EUROPEAN ANTI-POVERTY NETWORK IRELAND
PRESS STATEMENT: SURVEY OF INCOME AND LIVING CONDITIONS 2024
20 March 2025
URGENT ACTION NEEDED FROM GOVERNMENT AS LATEST DATA SHOWS POVERTY INCREASED IN 2024
The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) Ireland today expressed shock, but not surprise, as the latest findings from the CSO showed that poverty levels increased across all measures between 2023 and 2024. The Government’s commitment is to reduce consistent poverty to 2% or less by the end of this year, but levels increased from 3.6% in 2023 to 5% or over 264,000 people in 2024, the highest rate since 2019.
Speaking following the release of the Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) 2024, Paul Ginnell, Director of the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) Ireland stated that “We are shocked and deeply concerned about what this lasted data on poverty shows us. Even with the cost-of-living measures in place, poverty levels increased in 2024. Our concern now is what the new Government will do to address this given that the cost of living is still increasing. This must focus on permanent and not one-off measures.”
“Poverty levels were particularly high for children, who account for almost 2 in every 5 people in consistent poverty. Other groups experiencing particularly high level of poverty include those who are unemployed, 18.9% of whom are in consistent poverty, with 19% or almost 1 in 5 of those unable to work due to long-standing health problems also in consistent poverty. 11% of lone parent households were in consistent households with over 46% experiencing enforced deprivation. There is also a stark difference depending on whether you own your home or not, with those renting or living rent free accounting for 3 in 4 of those in consistent poverty”. said Mr Ginnell.
Mr Ginnell concluded “This year the Government’s Roadmap for Social Inclusion will come to an end and It looks like they are on course to dramatically fail to achieve the overall goal of reducing consistent poverty to 2% or less, and leave so many people struggling to live a life with dignity. Any new strategy must do better, and seriously address the structural changes needed to make a real impact. This includes ensuring everyone has an income that is adequate for a decent life and investing in the public delivery of quality and affordable public services. This must be an immediate focus for Government.”
Key findings from the Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC): Enforced Deprivation 2024:
- The at risk of poverty threshold increased to €17,998 in 2024. This is the 60% poverty line. The poverty line was €344.92 per week.
- 11.7% or over 618,000 of people were at risk of poverty in 2024, up from 3.6% in 2023. 14.1% would have been at-risk of poverty without the cost-of living measures.
- At risk of poverty rate for children was 15.3%. One in three of those who were unemployed (34.1%) and those unable to work due to a long-standing health problems (32.5%) were at-risk of poverty. Around one quarter of those in single adult households were at-risk of poverty including households with single adults aged 65 and over (25.9%), single adults under 65 (24%) and lone parent families (24.2%). 21.8% of those renting or rent free were also at-risk of poverty, three times higher than those who owned their home (7.3%).
- The percentage of people living in enforced deprivation decreased from 17.3% in 2023 to 15.7% or almost 830,000 people in 2024. This is those who could not afford 2 of 11 essential items.
- The groups most likely to experience enforced deprivation in 2024 were those living in single-adult households with children under 18 (46.3%); unable to work due to long-standing health problems (38.5%); unemployed (37.8%); and those living in rented or rent-free accommodation (31.5%). Over one in five children (21.2%) was in enforced deprivation
- The consistent poverty rate, those people who are both at risk of poverty and experiencing enforced deprivation, was 5.0%, compared with 3.6% for the previous year, 4.9% in 2022 and 4.2% in 2021.
- Consistent poverty was highest for those who were unemployed (18.9), those unable to work due to long-standing health problems (19%) and lone parent households (11%). 8.5% of children were in consistent poverty, up from 4.8% in 2023 and accounting for almost two in five of all those in consistent poverty and Over one in eight of those renting or rent free (12.5%) were in consistent poverty compared to 1.7% of those who owned their home.
- The 10% of households with the lowest disposable income (i.e. the first decile) had a mean nominal disposable income of €309 per week, compared to €3,257 per week for households in the tenth or highest income decile.
- In SILC 2024, the quintile share ratio stood at 3.8, unchanged from 2023. This indicates that the total income of the richest 20% was almost four times that of the poorest 20%.
ENDS
Contact: Paul Ginnell, Director: paul@eapn.ie – 087-06402200
NOTES
- Spokesperson in available for interview.
