Mark Henry
@drmarkhenry.bsky.social
Insight into progress and well-being in Ireland and around the world from the author of ‘In Fact: An Optimist’s Guide to Ireland at 100’. Optimism and positivity abound.
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Mark Henry
@drmarkhenry.bsky.social
· May 29
What can Ireland teach the world? | Mark Henry | TEDxTUDublin
YouTube video by TEDx Talks
www.youtube.com
What can Ireland teach the world? The Irish have never been healthier, wealthier, better educated, or happier. The country has uncovered the blueprint for national well-being, and others can learn from its success. Watch my new TEDx talk. 🇮🇪 #TEDxTUDublin
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8LO...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8LO...
The more economic freedom people have, the less poverty there is that country. Ireland has one of the highest levels of economic freedom in the world, and one of its lowest poverty levels. (Poverty in the least free nations is 25 times greater!) We have made great progress 🇮🇪
November 26, 2025 at 7:52 AM
The more economic freedom people have, the less poverty there is that country. Ireland has one of the highest levels of economic freedom in the world, and one of its lowest poverty levels. (Poverty in the least free nations is 25 times greater!) We have made great progress 🇮🇪
The Irish economy is doing comparatively well at the moment, and Irish people know it. Along with Singapore, Australia, Poland & the Netherlands, we are the least likely people to say our country is in recession. We have our challenges, as all nations do, but we're progressing better than most 🇮🇪
November 25, 2025 at 7:44 AM
The Irish economy is doing comparatively well at the moment, and Irish people know it. Along with Singapore, Australia, Poland & the Netherlands, we are the least likely people to say our country is in recession. We have our challenges, as all nations do, but we're progressing better than most 🇮🇪
Irish people are among the longest living in the world. The average person in Ireland will live to be 83 years of age. That's less than 18 months behind the world's longest livers: the Swiss and the Japanese. And the difference between males and females here is one of the smallest anywhere. 🇮🇪
November 24, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Irish people are among the longest living in the world. The average person in Ireland will live to be 83 years of age. That's less than 18 months behind the world's longest livers: the Swiss and the Japanese. And the difference between males and females here is one of the smallest anywhere. 🇮🇪
Irish people strongly recognise the benefits of vaccinations. Three-quarters of those aged 65+ are vaccinated against the flu - one of the highest figure in the world. That will save lives and suffering for many elderly people this winter. 🧓🇮🇪
www.oecd.org/en/publicati...
www.oecd.org/en/publicati...
November 21, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Irish people strongly recognise the benefits of vaccinations. Three-quarters of those aged 65+ are vaccinated against the flu - one of the highest figure in the world. That will save lives and suffering for many elderly people this winter. 🧓🇮🇪
www.oecd.org/en/publicati...
www.oecd.org/en/publicati...
Ireland is no longer a nation of heavy drinkers. Our alcohol consumption is ranked the 20th highest of 58 countries in the latest OECD health report. Ireland hit peak consumption in 2001 but it's dropped by one-third since then. Cheers to that 🇮🇪🥂
www.oecd.org/en/publicati... @oecd-ocde.bsky.social
www.oecd.org/en/publicati... @oecd-ocde.bsky.social
November 19, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Ireland is no longer a nation of heavy drinkers. Our alcohol consumption is ranked the 20th highest of 58 countries in the latest OECD health report. Ireland hit peak consumption in 2001 but it's dropped by one-third since then. Cheers to that 🇮🇪🥂
www.oecd.org/en/publicati... @oecd-ocde.bsky.social
www.oecd.org/en/publicati... @oecd-ocde.bsky.social
How do living standards in Ireland compare to 50 years ago? The majority of Irish people agree things are better today, only a quarter think 1975 was better. The majority are correct - here and elsewhere, poverty is much reduced, incomes are higher, and longevity and health are better. 🇮🇪
November 17, 2025 at 8:02 AM
How do living standards in Ireland compare to 50 years ago? The majority of Irish people agree things are better today, only a quarter think 1975 was better. The majority are correct - here and elsewhere, poverty is much reduced, incomes are higher, and longevity and health are better. 🇮🇪
Would you prefer to be born today or 50 years ago (in 1975)? Half of Irish people opt for 1975 and only a quarter for today. But Ireland was a much more miserable place back then - we've never been wealthier, healthier, better educated or happier than we are today. Bin the nostalgia! 😄
November 14, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Would you prefer to be born today or 50 years ago (in 1975)? Half of Irish people opt for 1975 and only a quarter for today. But Ireland was a much more miserable place back then - we've never been wealthier, healthier, better educated or happier than we are today. Bin the nostalgia! 😄
Maternal death in Ireland is an extremely rare occurrence today. In the 1940s, 200 mothers died for every 100,000 child births. That figure steadily reduced thanks to improvements in medicine and science. In 5 of the last 6 years, we had no deaths whatsoever. The positive power of progress 🇮🇪
November 13, 2025 at 7:52 AM
Maternal death in Ireland is an extremely rare occurrence today. In the 1940s, 200 mothers died for every 100,000 child births. That figure steadily reduced thanks to improvements in medicine and science. In 5 of the last 6 years, we had no deaths whatsoever. The positive power of progress 🇮🇪
Ireland has become a much wealthier country over the past 30 years. Our national income grew by around 150% - and that's excluding the impact of multinational corporations and inflation. Projections suggest a further 50% growth over the next 40 years 🇮🇪📈
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
