3.9 and Map 3.1.
SDG 3.5.2 Harmful Use of Alcohol, Defined According to the National Context as Alcohol Per Capita Consumption (Aged 15 Years and Older) Within a Calendar Year in Litres of Pure Alcohol was published by Alcohol Action Ireland.
Alcohol is measured in terms of pure alcohol consumed, based on sales of beer, cider, wine and spirits.
Alcohol consumption in Ireland almost trebled over four decades between 1960 (4.9 litres of pure alcohol per capita) and 2000 (14.1 litres of pure alcohol per capita), as alcohol became much more affordable and more widely available. Since then, our alcohol consumption has declined by 19.6%, from a peak of 14.3 litres of pure alcohol per capita in 2001, to 11.0 litres in 2018.
However, this decline has not been consistent throughout those years, with changing levels of affordability, related to excise duty and economic factors, having a direct and immediate impact on population consumption patterns.
How much do we drink?
According to Alcohol Action Ireland here are some of the main research findings regarding alcohol consumption in Ireland:
Per capita alcohol consumption in Ireland was 11 litres of pure alcohol per person aged 15+ in 2018.
Alcohol can contribute to the development of mental health problems as well as exacerbating pre-existing mental health difficulties. It can affect our ability to cope, manage and to overcome everyday stresses and significant life events, such as unemployment or bereavement. In Ireland, where alcohol consumption levels are high and binge drinking is commonplace, alcohol is a factor in more than half of all completed suicides and over one third of cases of deliberate self-harm.
Alcohol consumption is a significant road safety issue in Ireland and is a factor in 38% of all deaths on Irish roads – with this figure rising to 75% at the off-peak hours of 10pm to 6am. Even in small amounts, alcohol impairs driving ability and as Blood alcohol Concentration (BAC) increases and the functioning of vital processes for safe road use, such as vision and motor skills, becomes increasingly impaired. In short, any amount of alcohol increases the risk of involvement in a road traffic collision.
Alcohol causes cancer and the more we drink the greater our risk of alcohol-related cancer. Alcohol is classified as a group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as there is a proven, causal link between alcohol and several types of cancer. Alcohol consumption can cause cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, liver, bowel and female breast. All these cancers showed evidence of a dose-response relationship – the risk of cancer increases steadily with greater volumes of alcohol consumption.
The number of litres of alcohol consumed in Ireland dropped from 14.1 litres per person in 2000 to 11.0 in 2018, a fall of 3.1%. See Table 3.10 and Figure 3.1.
| Alcohol Consumption | |
| 2000 | 14.0895644792312 |
| 2001 | 14.3031472099877 |
| 2002 | 14.2190806411418 |
| 2003 | 13.4 |
| 2004 | 13.4 |
| 2005 | 13.3847740763322 |
| 2006 | 13.373701220345 |
| 2007 | 13.2311194174757 |
| 2008 | 12.2014832428119 |
| 2009 | 11.037430235148 |
| 2010 | 11.6353695151397 |
| 2011 | 11.6518185270169 |
| 2012 | 11.5 |
| 2013 | 10.5 |
| 2014 | 10.8 |
| 2015 | 10.7 |
| 2016 | 11.2 |
| 2017 | 11 |
| 2018 | 11 |
SDG 3.6.1 Death Rate Due to Road Traffic Injuries was published by the Road Safety Authority (RSA).
The Provisional Review of Fatal Collisions report summarises the main trends in road traffic collision fatalities that have occurred up to 31 December 2019. This report has been prepared by the Road Safety Authority following analysis of the fatality reports provided to the RSA by An Garda Síochána. Note that the information contained in this report is provisional and is subject to change until the 2019 collision data is formally signed off on by the RSA. As of 31 December 2019, there have been 137 fatal collisions, which have resulted in 148 fatalities on Irish roads. This represents two more fatal collisions and six more deaths (+4%) compared to provisional Garda data for the full year 2018. September was the most dangerous month for road users in 2019 with 20 fatalities recorded, but December was also particularly dangerous with 16 deaths recorded. The monthly average for 2019 was 12 fatalities per month.
The number of deaths due to road traffic accidents fell from 192 in 2014 to 148 in 2019, a drop of 23%. Dublin had the highest number of deaths at 19, followed by Cork at 16. Longford, Leitrim, Laois and Sligo each only had one death from a road traffic accident in 2019. See Table 3.11 and Map 3.2.
Road traffic fatalities were more likely to be male and also to be older age groups in 2018. Nearly four in five (79%) of the road traffic fatalities were male in 2018. About one in five (21%) of the fatalities were aged 65 years and over while 18% were aged 55 to 64 years. See Table 3.12 and Figure 3.5.
| X-axis label | Under 25 Years | 25 - 34 Years | 35 - 44 Years | 45 - 54 Years | 55 - 64 Years | 65 Years and Over |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 26 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 20 |
| Female | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 10 |
| Total | 30 | 18 | 16 | 21 | 26 | 30 |
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