Press Statement

Preasráiteas

27 October 2020

Go to release: Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) 2019

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (27 October 2020) issued results from the Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) for 2019 and comparable data for previous years.

Commenting on the report, Eva O’Regan, Statistician, said: ‘The SILC household survey is the official source of data on household and individual income and it provides a number of key national poverty indicators, such as; the at risk of poverty rate, rate of enforced deprivation and the consistent poverty rate.

The key findings show that in 2019, the median annual household disposable income was €43,552, compared with the 2018 value of €42,865. Disposable household income is gross household income less total tax, social insurance contributions and inter-household transfers paid. The mean household disposable income was €53,118 in 2019, compared with €51,458 in 2018.

Households with three or more persons at work had the highest nominal median household disposable income (€95,613), compared with €24,173 for households with no one at work.

Household disposable income increased as the highest level of education attained by the head of household increased. Where the head of household had an educational attainment of primary level or below the nominal median household disposable income was €26,527, compared with €66,811 for those with a third level degree or above.

Equivalised income is a measure of household income that takes account of the differences in household size and composition. The median equivalised income increased 4.8% from €22,872 in 2018 to €23,979 in 2019, while mean equivalised income increased 4.4% from €26,766 in 2018 to €27,941

The survey also provides insight into poverty in Ireland. The at risk of poverty rate is the share of persons whose equivalised income was less than 60% of the national median equivalised income.  The at risk of poverty rate was 12.8% in 2019 compared with 14.0% in 2018. 

Those most at risk of poverty in 2019 were individuals who were not at work due to illness or disability (37.5%) and those who were unemployed (35.4%). This compares with an at risk of poverty rate of 4.6% for those that described their principal economic status as ‘at work’.

The consistent poverty rate, which includes those persons who are defined as being both at risk of poverty and who are also experiencing enforced deprivation, was 5.5%, compared with  5.6% in 2018.

By household composition, individuals living in households where there was one adult and one or more children aged under 18 had the highest consistent poverty rate at 17.1%.  The consistent poverty rate was lowest for individuals living in households composed of two or more adults, with at least one aged 65 or over, and no children (1.0%).

Consistent poverty rates decreased by age group. Of those aged 0-17 , 8.1% were in consistent poverty, compared with 5.1% of those aged 18-64 and 2.3% of persons aged 65 and over.

One in seven (13.5%) of those living in rented accommodation were defined as living in consistent poverty, compared with one in fifty (1.8%) of those living in owner-occupied accommodation. 

The increase in equivalised income between 2018 and 2019 was statistically significant, while other annual changes outlined above were not statistically significant. The decrease in the at risk of poverty rate between 2017 and 2019 was statistically significant.’

Commenting on the importance of sampled households taking part in CSO surveys, Eva O'Regan, Statistician, added: ‘Due to public health guidelines regarding COVID-19, our interviewers no longer conduct CSO household surveys in the sampled households' own homes.  Sample households now receive introductory letters by post asking them to ring the CSO to schedule an interview which is conducted over the phone.  These surveys give us a picture of the economic and social situation of the citizens of Ireland, with a level of accuracy no one else can gain.  If you are asked to take part in a CSO survey, please do so. It means that when CSO figures are quoted you know they’re accurate, Because you told us.’

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