Human Development & Quality of Life in Ireland
HDI 0.949 · UNDP rank 11 · latest published data
Ireland's 2023 HDI is 0.949, placing it 11 in UNDP's table and in the very high human development category. That rank is only the starting point. Inequality produces a visible but not dominant adjustment, taking HDI 0.949 to IHDI 0.886 with a 6.6% loss. In a different dimension, gender inequality is low on the GII scale at 0.054, with UNDP rank 19.
What sits inside Ireland's HDI
Looking at the published indicators, Ireland's health, education and income inputs are 82.4 life expectancy, 19.2 expected schooling, 11.7 mean schooling and $90,885 GNI per capita in 2021 PPP terms. They belong to the HDI calculation rather than separate DigifyWorld scores.
Inequality changes the headline
The inequality-adjusted measure for Ireland applies a distribution penalty to the same three HDI dimensions. It should therefore be read alongside HDI, not as a separate life-satisfaction score.
Gender and planetary-pressure adjustments
Alongside the headline HDI, the published data for Ireland include GDI 1.001, GII 0.054, PHDI 0.752. They are related indicators, but they should not be combined into one country score. For the profile as a whole, preserve the distinction between level and distribution so the page stays faithful to the published evidence.
A separate quality-of-life signal
The page can add a comparable subjective well-being result for Ireland, 7.60/10 in 2023. A subjective well-being observation is contextual information here, not an HDI component.
What Ireland's numbers say together
For a fuller view of Ireland, the page shows IHDI 0.886 with a 6.6% loss; PHDI 0.752 after a 20.8% adjustment; GDI 1.001; life satisfaction 7.60/10 (2023). Their scopes differ, which is why the page presents them side by side rather than blending them.
At 0.949, Ireland's 2023 HDI corresponds to UNDP rank 11. The ranking reflects the HDI framework only and does not capture every aspect of lived experience. For a like-for-like reading, keep missing fields explicitly missing before comparing it with a quality-of-life observation.
The IHDI is 0.886, and UNDP reports an overall loss of 6.6% relative to the headline index.
The GDI value is 1.001 in group 1; it should be read alongside, not merged into, HDI.
A comparable 2023 observation places Ireland's life satisfaction at 7.60/10. Life satisfaction remains distinct from the health, education and income dimensions used by HDI.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ireland's HDI?
For the 2023 observation year, UNDP reports HDI 0.949 and rank 11 for Ireland.
How does inequality affect Ireland's HDI?
After the inequality adjustment, Ireland's index falls to 0.886; UNDP quantifies the overall loss at 6.6%. For the profile as a whole, keep missing fields explicitly missing before drawing conclusions from small differences.
What is the life satisfaction score shown for Ireland?
Ireland's cited OECD life-satisfaction value is 7.60 out of 10 for 2023. A subjective well-being observation is contextual information here, not an HDI component.
Is HDI the same as quality of life?
No. HDI has three core dimensions: health, knowledge and standard of living. Quality-of-life evidence is presented alongside HDI only when a comparable observation is available.
Sources & methodology
Sources for the development indicators and definitions shown above.
View sources used for this page
Primary source for 2023 HDI and its components, plus IHDI, GDI, GII and PHDI where reported.
Report edition underlying the 2023 human-development indices and ranking.
Source for the dated 0-10 life-satisfaction observation. This separate measure is not part of HDI.
Data note: Reference years are shown with each indicator; unavailable observations remain unfilled.