Things are looking up for us all.
Ireland is getting healthier, but less sporty, according to a new study by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The Wellbeing of the Nation 2017 study, which was published by the CSO on 10 January, has found that the number of healthy life years an Irish person can expect has risen from 66.9 in 2014 to 67.3 in 2015.
However, participation in sport among people aged 15 years and older has decreased from 47.2%% to 45% in 2015.
Unemployment is also falling, after it went from 9.8% in 2015 to 8.6% in 2016, while the rate as of November 2017 stands at 6.1%.
Other findings from the latest paper include:
- The average household debt has fallen from €93,900 in 2014 to €87,900 in 2015.
- Homeless people, as measured on Census night, has shot up by 81% between 2011 and 2016, going from 3,808 to 6,906.
- The percentage of adults who believe that crime is a serious problem in Ireland has risen from 46% in 2006 to 49% in 2010.
- The number of people aged 25 – 64 with a third-level education has remained constant at 41% between 2015 and 2016.
- The number of female TDs in the Dáil has risen from 15% in 2011 to 21% in 2016.
The Wellbeing of the Nation attempts to address the question of how Irish people feel about their lives as a whole, so the Government’s policymakers can understand how the nation is currently performing.
In total, the study uses 30 indicators across eight different areas of society; the economy, education, work, housing and the natural environment, governance and equality, time use, health and public safety.
Commenting on the data, Statistician Damien Lenihan said: “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.
“[It] is a starting point in measuring wellbeing and is an area which will be expanded further in the coming years.”
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