| Table 5.1 Ireland: Current public expenditure on health care, 2006-20161 | ||||
| Year | Current Public Expenditure | |||
| Total (€m) | % GNI | % GNI* | Per capita at constant 2016 prices (€) | |
| 2006 | 10,817 | 6.7 | 8.5 | 2,673 |
| 2007 | 12,191 | 7.1 | 9.0 | 2,800 |
| 2008 | 13,557 | 8.3 | 10.5 | 2,905 |
| 2009 | 13,748 | 9.7 | 12.5 | 2,919 |
| 2010 | 13,420 | 9.5 | 12.5 | 2,953 |
| 2011 | 13,065 | 9.4 | 12.0 | 2,836 |
| 2012 | 13,410 | 9.5 | 12.2 | 2,858 |
| 2013 | 13,096 | 8.6 | 12.3 | 2,820 |
| 2014 | 13,264 | 8.0 | 11.6 | 2,883 |
| 2015 | 13,891 | 6.9 | 9.7 | 2,964 |
| 2016 | 14,653 | 6.6 | 9.7 | 3,092 |
| Source: CSO System of Health Accounts | ||||
| 1 Break in series for 2013, see Appendix 1. | ||||
Current public expenditure on health care in Ireland was €14.7 billion in 2016, up €0.8 billion on the previous year.
As a percentage of Gross National Income (GNI), public health spending increased from 6.7% in 2006 to 9.7% in 2009, before decreasing over the next seven years to 6.6%.
As a proportion of Modified Gross National Income (GNI*), public spending on health care represented 9.7% in 2016.
Between 2006 and 2016, public health spending per capita at constant 2016 prices increased from €2,673 to €3,092, a 15.7% increase over the time period.
| Per capita at contant 2016 prices (euro) | |
| 2006 | 2672.73113137503 |
| 2007 | 2799.94680566282 |
| 2008 | 2904.99661517929 |
| 2009 | 2918.60869933258 |
| 2010 | 2953.10965513703 |
| 2011 | 2836.41270224452 |
| 2012 | 2858.08657676651 |
| 2013 | 2820.27760334629 |
| 2014 | 2882.87091595949 |
| 2015 | 2963.5550696708 |
| 2016 | 3091.61110642248 |
| Table 5.2 EU: Total expenditure on health as a percentage of GDP, 2012-2016 | ||||||
| Country | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2016 |
| % of GDP | PPS € per capita | |||||
| France | 11.3 | 11.4 | 11.6 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 3,622 |
| Ireland % GNI* | 14.9 | 13.5 | 12.7 | 12.1 | 11.5 | 3,402 |
| Germany | 10.8 | 10.9 | 11.0 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 4,129 |
| Sweden | 10.9 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.0 | 10.9 | 3,804 |
| Austria | 10.2 | 10.3 | 10.4 | 10.3 | 10.4 | 3,825 |
| Denmark | 10.2 | 10.2 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 10.4 | 3,566 |
| Netherlands | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.7 | 10.3 | 10.3 | 3,787 |
| Belgium | 10.1 | 10.3 | 10.3 | 10.1 | 10.0 | 3,388 |
| United Kingdom | : | 9.7 | 9.7 | 9.8 | 9.7 | 2,914 |
| Finland | 9.3 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.7 | 9.5 | 3,053 |
| Portugal | 9.4 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 2,002 |
| Spain | 9.1 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 2,342 |
| Italy | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 2,450 |
| Slovenia | : | : | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 1,999 |
| Greece | 8.9 | 8.4 | 8.0 | 8.2 | 8.5 | 1,660 |
| Bulgaria | 7.6 | 7.9 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 1,284 |
| Ireland % GDP | 10.8 | 10.3 | 9.7 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 3,402 |
| Hungary | 7.5 | 7.3 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 1,539 |
| Croatia | : | 6.8 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 1,272 |
| Czech Republic | : | 7.8 | 7.7 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 1,953 |
| Slovakia | 7.6 | 7.5 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 1,658 |
| Cyprus | 6.7 | 6.9 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.9 | 1,663 |
| Estonia | 5.8 | 6.0 | 6.2 | 6.5 | 6.7 | 1,501 |
| Lithuania | 6.3 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 6.5 | 6.7 | 1,543 |
| Poland | : | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.5 | 1,440 |
| Latvia | : | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.7 | 6.2 | 1,192 |
| Luxembourg | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.4 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 4,053 |
| Romania | 4.7 | 5.2 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 896 |
| Switzerland | 11.1 | 11.3 | 11.5 | 11.9 | 12.3 | 5,271 |
| Norway | 8.8 | 8.9 | 9.3 | 10.1 | 10.5 | 4,517 |
| Iceland | 8.4 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 2,946 |
| Source: Eurostat, CSO | ||||||
In 2012, total health care spending as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 10.8%. However, by 2016 it had decreased to 7.4% of GDP. This put Ireland at sixteenth in the EU for total health spending.
