Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Ireland
Ireland: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) was 82.86 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
82.86 years
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
26th
of 215 countries
All-time high
82.86 years
in 2023
All-time low
70.9 years
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Life expectancy at birth, total in Ireland, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth, total in Ireland is 82.86 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Ireland peaked at 82.86 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 70.9 years, in 1970.
That places Ireland 26th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 70.9 years | — |
| 1971 | 71.68 years | +1.1% |
| 1972 | 71.02 years | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 71.24 years | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 71.18 years | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 71.75 years | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 71.86 years | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 72 years | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 72 years | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 72.27 years | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 72.6 years | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 72.95 years | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 73.21 years | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 73.24 years | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 73.66 years | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 73.62 years | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 73.67 years | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 74.43 years | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 74.44 years | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 74.46 years | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 74.85 years | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 75.03 years | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 75.42 years | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 75.29 years | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 75.79 years | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 75.47 years | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 75.83 years | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 75.99 years | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 76.18 years | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 76.08 years | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 76.54 years | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 77.13 years | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 77.63 years | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 78.14 years | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 78.54 years | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 78.94 years | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 79.24 years | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 79.64 years | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 80.1 years | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 80.19 years | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 80.74 years | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 80.75 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 80.85 years | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 80.95 years | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 81.35 years | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 81.45 years | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 81.65 years | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 82.16 years | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 82.2 years | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 82.7 years | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 82.46 years | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 82.25 years | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 82.51 years | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 82.86 years | +0.4% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 82.86 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 81.17 years, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 82.86 years is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 79.74 years, 1.0× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 71.59 years | 70.9 years | 72.27 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 73.63 years | 72.6 years | 74.46 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 75.59 years | 74.85 years | 76.18 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 78.61 years | 76.54 years | 80.19 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 81.48 years | 80.74 years | 82.7 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 82.52 years | 82.25 years | 82.86 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More population data for Ireland
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.68 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1157 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,725 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.5372 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.1844 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.455 (2100)
- Population density 76.73 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 217,052 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in Ireland?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in Ireland was 82.86 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 82.86 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 70.9 years in 1970.
- How does Ireland rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Ireland ranks 26th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release