Heading into 2025, we see more people in Ireland are feeling positive about the year ahead than was the case this time last year, following a steady increase in public mood throughout the year. We are also seeing a more positive attitude towards personal finances.

And while most of our priorities remain the same, we do see some shifts in our hopes and expectations and spending intentions for the year ahead.

Life in Ireland

• Sentiment towards living in Ireland has improved year on year, with more people having positive feelings about living here.
• More people believe Ireland is a good place to grow up in (seven in ten) than grow old in (six in ten) – however, the latter measure has increased from a score of just over five in ten in 2023.
• Our natural beauty remains our biggest perceived asset, however there is a significant increase in those citing weather as our least appealing feature compared to 2022.
• There has been a significant increase in those who say we embrace different sexualities. Contrasting this, there has been a decline in those who say we look out for people less fortunate – is that sense of community spirit missing for some?
• Our healthcare system continues to be ranked the biggest challenge about living in Ireland. This is no surprise as throughout the year we have seen people cite access to quality healthcare as one of the most important issues in Ireland today.
• We also see an increase in those saying our intolerance of minority groups and our willingness to bend the rules are some of the worst things about life in Ireland. Are inclusion, tolerance and ethics becoming a bigger priority for Irish people?

Managing our finances in 2025

• There is a more positive attitude towards personal finances for the year ahead, with more people expecting to have money left over at the end of every month, more people feeling they can handle an unexpected expense, and less people feeling like their finances ‘control my life’.
• Our biggest area of spend in 2024 was on grocery shopping. When we look at 2025, there is a real determination to spend less on household expenses and more on experiences such as holidays.
• Irish people are looking to cut back on discretionary spends across all categories in 2025 with the exception of savings or investments. However, our intention to cutback has lessened overall since last year – perhaps we are feeling worn-out by the cost-of-living crisis.
• Our biggest non-essential spends in 2024 were transport, pubs and restaurants and clothes shopping. For 2025, we intend to spend more money on personal care, home décor and entertainment and less on pharmacies and streaming services than we did in 2024.

What will motivate us in 2025

• Irish people plan on getting fitter/ healthier, spending time with family and taking care of their mental health with less of a focus on cutting spend and upskilling than last year’s results.
• Celebrating events with family and friends, travel and career progression remain the top motivating factors for 2025.

The public mood in 2025

• Cost of living crisis and energy crisis have less of an impact on planned spending compared to previous years. Overall, significantly less people are looking to cut back on spending. This could be due to spend cutbacks over the past one - two years having the desired effect.
• Significantly more people plan to save regularly in 2025 compared to last year.
• 49% of people are upbeat about living in Ireland, up from 44% last year and 39% two years ago.
• While there is growth in government supports helping people get on the property ladder - there is little hope that either the rental market or housing market will be more affordable in 2025.
• Fewer Irish people plan on implementing eco-friendly behaviours in 2025, compared to last year but still ahead of 2022.

Read the full #ReflectingIreland report here.

Read our blog on how connecting with each other keeps us positive here.

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