Cork and Kerry children the healthiest in the country, new survey finds

CSO data shows the general health of more than 90% of children across the country was deemed to be 'good or very good'

Almost 20% of children have a 'long-standing illness' or health problem, CSO survey shows.

Almost 20% of children have a “long-standing illness” or health problem, with boys more likely to have them than girls, a new survey has shown.

On the other hand, the general health of more than 90% of children across the country was deemed to be “good or very good”, with children in Cork and Kerry reported as the healthiest, according to the Central Statistics Office.

Following on from its health survey of Irish adults last week, which showed younger generations drinking less alcohol than their parents and grandparents, Friday saw the CSO release its data on the state of children’s health in Ireland last year.

The general health of over 90% of children aged 2 to 17 years was considered to be good or very good in 2024https://t.co/QKSyAZh18Q#CSOIreland #Ireland #Health #HSE #IrishHealthSurvey@CoruIreland @HealthyIreland @HSELive @HSEQuitTeam pic.twitter.com/czNvDlmL42

— Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) July 18, 2025

In terms of a long-standing illness or health problem, the CSO said this referred to issues that have lasted or are expected to last for six months or more.

“Health problems cover different physical, emotional, behavioural, and mental dimensions of health,” it said.

“Besides diseases and disorders, they can also include pain, ill-health caused by accidents and injuries, and congenital conditions.” 

It found 19.9% of boys aged two to 17 were reported to have a long-standing health problem compared to 16.6% of girls. It does not provide a breakdown of how many were affected by a mental health issue compared to a physical issue, for example.

Over the last year, it said more than one in 20 (5.6%) of children had been admitted to hospital as an inpatient, while one in seven had attended hospital as a day-case patient.

Some 92.3% of nine to 12 year olds engage in leisure activities.

As well as overall health, the survey also looked at how children are taking care of their teeth, as well as the medicines they are taking.

“The general dental health of four in five (82.3%) children aged two to 17 years was considered to be 'good or very good', while 3.2% were considered to have 'bad or very bad' general dental health,” CSO statistician Sarah Crilly said.

“Regarding medication, more than half of children aged two to 17 years (51.1%) had taken prescription medicine, non-prescription medicine, or vitamins in the two weeks prior to interview. Prescription medicine was taken by 18.7% of children aged two to 17 years and non-prescription medicine or vitamins were taken by 41.9% of children.

“Almost half of children aged two to 17 years (48.8%) needed a medical examination or treatment (excluding dental) for a health problem in the past 12 months.” 

Turning to a child’s nutrition, the survey also asked if they had been eating fruits and vegetables at least once a day, or if they had eaten meat, chicken, fish or a vegetarian equivalent.

While more than 90% had been eating at least one of the meat options once a day, the rate at which they were eating fruits and vegetables declined noticeably with age.

While 91.5% of children aged two to eight ate fruits and vegetables at least once a day, this fell to 84.3% of 13-17 year olds, showing teenagers were less likely to be getting some fruit and veg into their daily diets.

High numbers were also recorded for children engaging in leisure activities, such as swimming, playing an instrument, or being in a youth organisation, at 84.6% of two-17 year olds.

The peak years for children engaging in such activities was nine-12 years old at 92.3%, falling to 83.6% when they became teenagers.