The rate of at risk of poverty increased last year, to 12.6 per cent, the highest it has been in the past five years, according to the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) assessment on household income.
The CSO’s annual household survey, covering a broad range of issues in relation to income and living conditions, was released on Wednesday. The results cover the first seven months of 2025 and income received in the 2024 calendar year.
Among its key findings were that the “at risk of poverty rate” was 12.6 per cent, up from 11.7 per cent in 2024.
It’s higher than the 10.6 per cent rate in 2023 and previous years (12.5 per cent in 2022 and 11.8 per cent in 2021).
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People living in rented accommodation were more likely to be at risk of poverty at 24.2 per cent, when compared with those living in owner-occupied accommodation (7.4 per cent).
Responding to the survey, Barnardos children’s charity said it was “concerned to see the number of children at risk of poverty increased”, from 15.3 per cent to 16.9 per cent.
Barnardos chief executive Suzanne Connolly said the statistics “demonstrate limited progress made last year in tackling child poverty and deprivation. A significant proportion of families we support continued to struggle to provide children with basic essential last year.
“Too many children we support continue to live in homes with parents struggling to provide their children with the basics. The Government needs to continue targeting supports at families most at risk of deprivation.”
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Looking at factors such as employment status, household composition and tenure, the CSO analysis revealed significant differences.
Three in 10 unemployed people (29.3 per cent) and a similar proportion of people who were unable to work due to long-standing health problems (28.4 per cent) were at risk of poverty. This compares with 5.7 per cent of those who described themselves as employed.
The at risk of poverty rate was also highest in households composed of one adult aged 65 years and over (30.3 per cent), followed by households of one adult aged 64 or under (20.0 per cent). The rate was lowest for those living in households with two adults, both aged under 65 (5.2 per cent).
In 2024, the Government continued its implementation of a suite of cost-of-living measures aimed at helping households meet higher costs of living. If these measures were excluded from income, the at risk of poverty rate would have been higher, 14.9 per cent in 2025, the CSO found.
Among its other findings on poverty rates, the CSO found that the “consistent poverty rate”, those people who are both at risk of poverty and experiencing enforced deprivation, was 4.7 per cent in 2025, which was slightly lower compared with 2024 (5 per cent) but higher than 2023 (3.6 per cent).
The 10 per cent of households with the lowest disposable income had an average nominal disposable income of €329 per week, compared with €3,496 per week for the 10 per cent of households with the highest disposable income.
The median household disposable income in 2025 was €61,666, up by €2,744 compared with 2024.
Adjusting for inflation, real median nominal household disposable income increased by 2.4 per cent in 2025.
After deducting payments for tax, social insurance contributions, pension contributions, and inter-household transfers, the average weekly disposable income was €1,374.
However, this varied considerably by groups across society, as the 10 per cent of households with the lowest disposable income had a mean weekly nominal gross income of €363. After deductions, these households had an average net disposable income of €329 per week.
Households in the 10th-decile income bracket, the highest, had a mean weekly gross income of €5,787. After deductions, households in the 10th decile had an average €3,496 in disposable income.
The median equivalised disposable income in 2025 was €31,767, up €1,771 (5.9 per cent) from 2024.