November 11, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Ireland has become a much wealthier country over the past 30 years. Our national income grew by around 150% - and that's excluding the impact of multinational corporations and inflation. Projections suggest a further 50% growth over the next 40 years 🇮🇪📈
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
The Irish population has nearly doubled in size in the past 60 years. Ireland had just 2.8 million people in the early 1960s, and now we're around 5.5m. This reflects a positive transformation of our fortunes, but with the challenges of accommodating such fast growth. 🇮🇪
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
November 10, 2025 at 7:51 AM
The Irish population has nearly doubled in size in the past 60 years. Ireland had just 2.8 million people in the early 1960s, and now we're around 5.5m. This reflects a positive transformation of our fortunes, but with the challenges of accommodating such fast growth. 🇮🇪
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
The Irish government's expenditure on health is the 3rd highest in the EU per person. They spend €6,000 per man, women & child every year - twice that of the average European country. No wonder we are one of the longest living and healthiest people in the EU. 🇮🇪👍
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
November 6, 2025 at 7:47 AM
The Irish government's expenditure on health is the 3rd highest in the EU per person. They spend €6,000 per man, women & child every year - twice that of the average European country. No wonder we are one of the longest living and healthiest people in the EU. 🇮🇪👍
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
Irish exports are a massive success story. We've doubled the amount of goods exported over the past decade. But the real success has been services - we now export FOUR times the value we did a decade ago. 🇮🇪📈
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
November 5, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Irish exports are a massive success story. We've doubled the amount of goods exported over the past decade. But the real success has been services - we now export FOUR times the value we did a decade ago. 🇮🇪📈
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
Ireland is the 6th freest country in the world, economically speaking. In fact, the Fraser Institute's Economic Freedom Report judges Ireland to be the freest in the EU for working, transacting, contracting, and owning and using productive property. 🇮🇪👏
www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/econ...
www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/econ...
November 3, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Ireland is the 6th freest country in the world, economically speaking. In fact, the Fraser Institute's Economic Freedom Report judges Ireland to be the freest in the EU for working, transacting, contracting, and owning and using productive property. 🇮🇪👏
www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/econ...
www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/econ...
Irish men are 8cm taller today than they were a century ago thanks to better nutrition and less disease. The height of Irish men had barely changed in previous centuries, aside from those whose growth was stunted in the Great Famine. Great progress 🧍♂️🇮🇪
ourworldindata.org/grapher/aver...
ourworldindata.org/grapher/aver...
October 30, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Irish men are 8cm taller today than they were a century ago thanks to better nutrition and less disease. The height of Irish men had barely changed in previous centuries, aside from those whose growth was stunted in the Great Famine. Great progress 🧍♂️🇮🇪
ourworldindata.org/grapher/aver...
ourworldindata.org/grapher/aver...
Ireland is among the very best countries in the world in establishing and maintaining the rule of law. 🇮🇪👍 We rank 8th alongside Nordic & Western European nations and NZ. The rule of law is the foundation stone of a democratic society and imperative for social and economic development. A great result
October 29, 2025 at 7:52 AM
Ireland is among the very best countries in the world in establishing and maintaining the rule of law. 🇮🇪👍 We rank 8th alongside Nordic & Western European nations and NZ. The rule of law is the foundation stone of a democratic society and imperative for social and economic development. A great result
Ireland has the 10th best reputation of any nation in the world among G7 countries. Citizens of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK & US rated places on factors such as trust, admiration, respect, and overall image. A strong result for Ireland 🇮🇪🎉
corporatereputationlab.com/en/canada-an...
corporatereputationlab.com/en/canada-an...
October 28, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Ireland has the 10th best reputation of any nation in the world among G7 countries. Citizens of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK & US rated places on factors such as trust, admiration, respect, and overall image. A strong result for Ireland 🇮🇪🎉
corporatereputationlab.com/en/canada-an...
corporatereputationlab.com/en/canada-an...
Well-being levels in Ireland are among the highest in the EU. The European Commission's Social Scoreboard assess equal opportunities, fair working conditions, social protection & inclusion. Ireland is judged a best performer or better than average in 10 of 18 criteria. 🇮🇪👏
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
October 22, 2025 at 6:32 AM
Well-being levels in Ireland are among the highest in the EU. The European Commission's Social Scoreboard assess equal opportunities, fair working conditions, social protection & inclusion. Ireland is judged a best performer or better than average in 10 of 18 criteria. 🇮🇪👏
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
Ireland has one of the youngest populations in Europe. There are 4+ working age people for every person aged 65 years and over. That gives us the lowest old age dependency ratio in Europe (after Luxembourg) and a good basis to support our aging population 🇮🇪🧑🧓
ec.europa.eu/eurostat/sta...
ec.europa.eu/eurostat/sta...
