Press Release: Monday 13 January 2025
New report highlights positive trends in health and wellbeing of older people in Ireland
Older adults in Ireland are continuing to experience positive levels of health and wellbeing, according to the latest “Health at a Glance: Europe 2024” report published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The report includes a range of indicators, showing how older people in Ireland fare in terms of life expectancy, healthcare access, and healthy ageing.
The report shows that:
- Ireland has one of the highest rates of estimated healthy life years at age 65, at 11.6 years, compared with the EU average of 9.1 years, but behind Norway (14.5 years), Sweden (13.9 years), and Malta (12.1 years).
- Ireland has one of the lowest rates of people aged 65 and over reporting to be in bad or very bad health, at 9.2%, compared with the EU average of 18.5.
- The number of people in Ireland aged 65 and over having at least one chronic disease is also well below the EU average, at 48.9% compared to 60.3%.
Life expectancy at birth in Ireland is 82.6 years, which ranks us seventh in the EU, above the EU average of 81.5 years. The report also notes that Ireland, together with Luxembourg and Iceland, has the lowest proportion of people aged 65 and over, at 15%. However, while we currently have a relatively young population, the share of population aged 65 and over is projected to increase by more than two-thirds between 2023 and 2050.
The OECD’s annual report also illustrates some areas of concern. Only 22% of persons aged 65 and over in the EU achieve the WHO recommendation on minimum physical activity per week, with Ireland lagging marginally behind this figure at 21.8%.
Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler, said:
“It is very encouraging to see the positive impacts of our investment, education and training, in the Health at a Glance 24 OECD report, especially among our older population, in demonstrating our commitment to support healthy ageing.
“Ireland has made significant strides in improving healthcare access and promoting healthy lifestyles among older adults. We continue to invest in initiatives that enhance the quality of life for our ageing population, including preventive healthcare, mental health support, and community engagement programs. Our Age Friendly initiatives and supports, are an example of how communities working in partnership with local authorities, voluntary organisations and the HSE have supported Older People to Age well in their own homes and communities.
“Ireland has one of the highest life expectancy in the EU, and credit must be paid to all those who work in our health care services, community and acute. Ensuring the voice and choice of our Older population in relation to decisions made are paramount.
“Our focus in 2025 will be to build on the significant progress made in proactive healthy ageing initiatives and providing accessible quality services where older people can flourish and enjoy their later years in good health and with dignity.’’
The OECD report ‘Health at a Glance: Europe 2024’ is available here.
