'Progress' report highlights living expenses and increase in serious crime
New figures from the CSO show that Ireland is still an expensive place to live, where serious crime is increasing and class sizes are amongst the biggest in Europe.
The "Measuring Ireland's Progress" report provides a snapshot of life in 2010, revealing that our country now has the highest proportion of young people in the EU.
This report confirms we were still in recession in 2010, and says Ireland was the fifth most expensive State in the EU, with prices 18% above average.
Average class size in primary was second highest in Europe and our 15-year-olds were below average in maths, but above average in literacy.
In the area of health, current public spending on health averaged €3,234 per person, an increase of more than half on the 2000 level.
And on crime, serious offences are up - kidnappings doubled, drug crime increased by two thirds, and weapons offences were up by more than half.
But the report says the number of murders and manslaughters fell from a peak of 84 in 2007 to 60 in 2009.