As a percentage of Modified Gross National Income (GNI*), total health expenditure in Ireland was 11.5% in 2016.
As a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), France had the highest rate of expenditure in the EU in 2016 at 11.5%, while Romania had the lowest at 5.0%.
| Table 5.3 Ireland: Life expectancy at birth and at age 65 by sex, 1925-2012 | |||||
| Period | At Birth | At 65 years | |||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | ||
| 1925-1927 | 57.4 | 57.9 | 12.8 | 13.4 | |
| 1935-1937 | 58.2 | 59.6 | 12.5 | 13.1 | |
| 1940-1942 | 59.0 | 61.0 | 12.3 | 13.2 | |
| 1945-1947 | 60.5 | 62.4 | 12.0 | 13.1 | |
| 1950-1952 | 64.5 | 67.1 | 12.1 | 13.3 | |
| 1960-1962 | 68.1 | 71.9 | 12.6 | 14.4 | |
| 1965-1967 | 68.6 | 72.9 | 12.4 | 14.7 | |
| 1970-1972 | 68.8 | 73.5 | 12.4 | 15.0 | |
| 1978-1980 | 69.5 | 75.0 | 12.4 | 15.4 | |
| 1980-1982 | 70.1 | 75.6 | 12.6 | 15.7 | |
| 1985-1987 | 71.0 | 76.7 | 12.6 | 16.2 | |
| 1990-1992 | 72.3 | 77.9 | 13.4 | 17.1 | |
| 1995-1997 | 73.0 | 78.5 | 13.8 | 17.4 | |
| 2001-2003 | 75.1 | 80.3 | 15.4 | 18.7 | |
| 2005-2007 | 76.8 | 81.6 | 16.6 | 19.8 | |
| 2010-2012 | 78.4 | 82.8 | 17.7 | 20.6 | |
| Source: CSO Births, Deaths, and Marriages | |||||
Life expectancy at birth for males in 2011 was 78.4 years in Ireland, an increase of 21 years since 1926.
For females, life expectancy at birth in 2011 was 82.8 years, a rise of 24.9 years since 1926.
In 1926, life expectancy for females was higher than for males by 0.5 years. This gap widened to 5.7 years in 1986 but narrowed slightly to 4.4 years by 2011.
A 65 year old man in 2011 could expect to live for another 17.7 years compared to 20.6 years for a 65 year old woman.
