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THE NUMBER OF healthy years one can expect to experience in Ireland has increased since 2014, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The expected number of “healthy life years” for a person born in Ireland in 67.3. This has improved from 66.9 in 2014.
Healthy life years is defined as the number of years that a person is expected to continue to live in healthy conditions.
These statistics are contained in the latest Wellbeing of the Nation report from the CSO. The publication attempts to address the question of how people feel about their lives as a whole.
“This publication attempts to measure wellbeing, which is influenced by many factors, including the economic conditions of the country, the health of its population, and the educational attainment of its people,” CSO statistician Damien Lenihan said.
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The report also found that the percentage of people who are classified as overweight is continuing to rise.
In 2015, 60% of Ireland’s population was classified as overweight or obese. This has risen to 62% in 2017.
The percentage of the population that reported their general health to be either good or very good was 86% in 2015. This is a fall from the 2011 figures of 88%.
Binge drinking is defined by the World Health Organisation as consuming six or more standard drinks in one sitting.
In 2015, 39% of those aged 15 or older binge drank on a regular basis. This fell slightly in 2016 to 37%, however, it has again increased to 39% last year.
Other findings
The report looked at 30 aspects of Ireland’s wellbeing over eight areas of society, including work, economy, education and public safety.
In relation to both work and the economy, it found that the average annual earnings in 2016 were €36,919 per person. This figure has been increasing since 2013 when the figure was €35,976. The 2016 average is the highest it has been since before the recession began in 2008.
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It also found that the percentage of those aged 25 to 64 with third level education has remained constant at 41% between the years 2015 and 2016.
The number of homeless people, as measured on Census night, increased by 81% between 2011 and 2016 from 3,808 to 6,906 people.
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