Bereavement and Grief
Bereavement and grief will impact every person at some point in life, shaping emotional wellbeing, relationships, identity, physical health and for some financial security. When a person is bereaved, the effects can impact their daily functioning, their ability to work, their mental health, and their sense of meaning. Yet despite bereavement being a universal experience, it is an experience that is often overlooked or minimised by society.
How many people are bereaved in Ireland each year?
We do not have exact figures for how many people are bereaved each year in Ireland, but we do know that for every death, on average up to 10 people are significantly impacted , both adults and children 17 . Many more friends and wider family members will also be impacted. This means that over 350,000 people are newly bereaved each year. That is around 6% of the Irish population.
In a national survey from Irish Hospice Foundation, 84% of people said they had experienced the loss of someone close to them at some point in their life 18 .
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Dying, Death and Bereavement in Ireland 2026
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