Dublin: The Department of Health Ireland has reported a 6% increase in the number of nurses across the country compared to 2025, reflecting continued growth in Ireland’s healthcare workforce.
The data was released as part of the Non-Monetary Healthcare Statistics Questionnaire, a collaborative initiative involving Eurostat, OECD and the World Health Organization.
Workforce Growth Across Key Sectors
According to the latest figures:
- The total number of nurses has reached 76,558, marking a 6% rise
- The number of physicians has increased by 4%
- Midwives have grown by 3%
- Pharmacists now number 6,250, up 9% year-on-year
- Dentist numbers have increased by 4%
- Physiotherapists have risen to 6,390, up from 5,927 in 2023
There has also been a steady increase in healthcare graduates, with 3,455 students completing studies in medicine, nursing, midwifery, dentistry and pharmacy—an increase of 1.6% compared to the previous year.
Increase in Medical Procedures
The report also highlights a rise in key medical procedures:
- Cataract surgeries increased from 39,347 in 2023 to 44,105 last year
- Hip replacement procedures rose from 12,830 in 2022 to 13,491
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