National Healthcare Statistics 2025

The National Healthcare Statistics data is an annual exercise conducted by the Department of Health. These statistics are compiled as part of the Non-Monetary Health Care Statistics questionnaire, administered jointly by; Eurostat, OECD and WHO in fulfilment of the European regulation (EU) 2022/2294.

Main results, key data (available in csv table format) and metadata for the 2025 National Healthcare Statistics compilation are summarised and available below. Internationally comparative data is also available on the Eurostat database and the OECD statistical database.

• The number of practicing physicians in Ireland for 2024 stood at 20,961 physicians.
• In 2024, 52.8% of practicing physicians were male, while 27.8% of all practicing physicians were aged under 35 years. Of all practicing physicians in 2024, 5.4% were aged 65 and over.
• Generalist medical practitioners accounted for 52.0% of all practicing physicians in 2024. From the specialists practicing physicians, 7.3% were practicing as general paediatricians and 12.5% as psychiatrists for the same reference year.
• From the 20,961 physicians that were practicing in Ireland in 2024, 41.3% have had obtained their first medical qualification outside of Ireland. Pakistan, Sudan and the United Kingdom were the top 3 countries for these foreign trained physicians, in that ranking order.

• The number of practicing midwives in Ireland for 2024 stood at 4,389 midwives, an increase of 3.3% from the previous year.
• The number of practicing nurses in Ireland for 2024 stood at 76,558 nurses, an increase of 5.5% from the previous year.
• In 2024, 54.0% of practicing nurses have had obtained their first nursing qualification outside of Ireland. India, the United Kingdom and the Philippines were the top 3 countries for these foreign trained nurses, in that ranking order.

• The number of practicing caring personnel in Ireland for 2023 stood at 27,995 carers, an increase of 2.9% from the previous year.
• It is estimated that the number of practicing dentists in Ireland for 2024 stood at 2,560 dentists, an increase of 3.8% from the previous year.
• The number of practicing pharmacists in Ireland for 2024 stood at 6,250 pharmacists, an increase of 8.8% from the previous year.
• The number of practicing physiotherapists in Ireland for 2024 stood at 6,390 physiotherapists, an increase of 7.8% from the previous year.

• Graduates in health-related fields of study amounted to a total of 3,455 students in 2023, an increase of 1.6% from the previous year. These fields of study include; medicine, nursing, midwifery, dentistry and pharmacy.
• Of the total health related graduates in 2023, 49.2% graduated in the nursing field, followed by medical graduates at 38.5%.
• Graduates in midwifery and dentistry had the least number of graduates out of these listed health related fields of study, at 3.9% and 3.0% in 2023, respectively.

• During 2023, there were a total of 812,545 inpatient discharges, with an average length of stay of 6.0 days.
• A total of 20,361 discharges were related to psychiatric care, with an average length of stay of 21.4 days for the same reference year.
• The most common surgical procedure, from the available surgical procedures short-list, in 2023 was cataract surgery with a total of 44,105 procedures, with most of these procedures being day cases (98.5%). This was followed by caesarean section surgery with 21,006 procedures and hip replacement surgery with 13,491 procedures, with nearly all of these procedures being inpatient cases.

• In 2024, there were a total of 85 hospitals in Ireland, 78.8% of which were publicly administered hospitals. From these total hospitals, 65.8% were general hospitals.
• A total of 15,372 hospital inpatient beds were available in 2023 in public, private and psychiatric hospital settings, an increase of 2.4% from the previous year.
• From the total hospital beds in 2023, 87.8% of hospital beds were in a public hospital setting.
• From the total hospital beds in 2023, 92.6% of hospital beds were used for curative purposes, while the remaining 7.4% were used for rehabilitative or long-term care purposes.
• From the total hospital beds in 2023, 10.6% of the hospital beds were used for psychiatric care.
• Long-term care nursing beds in residential facilities in 2024 amounted to 32,169, an increase of 14 beds from the previous year.

• In 2024, a total of; 103 CT scanners, 8 PET scanners, 29 gamma cameras and 50 radiation therapy equipment were operational in Ireland.
• A total of 89 MRI units were operational in 2024, 84.3% of which were being used in a hospital setting.