State of the Nation's Children report

The latest State of the Nation’s Children (SONC) report provides a comprehensive picture of children's lives in Ireland. It presents key information on children’s health, behavioural and educational outcomes, their relationships with their parents and their friends and their overall happiness and wellbeing.  The findings of this report, particularly those relating to child wellbeing, self esteem and happiness should inform policy and the delivery on programme for government commitments for children and young people.  

State of the Nation’s Children: key findings

• In 2024, it is estimated that there were 1,232,714 children living in Ireland - accounting for 22.9% of the total population.  Ireland had the highest estimated proportion of children in the European Union (23.4%). The EU-27 average was 18.0%.
• In 2022, there were 131,764 children with a disability in Ireland. This accounted for 10.8% of the child population.
• In 2022, there were 8,165 children providing regular unpaid personal help for a friend or family member with a long-term illness, health problem or disability in Ireland. This accounted for 0.7% of the child population.
• Over the period 2017 to 2022, the percentage of primary school children who were absent from school for 20 days or more increased from 12.1% to 25.1%.
• Over the period 2017 to 2022, the percentage of post-primary school children who were absent from school for 20 days or more increased from 14.6% to 22.3%.
• In 2022, 39.4% of children aged 10–17 reported feeling happy with the way they are, a substantial decrease from 2018.
• In 2022, 78.5% of children aged 10–17 reported being happy with their lives at present. This decreased substantially between 2018 and 2022.

Children with a disability

• In 2022, there were 131,764 children with a disability in Ireland. This accounted for 10.8% of the child population. 57.4% of children with a disability were boys.

• Geographically, rates of children with a disability ranged from 85.2 per 1,000 in Monaghan to 123.5 per 1,000 in Offaly.

  

Children as carers

• In 2022, there were 8,165 children providing regular unpaid personal help or support for a friend, family member or neighbour with a long-term illness, health issue, an issue related to old age or disability in Ireland. This accounted for 0.7% of the child population.  20.6% of child carers were aged nine or under.

• Geographically, rates of child carers ranged from 4.9 per 1,000 in Dún LaoghaireRathdown to 10.2 per 1,000 in Offaly.

Education

• Over the period 2018 to 2022, the percentage of primary school children who were absent from school for 20 days or more increased from 10.7% to 40.1% in 2021 and falling to 25.1% in 2022. While there was a significant decrease between 2021 and 2022 the 2022 figure is still substantially higher than earlier years.  Note: School attendance from 2019/20 to 2021/22 was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

• The average percentage of primary school children who were absent from school for 20 days or more in the 2022/23 school year was higher in urban schools (30.7%) compared to rural schools (21.5%)
• The average percentage of school children who were absent from school for 20 days or more in the 2022/23 school year was highest in schools characterised as urban, in School Support Programme Band 11 (42.9%).

• Over the period 2018 to 2022, the percentage of post-primary school children who were absent from school for 20 days or more increased from 14.5% to 26.8% in 2021 and falling to 22.3% in 2022. While there was a decrease between 2021 and 2022 the 2022 figure is still substantially higher than earlier years.

• In the 2022/23 year, the average percentage of post-primary school children who were missing for 20 days or more was lowest in secondary schools (19.9%). This average percentage was 19.5% in non-DEIS schools and 30.7% in DEIS schools.

PISA scores on literacy, science and mathematics for children

• In 2022, 15-year-old children in Ireland achieved a mean score of 516.0 on the reading literacy scale.
• Girls scored 525.4 on the reading literacy scale, compared with 507.1 for boys.
• Reading literacy scores have been decreasing in the period 2012-2022.

• In 2022, 15-year-old children in Ireland achieved a mean score of 491.6 on the mathematics literacy scale.
• Girls scored 485.1 on the mathematics literacy scale, compared with 497.8 for boys.
• The scores on the mathematics literacy scale decreased with socioeconomic status, the mean score in the high socioeconomic status group was 527.3 and in the low socioeconomic status group was 461.1

• In 2022, 15-year-old children in Ireland achieved a mean score of 503.8 on the science literacy scale.  Girls scored 501.0 on the science literacy scale, compared with 506.6 for boys. 
• Scores on the science literacy scale decreased with socioeconomic status.

The percentage of children aged 10–17 who report feeling happy with the way they are

• In 2022, 39.4% of children aged 10–17 reported feeling happy with the way they are. This decreased substantially between 2018 and 2022.
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• Among individual population groups, when compared to all other children, immigrant children and children with a disability and/or chronic illness were less likely to report feeling happy with the way they are across all years examined, while Traveller children were more likely to report feeling happy with the way they are.
• Children with a disability and/or chronic illness were the population group with the lowest percentage who reported feeling happy with the way they are.
• A lower percentage of females than males reported feeling happy with the way they are.

• On average, the percentage of children who reported feeling happy with the way they are decreased with age.
•  The percentage of children who reported feeling happy with the way they are was lowest among the low social class group. This group saw the biggest drop from 2018 to 2022 dropping by 20 points from 56.9% to 36.2%.
• The percentage of children who reported feeling happy with the way they are ranged from 37.2% in Dublin to 44.5% in the South-East. The percentage of children who reported feeling happy with the way they are decreased in all regions from 2018 to 2022.

The Programme for Government contains a series of commitments on children and young people in the section 'Investing in our Future'.  The findings from the latest State of the Nation's Children report, particularly those around education outcomes and socio-economic background, declining child wellbeing and happiness and the outcomes for children with a disability should serve as a wake up call to Government and must inform policy and investment for children and young people.