Mark Henry
@drmarkhenry
Insight into progress and well-being in Ireland and around the world from the author of ‘In Fact: An Optimist’s Guide to Ireland at 100’. Optimism and positivity abound.
Dublin is the coffee-loving capital of the world! Ireland's capital city has the greatest number of coffee shops per capita. Lisbon and Copenhagen place 2nd and 3rd. The Irish remain among the world's biggest tea drinkers, but it seems we prefer our Lattes these days. 🇮🇪☕️
The vast majority of Irish people are optimistic about the future of Ireland. 77% of us say we are. Only those in Denmark, Luxembourg and Poland are more optimistic about their futures. For all our challenges, we are in a good place and making positive progress. 🇮🇪
People worldwide view Ireland as having an excellent quality of life. We are ranked among the top 20 nations offering a strong combination of safety, healthcare, education, economic opportunity, and public services. This view is borne out by the facts - it's a great place to live 🇮🇪
Interested in how we can make Ireland a happier country? Join me at the Percy French Festival in Co. Roscommon this Wednesday where I'll be sharing my perspective. Ireland is already among the world's happiest countries, but there are lessons to be learned from other places. 🇮🇪
Irish people are among the wealthiest on the planet, says a report from UBS. The median wealth of an Irish person is US$98,000, placing us among the 20th wealthiest people worldwide. This is mostly the value of housing and pensions. A big change for the better over the past 50 years. 🇮🇪
The vast majority of Irish people are satisfied with their lives. 93% of us say we are very or fairly satisfied with our quality of life. Among EU nations, only the Danes and Slovenians are more satisfied. We recognise we are very fortunate to live where we do. 🇮🇪
Poverty in Ireland is low by international standards. Only 7% of people are in relative poverty. That's far below the level in the vast majority of OECD countries and is similar to Sweden and Denmark. Our tax and redistribution system does an excellent job of supporting those who need it most. 🇮🇪👏
We have massively reduced air pollution in Ireland. The number of healthy life years lost to pollution-related illness has fallen by three-quarters over the past 30 years. That's mainly due to declining use of fossil fuels, especially coal and peat in our homes. Great progress 🇮🇪
Corruption is rare in Ireland. 4% of Irish people say they have experienced or witnessed a case of corruption in the last 12 months. Only 4 EU countries report lower levels. Less corruption increases citizen's trust in public institutions and raises national happiness. 🇮🇪
Nine in ten recent school leavers or graduates from universities in Ireland are in jobs. We have one the highest employment rate of recent graduates in the EU. Only Malta, Germany and the Netherlands do better. A positive sign of a powerful economy offering strong prospects for many. 🇮🇪👍
Ireland is one of the best countries for gay and lesbian people to live in. More than eight in ten Irish people say their city or area is a good place for the LGBT community to live. That makes Ireland one of the most accepting places in the world. Happy Pride! 🌈
Irish people are very satisfied with the way democracy works here. 80% of people in Ireland say they are satisfied - a figure far in excess of the EU average of 58%. Only those in Luxembourg and a few Nordic states show greater satisfaction. 🇮🇪🗳️
Ireland is one of the most positively perceived countries worldwide. 🇮🇪 We place 13th of 65 nations in the Democracy Perception Index survey of 46,000 people around the world. Switzerland & Canada have the most positive perceptions. Israel is the least popular country, then Afghanistan & North Korea.
Ireland is one of the most peaceful nations on the planet. 🇮🇪 The country is rated 5th most peaceful in the Global Peace Index's assessment of 163 countries. Iceland tops the table, then New Zealand, Switzerland and Slovenia. Yet, global peacefulness is deteriorating. We must cherish and nurture it.
People in Ireland have a more positive attitude towards public service media. 42% of Irish people have a positive view, much higher than in the UK (30%) and Europe in general (36%). People praise the universal access, trustworthiness and high-quality journalism of RTE & TG4. 🇮🇪👍
Should Ireland introduce a ban on social media accounts for under-16s? 70% of Irish people say 'yes'. Even half of Gen Z's (aged 18-29) agree. Research shows that every additional hour spent on such platforms increases your risk of depression by 13%. A ban seems sensible.
Ireland has one of the lowest rates of unemployment in Europe but - importantly - unemployment among those who did not complete secondary level education is similar to that who completed a degree. That's very different elsewhere in the EU. Excellent social equality and fairness 🇮🇪👍
The share of young people in Ireland who are not in employment or education is among the lowest in Europe. Only 8% of those aged 15-29 are - and that's half the figure it was 10 years ago. The Netherlands and Sweden are the only nations doing appreciably better. Great progress 🇮🇪
Ireland is one of the best countries in the world at managing fishing. The Fishing Risk Index rates 152 coastal countries on their effectiveness in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Ireland is the 10th best rated in the world, alongside other European nations. 🇮🇪🐟
More Irish people than ever are taking part in sport on a weekly basis – more than 2.12 million of us. Personal exercise is the most popular, with 1 in 5 people participating weekly. Next are swimming (8%), running (7%), cycling (4%), and weights (4%). Make good use of the weekend so! 🇮🇪🚶♀️🏃🚴♂️
Teenage pregnancy shock! The number of babies born to teenage mothers in Ireland has fallen to a record low. Only 551 babies were born to mothers aged 15-19 last year. That's 83% fewer than the peak in 1999. Better sex education and the availability of contraceptives played important roles. 🇮🇪🤰
Ireland is the most pro-EU nation in Europe. 93% of Irish people agree that the country has benefited from being a member of the European Union, while only 5% disagree. We recognise that this country couldn't have become the success it is today without EU membership. 🇮🇪🇪🇺
Ireland is one of the world's top 30 food exporting countries. Exports of $13bn in 2024 made us the 28th largest exporter, mainly due to beef and dairy. In fact, Ireland is the largest beef exporter in the northern hemisphere! Our agri-food sector is a global success story. 🇮🇪🐄🍽️
Ireland is a leading adopter of home working. More than one-third of Irish employees work from home sometimes or regularly. That's the 7th highest out of 27 EU countries - and a lovely way to make the most of sunny days! 🇮🇪☀️
The Irish are leading adopters of AI. 48% of working-age adults in Ireland now engage with AI tools for at least 90 minutes a month according to Microsoft. That makes the Irish the world's 4th greatest users of AI after those in the UAE, Singapore and Norway. 🇮🇪🧑💻
Irish people are generally very satisfied with their lives, scoring them 7.7 out of 10. The happiest people are students and the retired who have fewer financial and employment challenges. The least happy are those with health problems and the unemployed. Overall, Ireland is quite a happy country 🇮🇪😁
Households in Ireland are more likely to have children than in any other EU country (after Slovakia). 31% of Irish households have kids - far above the EU average of 23%. And, although they're small in number, more Irish households have 3+ children than those in any other country. 🇮🇪👨👩👧👦
The Irish name 'Liam' was the most popular baby boy's name in the United States again last year. 🇮🇪🇺🇸 It's been no.1 every year since 2017! A big thank you to Liam Neeson? Or could that be Liam Hemsworth?
The average Irish worker is the 9th best paid in the world according to the International Labour Organization. And that's taking into account the cost of living in Ireland and elsewhere. Employees are paid US$5,400 a month here on average. (The best paid live in Luxembourg, Belgium & Netherlands) 🇮🇪💶