| Male | Female | |
| 1911 | 53.6 | 54.1 |
| 1926 | 57.4 | 57.9 |
| 1936 | 58.2 | 59.6 |
| 1941 | 59 | 61 |
| 1946 | 60.5 | 62.4 |
| 1951 | 64.5 | 67.1 |
| 1961 | 68.1 | 71.9 |
| 1966 | 68.6 | 72.9 |
| 1971 | 68.8 | 73.5 |
| 1979 | 69.5 | 75 |
| 1981 | 70.1 | 75.6 |
| 1986 | 71 | 76.7 |
| 1991 | 72.3 | 77.9 |
| 1996 | 73 | 78.5 |
| 2002 | 75.1 | 80.3 |
| 2006 | 76.8 | 81.6 |
| 2011 | 78.4 | 82.8 |
| Table 5.4 EU: Life expectancy at birth by sex, 2016 | |||
| Country | Males | Females | Gender Differential |
| Italy | 81.0 | 85.6 | -4.6 |
| Malta | 80.6 | 84.4 | -3.8 |
| Sweden | 80.6 | 84.1 | -3.5 |
| Spain | 80.5 | 86.3 | -5.8 |
| Cyprus | 80.5 | 84.9 | -4.4 |
| Luxembourg | 80.1 | 85.4 | -5.3 |
| Netherlands | 80.0 | 83.2 | -3.2 |
| Ireland | 79.9 | 83.6 | -3.7 |
| France | 79.5 | 85.7 | -6.2 |
| United Kingdom | 79.4 | 83.0 | -3.6 |
| Eurozone 19 | 79.3 | 84.6 | -5.3 |
| Austria | 79.3 | 84.1 | -4.8 |
| Belgium | 79.0 | 84.0 | -5.0 |
| Denmark | 79.0 | 82.8 | -3.8 |
| Greece | 78.9 | 84.0 | -5.1 |
| Finland | 78.6 | 84.4 | -5.8 |
| Germany | 78.6 | 83.5 | -4.9 |
| Slovenia | 78.2 | 84.3 | -6.1 |
| EU 28 | 78.2 | 83.6 | -5.4 |
| Portugal | 78.1 | 84.3 | -6.2 |
| Czech Republic | 76.1 | 82.1 | -6.0 |
| Croatia | 75.0 | 81.3 | -6.3 |
| Poland | 73.9 | 82.0 | -8.1 |
| Slovakia | 73.8 | 80.7 | -6.9 |
| Estonia | 73.3 | 82.2 | -8.9 |
| Hungary | 72.6 | 79.7 | -7.1 |
| Romania | 71.7 | 79.1 | -7.4 |
| Bulgaria | 71.3 | 78.5 | -7.2 |
| Latvia | 69.8 | 79.6 | -9.8 |
| Lithuania | 69.5 | 80.1 | -10.6 |
| Switzerland | 81.7 | 85.6 | -3.9 |
| Norway | 80.7 | 84.2 | -3.5 |
| Iceland | 80.4 | 84.1 | -3.7 |
| Turkey | 75.4 | 81.0 | -5.6 |
| Montenegro | 74.1 | 78.9 | -4.8 |
| Macedonia | 73.4 | 77.5 | -4.1 |
| Serbia | 73.2 | 78.3 | -5.1 |
| Source: Eurostat | |||
In 2016, male life expectancy at birth was 79.9 years in Ireland, greater than the EU average of 78.2 years.
Italy had the highest life expectancy in the EU for males at 81.0 years, and Lithuania had the lowest at 69.5 years.
In the same year, female life expectancy at birth in Ireland was 83.6 years, exactly the same as the EU average.
Spain had the highest female life expectancy at 86.3 years, and Bulgaria had the lowest at 78.5 years.
Women had a higher life expectancy at birth than men in all EU countries. The lowest gender differential (male life expectancy at birth minus that of females) was the Netherlands (-3.2 years) and the country with the highest was Lithuania (-10.6 years).
