Over 2.1 million people have private health insurance in Ireland, the latest figures show.

According to the Health Insurance Authority (HIA), at the end of June 2016, 2,133,000 people were insured with inpatient health insurance plans - an increase of almost 7,000 when compared to the end of March 2016.

This means that 45.6% of the population is now privately insured. The market hit its peak at the end of 2008, when 2.3 million people - almost 51% of the population - held private insurance.

One of the main functions of the HIA is to provide information to consumers about private health insurance. Last year, it received around 435,000 contacts from consumers with queries about insurance.

"At the end of 2015, there were 360 private health insurance products being marketed, a marginal increase on 355 at the end of 2014. The number and range of products available means that consumers continue to need support to work out which products best meet their needs," commented HIA chief executive, Don Gallagher.

For more information on health insurance, including a comparison of all insurance plans currently available, click here