Data for 2024 shows a steady increase in the healthcare workforce in Ireland, with a 4% rise in physicians, a 3% rise in midwives, and a 6% rise in nurses compared to 2023, according to Health Minister, Jennifer Carroll McNeill.
Additionally, there had been a consistent increase in graduates in these fields.
“The increase in the number of practising healthcare professionals and the compiled surgical procedure statistics reflect this Government’s commitment to enhance the quality of healthcare services in Ireland, and ensure the best outcomes for patients, she said.
“Publishing these national healthcare statistics also highlights our commitment to transparency and the dissemination of vital health information. By providing a means of easy access to this data, we are empowering researchers and the public with the tools they need to gain a deeper understanding of Ireland’s health service.”
The data shows:
- The number of practising nurses in Ireland in 2024 was 76,558, an increase of 5.5% from 2023.
- The number of practising dentists in Ireland for 2024 was estimated to be 2,560, an increase of 3.8% from 2023.
- The number of practising pharmacists in Ireland in 2024 was 6,250, an increase of 8.8% from 2023.
- 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 included medicine, nursing, midwifery, dentistry and pharmacy.
- Cataract surgery was the most common surgical procedure in Ireland in 2023 with a total of 44,105 procedures, compared with 39,347 procedures in 2022.
- There were 13,491 hip replacement procedures in 2023, compared with 12,830 procedures in 2022.
- In 2024, a total of 89 MRI units were operational in Ireland, with nearly 85% of them being used in a hospital setting.
The Department of Health said these figures were revealed by the latest national data tables on non-monetary healthcare statistics. “This data allows researchers and the wider public timely access to national information and provides them with a better understanding of Ireland’s data on a range of health topics.
“The tables include national healthcare statistics compiled by the Department of Health as part of the Non-Monetary Health Care Statistics questionnaire, administered jointly by Eurostat, the OEC and the World Health Organisation (WHO). This was the third edition of the annually published tables, prior to their release by Eurostat and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