| Table 5.5 EU: Healthy life years at birth by sex, 20161 | |||
| Country | Males | Females | Gender Differential |
| Sweden | 73.0 | 73.3 | -0.3 |
| Malta | 71.1 | 72.4 | -1.3 |
| Italy | 67.6 | 67.2 | 0.4 |
| Cyprus | 67.5 | 68.8 | -1.3 |
| Ireland | 67.3 | 69.8 | -2.5 |
| Spain | 65.9 | 66.5 | -0.6 |
| Germany | 65.3 | 67.3 | -2 |
| Bulgaria | 64.0 | 67.5 | -3.5 |
| Greece | 63.8 | 64.7 | -0.9 |
| Belgium | 63.7 | 63.8 | -0.1 |
| EU 28 | 63.5 | 64.2 | -0.7 |
| United Kingdom | 63.0 | 63.1 | -0.1 |
| Netherlands | 62.8 | 57.8 | 5 |
| Czech Republic | 62.7 | 64.0 | -1.3 |
| France | 62.6 | 64.1 | -1.5 |
| Luxembourg | 61.4 | 58.9 | 2.5 |
| Poland | 61.3 | 64.6 | -3.3 |
| Denmark | 60.3 | 60.3 | 0 |
| Portugal | 59.9 | 57.4 | 2.5 |
| Romania | 59.8 | 59.0 | 0.8 |
| Hungary | 59.5 | 60.2 | -0.7 |
| Finland | 59.1 | 57.0 | 2.1 |
| Slovenia | 58.7 | 57.9 | 0.8 |
| Croatia | 57.1 | 58.7 | -1.6 |
| Austria | 57.0 | 57.1 | -0.1 |
| Slovakia | 56.4 | 57.0 | -0.6 |
| Lithuania | 56.2 | 59.4 | -3.2 |
| Estonia | 54.4 | 59.0 | -4.6 |
| Latvia | 52.3 | 54.9 | -2.6 |
| Norway | 72.0 | 67.8 | 4.2 |
| Iceland | 71.5 | 66.2 | 5.3 |
| Switzerland | 61.0 | 57.7 | 3.3 |
| Source: Eurostat | |||
| 1 2015 data used for Iceland | |||
Females in Ireland had a healthy life expectancy of 69.8 years, above the EU average of 64.2 years and the third highest in the EU.
Males in Ireland had a healthy life expectancy of 67.3 years, the fifth highest in the EU and above the EU average of 63.5 years.
Only seven countries in the EU reported a higher number of healthy life years for males than for females, namely the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Portugal, Finland, Romania, Slovenia, and Italy.
The Netherlands had the highest number of healthy life years for males compared to females, with a differential of 5.0 years. Conversely, Estonia had the lowest gender differential at -4.6 years.
Only Denmark had a gender differential of zero; both males and females had a healthy life expectancy of 60.3 years.
| Table 5.6 EU: Proportion of life expectancy in poor health for males, 20161 | ||||
| Country | Life Expectancy | Healthy Life Years | Number of Years in Poor Health | Proportion of Life Expectancy in Poor Health |
| Years | % | |||
| Sweden | 80.6 | 73.0 | 7.6 | 9.4 |
| Bulgaria | 71.3 | 64.0 | 7.3 | 10.2 |
| Malta | 80.6 | 71.1 | 9.5 | 11.8 |
| Ireland | 79.9 | 67.3 | 12.6 | 15.8 |
| Cyprus | 80.5 | 67.5 | 13.0 | 16.1 |
| Italy | 81.0 | 67.6 | 13.4 | 16.5 |
| Romania | 71.7 | 59.8 | 11.9 | 16.6 |
| Germany | 78.6 | 65.3 | 13.3 | 16.9 |
| Poland | 73.9 | 61.3 | 12.6 | 17.1 |
| Czech Republic | 76.1 | 62.7 | 13.4 | 17.6 |
| Hungary | 72.6 | 59.5 | 13.1 | 18.0 |
| Spain | 80.5 | 65.9 | 14.6 | 18.1 |
| EU 28 | 78.2 | 63.5 | 14.7 | 18.8 |
| Lithuania | 69.5 | 56.2 | 13.3 | 19.1 |
| Greece | 78.9 | 63.8 | 15.1 | 19.1 |
| Belgium | 79.0 | 63.7 | 15.3 | 19.4 |
| United Kingdom | 79.4 | 63.0 | 16.4 | 20.7 |
| France | 79.5 | 62.6 | 16.9 | 21.3 |
| Netherlands | 80.0 | 62.8 | 17.2 | 21.5 |
| Portugal | 78.1 | 59.9 | 18.2 | 23.3 |
| Luxembourg | 80.1 | 61.4 | 18.7 | 23.3 |
| Slovakia | 73.8 | 56.4 | 17.4 | 23.6 |
| Denmark | 79.0 | 60.3 | 18.7 | 23.7 |
| Croatia | 75.0 | 57.1 | 17.9 | 23.9 |
| Finland | 78.6 | 59.1 | 19.5 | 24.8 |
| Slovenia | 78.2 | 58.7 | 19.5 | 24.9 |
| Latvia | 69.8 | 52.3 | 17.5 | 25.1 |
| Estonia | 73.3 | 54.4 | 18.9 | 25.8 |
| Austria | 79.3 | 57.0 | 22.3 | 28.1 |
| Norway | 80.7 | 72.0 | 8.7 | 10.8 |
| Iceland | 81.2 | 71.5 | 9.7 | 11.9 |
| Switzerland | 81.7 | 61.0 | 20.7 | 25.3 |
| Source: Eurostat | ||||
| 1 2015 data used for Iceland | ||||
Males in Ireland in 2016 could expect to experience 67.3 healthy life years and 12.6 years in poor health, out of a total life expectancy of 79.9 years. This is equivalent to a proportion of life expectancy in poor health of 15.8%.
