Irish people are more satisfied with life in general than other Europeans (with 88 per cent claiming to be fairly or very satisfied) but less satisfied with the health care system (with 47 per cent expressing dissatisfaction).
Life expectancy at birth for the Irish male is 74 years, one year less than the EU average.
For the Irish female it is 79 years, two years less than the EU average.
Irish people spend a higher proportion of their disposable income on food, drink and tobacco than any of their European neighbours.
The number of Irish people in the 55-64 year age bracket is projected to be 49 per cent higher in 2015 compared to 2000. This is the largest such shift in age in the EU.
Some 97 per cent of Irish households have a colour television and 72 per cent a video recorder, which ranks as the second highest ownership rate in the EU.
The Republic, with Belgium, has third lowest mobile phone ownership rate in the EU. In 2000, 50 per cent of Irish people living in a household had a mobile compared to 80 per cent in Finland.