More than three-quarters of people aged over 18 say health ‘good or very good’

By Cate McCurry, PA

Over three-quarters of people aged over 18 considered their general health to be “good or very good” last year, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The highest number of people who considered their general health to be “good or very good” were those aged 35 to 44 years, at 81.6 per cent, and the lowest was those aged 75 years and over at 61.9 per cent.

The health survey, carried out by the CSO, found that approximately half of those aged 18 to 24 years of age considered their mental health to be “good or very good”.

Approximately 18.7 per cent of people aged 18 years and over had been diagnosed with a specific neurodiverse condition, or suspected they were neurodiverse.

Those aged 75 years and over, at 92 per cent, were almost three times more likely to have used prescription medicines in the two weeks prior to the survey compared to those aged 18 to 24 years of age, at 30.7 per cent.

When asked about vaping, almost a quarter of those aged 18 to 34 years of age said they vaped daily or occasionally.

Almost one in five people aged 18 years and over say they provided care or assistance to one or more people suffering from some age-related problem, chronic health condition, or infirmity, at least once a week.

Regionally, the percentage of people aged 18 years and over who considered their general health to be ‘good or very good’ was highest for HSE Dublin and South East at 78.5 per cent and lowest for HSE Dublin and Midlands at 72.5 per cent.

Slightly less people aged 18 years and over considered their mental health to be “good or very good” at 70.7 per cent.

This was lowest for those aged 18 to 24 years of age at 50.8 per cent, and highest for those aged 65 years and over at 83.7 per cent.

Someone may consider themselves to be, or be diagnosed as, neurodiverse if they are autistic, have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), have dyspraxia or other neurodivergent condition, have differences in social preferences, have differences in ways of learning, communicate or perceive the world around themselves differently, or are particularly sensitive to noise or lighting.

Across the broad range of visits to health professionals, women aged 18 years and over were more likely to have visited a health professional than men in the past 12 months.

For GP consultations, 84.7 per cent of women compared to 74.2 per cent of men aged 18 years and over had a consultation in the past 12 months.

Almost 60 per cent of women aged 18 years and over were more likely than men, at 48.3 per cent, to have used prescription medicine in the two weeks prior to completion of the survey.

This excludes contraceptive pills or hormones used solely for contraception.

Those aged 75 years and over were almost three times more likely to have used prescription medicines in comparison with those aged 18 to 24 years of age.

For body mass index (BMI), almost a quarter of people aged 18 years and over were classified as being obese.

Three in 10 of those aged 55 to 64 years were classified as being obese, in comparison to 13.6 per cent of those aged 18 to 24 years of age.

Over four in five people aged 18 years and over drank alcohol in the past 12 months, with 40.6 per cent drinking at least weekly.

The percentage of people aged 18 years and over who drank alcohol at least weekly in the past 12 months was lowest for those aged 18 to 24 years of age (26.7 per cent) and highest for those aged 55 to 64 years (55.9 per cent).

When it comes to smoking and vaping, 10.2 per cent of those aged 18 years and over smoked tobacco products daily, while 7.1 per cent vaped daily.

Those aged 45 to 54 years of age were more likely to smoke daily than any other age group at 13.3 per cent.

Vaping daily (13.6 per cent) or occasionally (10 per cent) was most prevalent for those aged 18 to 34 years.

Sarah Crilly, statistician in the Health and Social Cohesion Division said: “The statistics contained in this release are selected from a comprehensive survey that was completed in 2024 analysing the health of people in Ireland.

“People aged 18 years and over were asked more than 100 questions, via an online questionnaire, about their health status, access to health care, and their health determinants such as smoking and alcohol use.

“A valuable aspect of the data is its use to health researchers.

“The Health Research Data Centre can provide this access subject to the necessary procedures.”