The Ipsos Health Service Report monitors individuals’ attitudes and perceptions towards their healthcare system, while also inquiring about what they believe to be the most significant health challenges confronting their nation. The survey covers 30 countries including Ireland.
Key findings for Ireland in 2025 include:
- Mental health seen as the biggest health problem. 58% in Ireland choose it as one of the biggest issues facing people in their country, ahead of cancer (46%), drug abuse (36%), stress (21%) and obesity (20%). 18 of the 30 countries surveyed see mental health as the biggest problem in their country. People in Ireland are more inclined to see mental health and drug abuse as big issues compared to global averages.
- Support for vaccinations is lower in Ireland. In Ireland, 51% support compulsory vaccines for infectious diseases, which is 10 points behind the global average, while 23% do not. Support is relatively unchanged since 2024.
- High awareness of GLP-1 drugs. 62% in Ireland have heard about GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, Rybelsus or Mounjaro, well ahead of the global average of 36%. Awareness is highest in the United States at 74%.
- Lack of healthcare staff and access challenges are a major concern.
73% say the healthcare system in Ireland is overstretched. Not enough staff is seen as the top problem for the healthcare system in Ireland (58%). Access to treatment/long waiting times is also seen as a major challenge (52%). These two issues rank above the cost of accessing treatment (30%), and ageing population (22%) and a lack of investment in preventative health (20%).
- People more likely to think the care they get is good than poor. 44% rate the quality of the healthcare they have access to in Ireland as good, with 24% believing it to be poor. These ratings are in line with global averages.
- Few are expecting it to improve. Like many other European countries, few in Ireland think things will improve. Only 15% in Ireland expect the quality of healthcare that they and their family will have access to locally will improve, while 29% think care will get worse.
*The “30-country average” reflects the average result for all the countries and markets where 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.
For further information, contact Tarik Laher (Director): tarik.laher@ipsos.com
Technical note:
Ipsos interviewed a total of 23,172 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 sample consists of approximately 1,000 individuals each in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Spain, Türkiye, and the U.S., and 500 individuals each in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Hungary, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, and Thailand. The sample in India consists of approximately 2,200 individuals, of whom approximately 1,800 were interviewed face-to-face and 400 were interviewed online.
