Life expectancy — Life expectancy difference (female-male) in Ireland
Ireland: Life expectancy — Life expectancy difference (female-male) was 3.3 Years in 2024. ▼ Falling
Life expectancy — Life expectancy difference in Ireland, 1960–2024
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Years.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 3.3 Years for life expectancy — life expectancy difference in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 47 years on record.
The figure is down 5.7% on the previous year and down 19.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy — life expectancy difference in Ireland peaked at 6.8 Years in 1978 and was at its lowest, 3.3 Years, in 2022.
Ireland ranks 37th of 41 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 47 years of available data.
Life expectancy — Life expectancy difference (female-male) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 3.8 Years | — |
| 1970 | 4.7 Years | +23.7% |
| 1978 | 6.8 Years | +44.7% |
| 1979 | 5.5 Years | -19.1% |
| 1980 | 5.5 Years | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 5.5 Years | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 5.5 Years | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 5.4 Years | -1.8% |
| 1986 | 5.6 Years | +3.7% |
| 1987 | 5.7 Years | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 5.6 Years | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 5.5 Years | -1.8% |
| 1990 | 5.6 Years | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 5.6 Years | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 5.6 Years | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 5.6 Years | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 5.5 Years | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 5.5 Years | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 5.6 Years | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 5.3 Years | -5.4% |
| 1998 | 5.7 Years | +7.5% |
| 1999 | 5.5 Years | -3.5% |
| 2000 | 5.2 Years | -5.5% |
| 2001 | 5.4 Years | +3.8% |
| 2002 | 5.4 Years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 5 Years | -7.4% |
| 2004 | 5 Years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 4.6 Years | -8.0% |
| 2006 | 4.8 Years | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 4.8 Years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 4.5 Years | -6.2% |
| 2009 | 4.9 Years | +8.9% |
| 2010 | 4.6 Years | -6.1% |
| 2011 | 4.4 Years | -4.3% |
| 2012 | 4.4 Years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 4.2 Years | -4.5% |
| 2014 | 4.1 Years | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 3.8 Years | -7.3% |
| 2016 | 3.7 Years | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 3.6 Years | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 3.7 Years | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 3.8 Years | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 3.6 Years | -5.3% |
| 2021 | 3.7 Years | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 3.3 Years | -10.8% |
| 2023 | 3.5 Years | +6.1% |
| 2024 | 3.3 Years | -5.7% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 3.3 Years is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.55 Years, 73% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 3.3 Years is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.6 Years, 72% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Life expectancy — Life expectancy difference (female-male) in Ireland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | +44.7% | 4.7 Years | 6.8 Years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.8 Years | 3.8 Years | 3.8 Years | 1 |
| 1970s | 5.67 Years | 4.7 Years | 6.8 Years | 3 |
| 1980s | 5.54 Years | 5.4 Years | 5.7 Years | 8 |
| 1990s | 5.55 Years | 5.3 Years | 5.7 Years | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.96 Years | 4.5 Years | 5.4 Years | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.03 Years | 3.6 Years | 4.6 Years | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.48 Years | 3.3 Years | 3.7 Years | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More health data for Ireland
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -4.76 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.89 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,122 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 20 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.7228 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.026 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.6489 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy — life expectancy difference in Ireland?
- Life expectancy — life expectancy difference in Ireland was 3.3 Years in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest life expectancy — life expectancy difference recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 6.8 Years in 1978.
- What is the lowest life expectancy — life expectancy difference recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.3 Years in 2022.
- How does Ireland rank for life expectancy — life expectancy difference?
- Ireland ranks 37th out of 41 countries with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy — life expectancy difference rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Life expectancy — Life expectancy difference (female-male). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 47 observations, free to reuse under OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required).
About this data
This dataset presents data on life expectancy at birth, and at ages 40, 60, 65 and 80 years old. Please refer to the Sources and Methods for detailed country-specific information.