Key Findings
At risk of poverty rate
- In 2007 the at risk of poverty rate was 16.5%, indicating no significant change overall from 2006.
- Children continued to be the age-group most at risk, with a rate of 19.9%. This compares with an at risk of poverty rate of 15.0% among people of working-age.
- There was an increase in the at risk of poverty rate for older people. The rate rose from 13.6% in 2006 to 16.6% in 2007.
- There was a significant decline in the at risk of poverty rate for persons living in lone parent households, where the rate fell from 45.6% in 2006 to 37.6% in 2007. However members of lone parent households continued to be the most at risk when compared with people living in other household types. Other high risk groups were adults of working age living alone (29.6%) and older people living alone (24.3%).
Consistent poverty rate
- The consistent poverty rate fell from 6.5% in 2006 to 5.1% in 2007, driven primarily by a fall in deprivation rates.
- The consistent poverty rate for children fell from 10.3% in 2006 to 7.4% in 2007. However children had higher consistent poverty rates than working age adults (4.7%) or older people (2.0%). Children account for nearly 40% of all those in consistent poverty.
- Members of lone parent households showed a sharp fall in their consistent poverty rate from 33.9% in 2006 to 20.1% in 2007, but this remained far higher than persons in other types of households, with the lowest rate being recorded for persons living in households with 2 adults at least one of whom was 65 or over (1.0%).
- Adults of working age living alone also featured as a high-risk group, with a consistent poverty rate of 12.5%.
Income
- Average household net disposable income was €47,988 in 2007, an increase of just under 10% from 2006.
- Annual average equivalised income increased by 11.2% between 2006 and 2007, from €21,229 to €23,610.
- The at risk of poverty threshold in 2007 was €11,890 compared with €10,566 in 2006, an increase of 12.5% year on year.
- At state level, income from SSIA’s that matured in 2007 increased average equivalised disposable income by 3.2%.
For further information contact
Pamela Lafferty on 021 4535268 or Noel Ryan on 021 4535491
Fax 021 453 5492
E-mail labour@cso.ie
Central Statistics Office
03 December 2008
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