People in Ireland continue to strongly support human rights, equality and fairness, but a growing gap is emerging between support for these principles and confidence that they are being realised in people's everyday lives, according to the 2026 IHREC Annual Public Attitudes Poll.
The nationally representative poll of 1,205 adults, conducted between 12 and 24 May 2026, finds that 84% believe everyone should be treated equally regardless of background, while very high majorities regard economic and social rights such as affordable healthcare, housing and adequate earnings as important.
At the same time, confidence that equality and human rights are being delivered fairly has fallen sharply.
Only 39% now believe that everyone in Ireland enjoys the same basic human rights, down from 48% in both 2025 and 2024. Just 53% believe they have equal opportunities to get ahead in life, compared with 62% last year. Most strikingly, only 26% believe efforts to combat discrimination are effective, down from 40% in 2025.
The findings suggest that public opinion is not turning away from human rights and equality. Rather, people increasingly want to see those principles translated into tangible improvements in their lives.
Women and younger people see a more unequal Ireland
The poll reveals significant differences in how people experience and assess equality.
Women are consistently more likely than men to express concern about discrimination, economic insecurity, fairness and the adequacy of Government responses. Women are also significantly less likely to believe that efforts to combat discrimination are effective.
The gender divide is particularly visible in perceptions of economic fairness. Just 8% of women believe wealth is distributed fairly in Ireland, compared with 15% of men.
Men are also significantly more likely than women to believe that everyone enjoys their basic human rights equally, that Government is doing enough to address racism, and that Ireland welcomes diversity.
Differences in attitudes according to age are equally striking.
While 65% of adults say they have a strong understanding of human rights, the proportion is highest among 18–24-year-olds at 75% while adults aged 50 and over had the lowest level, with 63% reporting a strong understanding.
Yet younger people are much less confident about their ability to experience equality in practice. Only 40% of 18–24-year-olds believe they have equal opportunities to get ahead in life, down from 60% last year. By contrast, adults aged 65 and over remain the age group most likely to believe they have equal opportunities.
Younger adults are also significantly more likely to have witnessed racism and disability discrimination. 26% of 18–24-year-olds witnessed disability discrimination in the past year, compared with just 4% of those aged 65 and over.
Strong support for economic and social rights
The poll also demonstrates that people understand human rights and equality through the realities of everyday life.
87% of respondents are worried about the cost of living. Yet only 12% believe Government is doing enough to address cost-of-living pressures, while 72% disagree. Similarly, only 11% believe wealth is distributed fairly in Ireland.
There is overwhelming support for Government action on economic, social and cultural rights:
- 94% consider affordable healthcare important
- 91% consider affordable housing important
- 91% consider adequate pensions important
- 90% consider adequate earnings important
- 90% consider public transport important
- 89% consider disability benefits important
Women and older adults consistently place greater importance on these rights.
These findings reinforce the connection between human rights and issues that people experience every day — from the affordability of housing and healthcare to income, transport, disability supports and the cost of living.
Recognition of discrimination does not always translate into confidence in fair treatment
The poll also finds widespread recognition that discrimination continues to affect particular groups.
Three quarters (74%) agree that refugees and asylum seekers experience racism and discrimination. However, confidence in their treatment is considerably lower: only 49% believe they have access to adequate accommodation and 47% believe they are treated fairly.
Among non-Irish respondents, 25% report personally experiencing racism in the previous year, while 42% say they witnessed racism.
Women and younger adults are less likely to believe refugees and asylum seekers are treated fairly, while younger people are significantly more likely to report witnessing racism.
A public that supports equality but wants greater action
The poll presents a clear challenge for policymakers and public institutions.
There remains very strong public support for the underlying principles of equality and human rights. But this support is accompanied by declining confidence that institutions are delivering those principles effectively.
Only 31% believe Government is doing enough to address racism, while 42% disagree.
The same pattern is evident in relation to artificial intelligence. As awareness and use of AI increase, 80% believe public bodies should register AI systems used in delivering public services and 81% believe Government should regulate AI. Yet only 13% believe Government is currently regulating AI effectively.
The findings therefore point to a wider question about public confidence: not simply whether people believe in human rights and equality, but whether they believe those rights are being experienced equally and protected effectively.
Liam Herrick, Chief Commissioner, IHREC said
“The findings from this year's poll point to a very important distinction. The vast majority of people in Ireland continue to strongly support human rights, equality and fairness. But increasingly, they are questioning whether those principles are being realised in practice. “That gap between rights in principle and rights in practice should concern all of us. It is particularly striking among women and younger people, who are more likely to identify discrimination, inequality and economic insecurity, and less likely to believe that current responses are working effectively. “The message from the public is not that human rights and equality matter less. It is that they matter deeply, and people expect to see them reflected in their everyday lives. “Whether someone can afford a home, access healthcare, earn an adequate income, participate fully in society or live free from discrimination are all questions of fairness and human rights. The challenge now is to turn Ireland's very strong commitment to equality into greater confidence that people are actually experiencing those rights equally in practice.”
About the poll
The 2026 IHREC Annual Public Attitudes Poll is based on a nationally representative sample of 1,205 adults in Ireland, with data collected between 12 and 24 May 2026 through an online survey administered by Ipsos B&A. The maximum margin of error is +/- 2.8%.
The poll also finds that awareness of IHREC continues to increase, with 46% having heard of the Commission prior to participating in the survey, compared with 44% in 2025. Among those aware of IHREC, confidence in its effectiveness has also increased, including in its legal work and its role in holding Government to account.
ENDS
Chief Commissioner Liam Herrick is available for interview on the implications of our annual poll, and Caoimhe de Barra, IHREC Head of Strategic Engagement, is available for Irish language media.
Tá urlabhraí Gaeilge ar fáil: Caoimhe de Barra - 086 607 6972.
The IHREC annual poll can be accessed at: