People across the globe are living longer than ever before and this is particularly true on the island of Ireland.
Over the last 100 years, the average life expectancy from birth in Ireland and Northern Ireland has risen by several decades according to experts.
As healthcare improves and incredible strides are made in the treatment and prevention of illnesses, male life expectancy has risen by 22.2 years - a 38.7% jump - in the 90 years up to 2016, while female life expectancy gained an extra 25.5 years.
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According to figures, men living in the mid-eastern counties like Kildare, Louth, Meath, and Wicklow live the longest while women living in the West of Ireland in counties Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Leitrim, Mayo, and Roscommon, have the longest life expectancy.
On the other side of that scale, men living in the mid-west - counties Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary - have the lowest life expectancy at 79 - as do women living in the same areas, with a life expectancy of 82.5.
According to the CSO, male life expectancy at birth in Ireland in 2016 - 79.6 - was the 8th highest in the EU and above the EU average of 78.2.
However, Irish female life expectancy at birth, at 83.4 was slightly below the EU average of 83.7 and was the 15th highest in the EU.
The number of people in Ireland, north and south of the border aged 85+ is also set to accelerate over the coming decades.
In 2019 there were 73,000 people aged 85+ in the Republic and this is expected to rise to 301,000 by 2051, according to the Central Statistics Office.
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