Ireland had the fourth lowest proportion of life expectancy in poor health for males in the EU, behind Sweden (9.4%), Bulgaria (10.2%), and Malta (11.8%).
The EU average for male healthy life years in 2016 was 63.5 years, while the number of years in poor health was 14.7 years. The average proportion of male life expectancy in poor health was 18.8%.
Austria had the highest proportion of life expectancy in poor health in the EU, at 28.1%.
| Healthy life years | Poor health | |
| Bulgaria | 64 | 7.3 |
| Sweden | 73 | 7.59999999999999 |
| Malta | 71.1 | 9.5 |
| Romania | 59.8 | 11.9 |
| Ireland | 67.3 | 12.6 |
| Poland | 61.3 | 12.6 |
| Cyprus | 67.5 | 13 |
| Hungary | 59.5 | 13.1 |
| Germany | 65.3 | 13.3 |
| Lithuania | 56.2 | 13.3 |
| Czech Republic | 62.7 | 13.4 |
| Italy | 67.6 | 13.4 |
| Spain | 65.9 | 14.6 |
| EU 28 | 63.5 | 14.7 |
| Greece | 63.8 | 15.1 |
| Belgium | 63.7 | 15.3 |
| United Kingdom | 63 | 16.4 |
| France | 62.6 | 16.9 |
| Netherlands | 62.8 | 17.2 |
| Slovakia | 56.4 | 17.4 |
| Latvia | 52.3 | 17.5 |
| Croatia | 57.1 | 17.9 |
| Portugal | 59.9 | 18.2 |
| Luxembourg | 61.4 | 18.7 |
| Denmark | 60.3 | 18.7 |
| Estonia | 54.4 | 18.9 |
| Finland | 59.1 | 19.5 |
| Slovenia | 58.7 | 19.5 |
| Austria | 57 | 22.3 |
| Norway | 72 | 8.7 |
| Iceland | 71.5 | 9.7 |
| Switzerland | 61 | 20.7 |
| Table 5.7 EU: Proportion of life expectancy in poor health for females, 2016 | ||||
| Country | Life Expectancy | Healthy Life Years | Number of Years in Poor Health | Proportion of Life Expectancy in Poor Health |
| Years | % | |||
| Sweden | 84.1 | 73.3 | 10.8 | 12.8 |
| Bulgaria | 78.5 | 67.5 | 11.0 | 14.0 |
| Malta | 84.4 | 72.4 | 12.0 | 14.2 |
| Ireland | 83.6 | 69.8 | 13.8 | 16.5 |
| Cyprus | 84.9 | 68.8 | 16.1 | 19.0 |
| Germany | 83.5 | 67.3 | 16.2 | 19.4 |
| Poland | 82.0 | 64.6 | 17.4 | 21.2 |
| Italy | 85.6 | 67.2 | 18.4 | 21.5 |
| Czech Republic | 82.1 | 64.0 | 18.1 | 22.0 |
| Spain | 86.3 | 66.5 | 19.8 | 22.9 |
| Greece | 84.0 | 64.7 | 19.3 | 23.0 |
| EU 28 | 83.6 | 64.2 | 19.4 | 23.2 |
| United Kingdom | 83.0 | 63.1 | 19.9 | 24.0 |
| Belgium | 84.0 | 63.8 | 20.2 | 24.0 |
| Hungary | 79.7 | 60.2 | 19.5 | 24.5 |
