Did you know?
| indicator | value | unit |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 4.8 | mil. |
| Visitors per year | 6.0 | mil. |
| Renewable energy | 6.1 | % |
How’s Life?
Ireland performs well in many dimensions of well-being relative to other countries in the Better Life Index. Ireland outperforms the average in jobs, education, health, social connections, safety and life satisfaction. It underperforms average in civic engagement. These assessments are based on available selected data.
Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In Ireland, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 29 488 a year, slightly lower than the OECD average of USD 30 490 a year.
In terms of employment, about 68% of people aged 15 to 64 in Ireland have a paid job, above the OECD employment average of 66%. Some 73% of men are in paid work, compared with 63% of women. In Ireland, 5% of employees work very long hours in paid work, below the OECD average of 10%, with 8% of men working very long hours in paid work compared with 2% of women.
Good education and skills are important requisites for finding a job. In Ireland, 85% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, higher than the OECD average of 79%. However, completion varies between men and women, as 83% of men have successfully completed high school compared with 88% of women. In terms of the quality of the education system, the average student scored 505 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This score is higher than the OECD average of 488. On average in Ireland, girls outperformed boys by 6 points, slightly above the average OECD gap of 5 points.
In terms of health, life expectancy at birth in Ireland is around 83 years, two years higher than the OECD average of 81 years. Life expectancy for women is 85 years, compared with 81 for men. The level of atmospheric PM2.5 – tiny air pollutant particles small enough to enter and cause damage to the lungs – is 7.8 micrograms per cubic meter, below the OECD average of 14 micrograms per cubic meter. In Ireland, 80% of people say they are satisfied with the quality of their water, lower than the OECD average of 84%.
Concerning the public sphere, there is a strong sense of community and moderate levels of civic participation in Ireland, where 96% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need, more than the OECD average of 91%. Voter turnout, a measure of citizens' participation in the political process, was 63% during recent elections, lower than the OECD average of 69%. Social and economic status can affect voting rates; voter turnout for the top 20% of the population is an estimated 66% and for the bottom 20% it is an estimated 60%.
When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Irish people gave it a 7 grade on average, higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.
Topics
OECD in Action
OECD Economic Surveys: Ireland
OECD’s periodic surveys of the Irish economy. Each edition surveys the major challenges faced by the country, evaluates the short-term outlook, and makes specific policy recommendations. Special chapters take a more detailed look at specific challenges. Extensive statistical information is included in charts and graphs.
Read this report