This latest Global Advisor study of 32 countries examines people’s attitudes towards aging.
Like most other countries, Ireland’s population is getting older, presenting society with both challenges and opportunities. A new global study by Ipsos across 32 countries – including Ireland – has revealed some unique attitudes towards getting older.
- When do you become “old”? It depends on who you ask – on average, people aged under 35 say that old age begins at 62. For those aged over 50, it is at 71.
- Are you looking forward to being old? In Ireland, the outlook is a little more optimistic than the global average, but a majority still are not excited about their later years. 42% of Irish respondents said they are looking forward to old age, while 53% are not.
- How long will you live for? People in Ireland expect to live to the age of 81. This is a few years longer than the global average life expectancy of 78 years.
- How old do you need to be to be Taoiseach? 42, according to this poll. Notable, perhaps that two of our recent Taoisigh were still in their 30s when elected. However, 38 is seen as old enough to be a CEO or leader of a large company.
- Left behind? The ideal age for buying a property in Ireland is 29 – the same as most other countries in Europe. You should then get married a year later, apparently.
Find out more about to tap into the potential of older adults in the Ipsos Generations Report 2025 or watch the webinar replay of KEYS: Rethinking Generations.
For more details, please contact deirdre.kelly@ipsos.com
Find out more about to tap into the potential of older adults in the Ipsos Generations Report 2025 or watch the webinar replay of KEYS: Rethinking Generations.
For more details, please contact deirdre.kelly@ipsos.com
About this study
These are the results of a 32-country survey (including Ireland) conducted by Ipsos on its Global Advisor online platform and, in India, on its IndiaBus platform, between Friday, January 24, and Friday, February 7, 2025. For this survey, Ipsos interviewed a total of 23,745 adults aged 18 years and older in India, 18-74 in Canada, Republic of Ireland, Malaysia, South Africa, Türkiye, and the United States, 20-74 in Thailand, 21-74 in Indonesia and Singapore, and 16-74 in all other countries. “The Global Country Average” reflects the average result for all the countries and markets in which the survey was conducted. It has not been adjusted to the population size of each country or market and is not intended to suggest a total result.
