Ireland Shows Progress in National Well-being Despite Housing and Healthcare Challenges
New government analysis reveals mixed results for quality of life across the country, with particular concerns for single-parent families and renters.
The Government has published its annual assessment of Ireland's well-being, showing the country continues to make progress across most quality of life indicators, though significant challenges remain in housing affordability and healthcare access.
The 'Understanding Life in Ireland: The Well-being Framework 2025' report examines 35 indicators across 11 key areas of life, providing a comprehensive picture beyond traditional economic measures. The analysis shows 18 of 28 measurable indicators have improved over the past five years.
Ireland performs particularly well internationally in education, with the country having the largest proportion of 15-year-olds achieving high proficiency in reading and mathematics across OECD nations in 2022. Weekly earnings and employment rates also exceed European averages.
However, the report highlights growing pressures in essential services. The percentage of people with unmet medical needs rose from 2% in 2019 to 2.9% in 2024, placing Ireland 18th among EU member states. Housing costs continue to burden households, with those renting at market prices facing substantially greater financial strain.
The analysis reveals stark inequalities, with single-parent households experiencing significantly worse outcomes across multiple well-being measures compared to other family types. Women also report higher rates of loneliness and lower happiness levels among school-aged girls.
Environmental performance remains a concern, with Ireland continuing to lag behind other countries in climate and biodiversity measures, despite some improvements in greenhouse gas emissions and domestic energy ratings.
Taoiseach said:
"Ireland's Well-being Framework enables us to assess how the country is faring across a broad spectrum of areas which affect peoples' daily lives. It is encouraging that this analysis once again shows that Ireland is making progress overall, and that our population is generally happy, well connected and highly skilled."
Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Finance commented:
"Today's Well-being Framework report provides an important lens into how Ireland is faring, looking beyond economic growth to broader social, environmental and equality dimensions."
The framework, launched in July 2021, forms part of the annual Budget process and helps shape broader government policymaking. A full review of the framework will be conducted in 2026 following stakeholder consultation.
Despite the challenges, the report notes that people in Ireland generally remain happy and positive about their lives, with more people rating their overall life satisfaction as 'high' than in previous years.
Ireland makes progress on well-being but housing costs and healthcare access remain challenging, with single-parent families facing particular difficulties.