October 2, 2025 at 6:43 AM
Ireland has one of the youngest populations in Europe. There are 4+ working age people for every person aged 65 years and over. That gives us the lowest old age dependency ratio in Europe (after Luxembourg) and a good basis to support our aging population 🇮🇪🧑🧓
ec.europa.eu/eurostat/sta...
ec.europa.eu/eurostat/sta...
Interestingly, Irish people own far fewer cars than most Europeans. Italians own 7 cars for every 10 people, but in Ireland we own fewer than 5. Is it due to our small size, so we've less far to travel? Does our public transport do the job well for most people? 🚗🇮🇪
ec.europa.eu/eurostat/sta...
ec.europa.eu/eurostat/sta...
September 30, 2025 at 6:43 AM
Interestingly, Irish people own far fewer cars than most Europeans. Italians own 7 cars for every 10 people, but in Ireland we own fewer than 5. Is it due to our small size, so we've less far to travel? Does our public transport do the job well for most people? 🚗🇮🇪
ec.europa.eu/eurostat/sta...
ec.europa.eu/eurostat/sta...
Ireland has one of the lowest poverty rates in Europe. 17% of Irish people are considered at risk of poverty or social exclusion due to low incomes and material deprivation. That's one of the lowest in Europe, with only five other countries doing better.
www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-europ...
www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-europ...
September 26, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Ireland has one of the lowest poverty rates in Europe. 17% of Irish people are considered at risk of poverty or social exclusion due to low incomes and material deprivation. That's one of the lowest in Europe, with only five other countries doing better.
www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-europ...
www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-europ...
Irish people overwhelmingly listen to American music. 57% of our top artists on Spotify are American, 24% are British, and just 8.5% are local. Only Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders listen to a greater share of American music than the Irish. 🎶
www.skoove.com/blog/spotify...
www.skoove.com/blog/spotify...
September 25, 2025 at 6:45 AM
Irish people overwhelmingly listen to American music. 57% of our top artists on Spotify are American, 24% are British, and just 8.5% are local. Only Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders listen to a greater share of American music than the Irish. 🎶
www.skoove.com/blog/spotify...
www.skoove.com/blog/spotify...
The world is becoming safer for most people. 73% of adults worldwide say they feel safe walking alone at night in their city or area - the highest level since Gallup began asking this in 2006. The next challenge is to close the gender gap whereby women feel less safe.
news.gallup.com/poll/695240/...
news.gallup.com/poll/695240/...
September 24, 2025 at 6:53 AM
The world is becoming safer for most people. 73% of adults worldwide say they feel safe walking alone at night in their city or area - the highest level since Gallup began asking this in 2006. The next challenge is to close the gender gap whereby women feel less safe.
news.gallup.com/poll/695240/...
news.gallup.com/poll/695240/...
Ireland is the 18th most innovative country in the world according to the Global Innovation Index. The World Intellectual Property Organisation ranks 130 nations on policy, education, infrastructure & knowledge creation. Ireland is Europe's 10th most innovative - its highest ranking since 2020. 🇮🇪👏
September 23, 2025 at 6:46 AM
Ireland is the 18th most innovative country in the world according to the Global Innovation Index. The World Intellectual Property Organisation ranks 130 nations on policy, education, infrastructure & knowledge creation. Ireland is Europe's 10th most innovative - its highest ranking since 2020. 🇮🇪👏
It was a thrilling experience for me to be part of the Culture Night programme. Thanks to the Institute of International & European Affairs for inviting me to speak on 'Ideas for a Better World' with Eileen Dunne & Heather Burke. Lots of great ideas floated and very thoughtful audience engagement. 👏
September 22, 2025 at 11:45 AM
It was a thrilling experience for me to be part of the Culture Night programme. Thanks to the Institute of International & European Affairs for inviting me to speak on 'Ideas for a Better World' with Eileen Dunne & Heather Burke. Lots of great ideas floated and very thoughtful audience engagement. 👏
Youth alcohol consumption in Ireland is declining. Teenagers today consume 25% less than kids in the 1990s. In fact, our children consume less alcohol than the average European. Good progress. 🇮🇪👍
alcoholireland.ie/youth-drinki...
alcoholireland.ie/youth-drinki...
September 19, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Youth alcohol consumption in Ireland is declining. Teenagers today consume 25% less than kids in the 1990s. In fact, our children consume less alcohol than the average European. Good progress. 🇮🇪👍
alcoholireland.ie/youth-drinki...
alcoholireland.ie/youth-drinki...