| France | 85.7 | 64.1 | 21.6 | 25.2 |
| Romania | 79.1 | 59.0 | 20.1 | 25.4 |
| Lithuania | 80.1 | 59.4 | 20.7 | 25.8 |
| Denmark | 82.8 | 60.3 | 22.5 | 27.2 |
| Croatia | 81.3 | 58.7 | 22.6 | 27.8 |
| Estonia | 82.2 | 59.0 | 23.2 | 28.2 |
| Slovakia | 80.7 | 57.0 | 23.7 | 29.4 |
| Netherlands | 83.2 | 57.8 | 25.4 | 30.5 |
| Latvia | 79.6 | 54.9 | 24.7 | 31.0 |
| Luxembourg | 85.4 | 58.9 | 26.5 | 31.0 |
| Slovenia | 84.3 | 57.9 | 26.4 | 31.3 |
| Portugal | 84.3 | 57.4 | 26.9 | 31.9 |
| Austria | 84.1 | 57.1 | 27.0 | 32.1 |
| Finland | 84.4 | 57.0 | 27.4 | 32.5 |
| Norway | 84.2 | 67.8 | 16.4 | 19.5 |
| Iceland | 83.8 | 66.2 | 17.6 | 21.0 |
| Switzerland | 85.6 | 57.7 | 27.9 | 32.6 |
| Source: Eurostat | ||||
| 1 2015 data used for Iceland | ||||
In 2016, females in Ireland could expect to experience 69.8 healthy life years and 13.8 years in poor health, out of a total life expectancy of 83.6 years.
In the EU, Ireland had the fourth lowest proportion of life expectancy in poor health for females at 16.5%. Sweden had the lowest proportion of life expectancy in poor health at 12.8%, followed by Bulgaria (14.0%) and Malta (14.2%).
Finland had the highest proportion of life expectancy in poor health at 32.5%.
| Healthy life years | Poor health | |
| Sweden | 73.3 | 10.8 |
| Bulgaria | 67.5 | 11 |
| Malta | 72.4 | 12 |
| Ireland | 69.8 | 13.8 |
| Cyprus | 68.8 | 16.1 |
| Germany | 67.3 | 16.2 |
| Poland | 64.6 | 17.4 |
| Czech Republic | 64 | 18.1 |
| Italy | 67.2 | 18.4 |
| Greece | 64.7 | 19.3 |
| EU 28 | 64.2 | 19.4 |
| Hungary | 60.2 | 19.5 |
| Spain | 66.5 | 19.8 |
| United Kingdom | 63.1 | 19.9 |
| Romania | 59 | 20.1 |
| Belgium | 63.8 | 20.2 |
| Lithuania | 59.4 | 20.7 |
| France | 64.1 | 21.6 |
| Denmark | 60.3 | 22.5 |
| Croatia | 58.7 | 22.6 |
| Estonia | 59 | 23.2 |
| Slovakia | 57 | 23.7 |
| Latvia | 54.9 | 24.7 |
| Netherlands | 57.8 | 25.4 |
| Slovenia | 57.9 | 26.4 |
| Luxembourg | 58.9 | 26.5 |
| Portugal | 57.4 | 26.9 |
| Austria | 57.1 | 27 |
| Finland | 57 | 27.4 |
| Norway | 67.8 | 16.4 |
| Iceland | 66.2 | 17.6 |
| Switzerland | 57.7 | 27.9 |
Go to appendices: Appendices