- The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) Ireland is a network of 150 local and national anti-poverty organisations and individuals. It is the Irish national network of the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN), which links groups fighting for the eradication of poverty across Europe. The Mission of EAPN Ireland is: ‘To put the eradication of poverty at the top of the Irish and European policy agenda and empower groups working to end poverty to understand and influence policy-making.’
- The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (20th March 2025) issued results from the Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) 2024. The Survey results are available here. Table is available below.
At-Risk of Poverty:
Anyone with an equivalised disposable income of less than 60% of the median (middle) income is considered at risk of poverty.
Enforced Deprivation
Households that are excluded and marginalised from consuming goods and services which are considered the norm for other people in society, due to an inability to afford them, are considered to be deprived. The identification of those who are deprived is currently achieved on the basis of a set of eleven basic deprivation indicators. Those who experience two or more of the following items are considered to be experiencing enforced deprivation:
- Without heating at some stage in the last year
- Unable to afford a morning, afternoon, or evening out in last fortnight
- Unable to afford two pairs of properly fitting shoes in good condition that are suitable for daily activities
- Unable to afford a roast once a week
- Unable to afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish, or vegetarian equivalent every second day
- Unable to afford new (not second-hand) clothes
- Unable to afford a warm waterproof coat
- Unable to afford to keep the home adequately warm
- Unable to afford to replace any worn out furniture
- Unable to afford to have family or friends for a drink or a meal once a month
- Unable to afford to buy presents for family or friends at least once a year
Consistent Poverty
Those whose are both at risk of poverty and experiencing enforced deprivation (experiencing two or more types of deprivation) are in consistent poverty.
Survey of Income and Living Conditions 2024 Table
| At risk of poverty, deprivation and consistent poverty rates by demographic characteristics and year | (%) | ||||||||||
| At-Risk of Poverty | Enforced Deprivation | Consistent Poverty | |||||||||
| 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||||
| State | 10.6 | 11.7 | 17.3 | 15.7 | 3.6 | 5.0 | |||||
| Sex | |||||||||||
| Male | 10.8 | 12.1 | 16.0 | 14.3 | 3.5 | 5.3 | |||||
| Female | 10.4 | 11.3 | 18.7 | 17.0 | 3.7 | 4.8 | |||||
| Age group | |||||||||||
| 0-17 | 14.3 | 15.3 | 21.4 | 21.2 | 4.8 | 8.5 | |||||
| 18-34 | 8.6 | 8.8 | 19.3 | 15.8 | 3.0 | 3.8 | |||||
| 35-49 | 9.5 | 10.0 | 16.5 | 16.4 | 3.2 | 4.9 | |||||
| 50-64 | 11.2 | 11.4 | 16.2 | 14.2 | 4.8 | 4.7 | |||||
| 65+ | 8.3 | 13.3 | 10.7 | 7.7 | 1.4 | 2.0 | |||||
| Principal Economic Status (aged 16 years and over) | |||||||||||
| Employed | 5.8 | 5.4 | 12.3 | 11.6 | 1.5 | 1.7 | |||||
| Unemployed | 25.5 | 34.1 | 37.8 | 37.8 | 9.4 | 18.9 | |||||
| Retired | 8.8 | 13.3 | 9.6 | 6.9 | 1.5 | 1.9 | |||||
| Unable to work due to long-standing health problems | 27.3 | 32.5 | 44.7 | 38.5 | 16.5 | 19.0 | |||||
| Student, pupil | 12.7 | 13.4 | 21.6 | 17.0 | 4.6 | 5.1 | |||||
