irish Medical graduates: One-Third Initially move Abroad, But Many Return
Dublin, Ireland – A new analysis of graduate data reveals that almost a third (31%) of doctors who qualified in Ireland in 2013 moved abroad within a decade of graduation.The study, conducted by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), highlights a pattern of outward migration followed by return for Irish-trained medical professionals.
The CSO data shows that of the 2013 medical graduates, 489 nurses and midwives – representing 37% of that cohort – initially left Ireland. However, a notable majority, 303 (62%), afterward returned within the ten-year period.
The trend reflects ongoing recruitment efforts targeting Irish graduates by healthcare systems in countries like Australia and the middle East, where they are employed in substantial numbers. Notably, a majority of nurses registering for the first time in Ireland in recent years actually qualified abroad.
CSO statistician Brian Stanley cautioned that the figures representing those who moved abroad are based on individuals not appearing in Irish administrative data for at least one year post-graduation. “While it is assumed that graduates who were ‘not captured’ have emigrated,” he stated, “there is no definitive indicator of emigration available.”
Despite initial outward movement, the study found strong retention within the medical professions. Ten years after completing their courses,95% of medicine graduates and 88% of nurses and midwives were still working in their respective fields.
the data also reveals a consistent employment pattern within the Irish healthcare system.In 2023, 70% of nurses/midwives and 71% of doctors who qualified in 2013 were employed by the public health service.
Moreover, the statistics highlight a gender pay gap that widens over time. Male graduates, in both medicine and nursing, earn more on average than their female counterparts.Doctors who graduated in 2013 earned an average of €26 more per week 12 months after qualifying, increasing to €790 more per week after a decade. For nurses and midwives, the differences were €30 and €219 respectively.
