Irish people buck the EU trend by getting happier as they age

Plenty of Irish people may be unhappy with their financial situation, but we are among the most educated; we consider ourselves very healthy; and our satisfaction with our lot seems to improve as we get older.

Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, has put together a comprehensive study, ‘Quality of life in Europe’, looking at how various factors, including health, work, education, and financial status impact on our lives.

The survey data was taken in 2013 when the country was only emerging from recession. It found 49.2% of Irish people had a “low satisfaction with their financial situation”, 14.1% were at risk of poverty, 9.9% were classed as severely materially deprived, and 36.8% were making ends meet with difficulty or great difficulty.