| Fulfilling domestic tasks | 16.6 | 26.9 | 24.8 | 23.0 | 6.9 | 12.4 | |||||
| Highest education level attained (aged 16 years and over) | |||||||||||
| Primary or below | 16.9 | 26.3 | 27.1 | 22.2 | 5.8 | 11.9 | |||||
| Lower secondary | 15.7 | 17.3 | 24.0 | 18.7 | 6.2 | 5.7 | |||||
| Higher secondary | 8.1 | 10.4 | 19.2 | 15.2 | 2.7 | 3.8 | |||||
| Post leaving cert | 12.7 | 14.8 | 17.5 | 16.5 | 4.4 | 5.0 | |||||
| Third level non degree | 9.0 | 10.1 | 14.4 | 13.4 | 2.6 | 5.5 | |||||
| Third level degree or above | 4.7 | 4.2 | 7.9 | 9.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | |||||
| Household composition | |||||||||||
| 1 adult aged 65+ | 15.4 | 25.9 | 20.0 | 11.7 | 3.2 | 5.2 | |||||
| 1 adult aged <65 | 27.1 | 24.0 | 25.7 | 22.7 | 13.0 | 10.1 | |||||
| 2 adults, at least 1 aged 65+ | 8.4 | 11.4 | 7.2 | 6.9 | 0.9 | 1.6 | |||||
| 2 adults, both aged <65 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 12.4 | 17.6 | 1.7 | 2.1 | |||||
| 3 or more adults | 3.5 | 5.3 | 12.8 | 7.9 | 1.3 | 1.9 | |||||
| 1 adult with children aged under 18 | 19.2 | 24.2 | 41.4 | 46.3 | 7.1 | 11.0 | |||||
| 2 adults with 1-3 children aged under 18 | 14.2 | 12.6 | 17.7 | 16.2 | 4.5 | 6.0 | |||||
| Other households with children aged under 18 | 10.5 | 13.3 | 22.0 | 19.8 | 4.0 | 8.0 | |||||
| Household type | |||||||||||
| One person household | 21.9 | 24.8 | 23.2 | 17.6 | 8.6 | 7.8 | |||||
| Lone parent with at least one child aged less than 25 | 16.3 | 20.3 | 45.6 | 44.5 | 7.2 | 10.1 | |||||
| Lone parent with all children aged 25 or more | 10.6 | 11.7 | 18.6 | 17.3 | 2.4 | 5.1 | |||||
| Couple without any child(ren) | 4.1 | 6.8 | 7.3 | 9.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | |||||
| Couple with at least one child aged less than 25 | 11.0 | 11.5 | 14.6 | 14.8 | 3.6 | 6.7 | |||||
| Couple with all children aged 25 or more | 0.9 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 0.0 | 0.3 | |||||
| Other type of household | 10.7 | 9.5 | 22.0 | 13.5 | 2.9 | 2.1 | |||||
| Number of persons at work in the household | |||||||||||
| 0 | 22.6 | 32.9 | 29.2 | 26.8 | 8.9 | 16.2 | |||||
| 1 | 15.5 | 15.9 | 21.8 | 21.9 | 5.5 | 6.6 | |||||
| 2 | 5.3 | 4.0 | 11.6 | 10.8 | 1.3 | 1.5 | |||||
| 3+ | 1.2 | 3.5 | 11.0 | 6.5 | 0.0 | 0.3 | |||||
| Tenure status | |||||||||||
| Owner-occupied | 6.5 | 7.3 | 8.8 | 8.7 | 1.4 | 1.7 | |||||
| Rented or rent-free | 19.7 | 21.8 | 36.5 | 31.5 | 8.5 | 12.5 | |||||
| Urban/rural location | |||||||||||
| Urban areas | 10.7 | 12.0 | 19.8 | 18.2 | 4.3 | 6.2 | |||||
| Rural areas | 10.2 | 11.2 | 12.2 | 10.3 | 2.1 | 2.7 | |||||
| Region | |||||||||||
| Northern and Western | 14.8 | 18.9 | 17.4 | 13.3 | 4.2 | 5.8 | |||||
| Southern | 10.0 | 10.7 | 18.4 | 14.2 | 4.0 | 5.1 | |||||
| Eastern and Midland | 9.5 | 9.8 | 16.6 | 17.5 | 3.1 | 4.7 | |||||
| Paul Ginnell
Director European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) Ireland Carmichael House, 4 North Brunswick Street, Dublin 7, D07 RHA8 (see map Here) Email: paul@eapn.ie ; Tel: + 353 (0)1-8745737 / +353 (0)87 6402200 ; web: www.eapn.ie
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| EAPN (European Anti-Poverty Network) Ireland is a network of anti-poverty groups and individuals which has a mission to put the eradication of poverty at the top of the Irish and European policy agenda and empower groups working to end poverty to understand and influence policy-making. | |