Household Budget Survey 2004-2005
Preliminary Results

Introduction

The Central Statistics Office today published the preliminary results of the 2004-2005 Household Budget Survey (HBS) which was undertaken between October 2004 and December 2005.

The main purpose of the HBS is to determine in detail the current pattern of household expenditure (e.g. average household spend on Food, Drink & Tobacco, Transport etc.) and this information is also used to update the weighting basis of the Consumer Price Index. Detailed information is also collected on all sources of household income and on a range of household facilities (e.g. percentage of households with Washing Machines, Dishwashers, Televisions, Internet Access etc.).

Surveys have been carried out periodically in Ireland since 1951 with the previous survey being for 1999-2000. In all, 6,884 households co-operated with the 2004-2005 Survey.

Principal Features

                                            Household Expenditure

Average Household Expenditure just over €788 per week

The estimated average weekly expenditure in 2004-2005 for all households in the State was €788.25. This was over 36% higher than the €577.72 recorded for the previous survey in 1999-2000. The corresponding increase in retail price levels, as recorded by the Consumer Price Index, was 15.7%. As a result, there was a real increase of approximately 21% in the volume of average household consumption over this five-year period.

Table A shows that the highest increase in expenditure as a proportion of total expenditure was recorded for Housing (69.7%) and Services & Other Expenditure (55.4%), while the lowest was for Drink & Tobacco at 7%.

Other notable features were that the proportion spent on Food fell from 20.4% to 18.1% and that of Transport fell from 16.4% to 15.7%. On the other hand, the proportion spent on Services & Other Expenditure increased from 25.7% to 29.3% and Housing was up from 9.6% to 11.9%.

Table A Average weekly household expenditure 1999-2000 and 2004-2005

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Household Income

Average gross household income almost €1,000 per week

The average Gross Weekly Household Income for the State in 2004-2005 was €989.53, which was 48.4% higher than the €666.72 recorded five years earlier. Total Direct Income, rising by 47.4% from €585.41 to €863.18, accounted for most of this increase.

State Transfer Payments increased by 55.4% from €81.32 to €126.35 and accounted for 12.7% of Gross Income, which was just marginally higher than the 12.2% recorded five years earlier.

Total Direct Taxation incurred by the average household increased by 28.1% over the period reflecting the overall increase in Direct Income. However, Direct Taxation in 2004-2005 accounted for just over 17% of Direct Income compared with almost 20% five years earlier.

Disposable Income, which is arrived at after the deduction of Income Tax and Social Insurance, increased by almost 53% from €551.60 to €842.06 and now represents just over 85% of Gross Income for all households in the State (See Table B below).

Table B Average weekly houshold income and taxation by area, 1999-2000 and 2004-2005

Household Appliances and Facilities

42% of households have Internet access

In 2004-2005, just over 42% of households indicated having access to the Internet compared with just over 14% five years earlier. Of these households, 75% had access by phone link, 18% by broadband and the remaining 7% by ISDN.

Just over 56% of households had a home computer in 2004-2005 compared with a figure of just over 29% in 1999-2000. (See Table F).

Mobile Phone ownership continues to rise

Over 84% of households now have at least one mobile phone compared to just over 44% five years earlier.

The proportion of households with a fixed telephone line has shown a slight decline from just over 89% to just under 86% in the five-year period since 1999-2000.

Other notable increases in the availability of appliances over the five years were: Tumble Dryers, up from 42% to 61.7%, Microwave Ovens, from 71.5% to 86%, Dishwashers, from 32% to 50.1% and Burglar Alarms, from 23.9% to 32.6%. (See Table F below).

Table F Household facilities and usage of services - 1994-1995, 1999-2000 and 2004-2005

For copies of the publication contact:

The Central Statistics Office, Information Section, Skehard Road, Cork

Government Publications Sales Office, Sun Alliance House, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2

Household Budget Survey 2004-2005 Preliminary Results is available on the CSO web site (www.cso.ie)

Price: €10

For further information:

Jim Dalton at 021 453 5120 or Chris Moriarty at 021 453 5589


Central Statistics Office                                                                             26 July 2007

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