The Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS) 2018 was published on 30 January 2020. Data within the publication were revised on 4th June 2020. These data revisions were due to the re-calibration of weights used in the estimation of HFCS statistics. Data within the publication were revised again on 16 May 2023. These data revisions were primarily due to the supplementing of survey data with the Central Credit Register, an administrative data source obtained by the CSO in 2021. All content relating to HFCS 2018, including the Electronic Publication text, graphs and tables, Infographic, Press Release and PxStat tables, now reflect the revised data. Details as to the extent and impact of these revisions on previously published data can be found in the HFCS 2018 Revisions Information Note.
Household Main Residence (HMR)
The Eastern & Midland region has the lowest HMR ownership rate at 62.9% while the Southern region has the highest at 74.5% in 2018. However, the median value of the HMR is highest in the Eastern & Midland region at €350,000 compared to €200,000 in the Southern and €160,000 in the Northern & Western region (see Figure 3.1).
| X-axis label | HMR Ownership Rate | Land Ownership Rate | Other Real Estate Ownership Rate | Median HMR Value | Median Land Value | Median Other Real Estate Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern & Midland | 62.9 | 3.7 | 14.8 | 350 | 408.7 | 226.4 |
| Southern | 74.5 | 10.8 | 12.5 | 200 | 397.2 | 186.4 |
| Northern & Western | 74.1 | 16.6 | 8.5 | 160 | 224.6 | 170.4 |
Just under 30% of households composed of one adult with children own their main residence, compared to 94.2% of two adult households where at least one adult is 65 or over. Median HMR values rise with household income, from €166,000 for households in the bottom fifth of income distribution to €350,000 for the top fifth (see Tables 3.1 & 3.2).
Land
The land ownership rate for households in the Eastern & Midland region is 3.7%, significantly lower than the rates of 16.6% in the Northern & Western region and 10.8% in the Southern region. The median value of land, (for those households that own land), in the Eastern & Midland region is €408,700, almost double the €224,600 value in the Northern & Western region (see Tables 3.1 & 3.2).
Other Real Estate Property
Other real estate ownership is noticeably high for households in the top fifth of household income, with over one in three (31.4%) of these households owning other real estate. On a regional basis, 14.8% of households in the Eastern & Midland region own other real estate compared to 8.5% in the Northern & Western region. In the Eastern & Midland region, the median value of other real estate, (for those households that own other real estate), is €226,400. The comparable value in the Northern & Western region at €170,400 is €56,000 lower (see Figure 3.1 & Tables 3.1 & 3.2).
Total real assets
The HMR contributes 58.9% of total real asset wealth in 2018. Land and other real estate also have relatively high contributions to total real assets (12.7% and 13.5% respectively) (see Figure 3.2).
| % | Valuables | Vehicles | Self Employment Business Wealth | Land | Other Real Estate Property | HMR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 10.1 | 12.7 | 13.5 | 58.9 |
Savings
In 2018, 94.6% of households have some form of savings, (deposit or savings accounts or a positive balance on current accounts). However, the rate is lower at 80.1% for households where the reference person is unemployed, (the reference person is considered to be the most knowledgeable about the financial situation of the household), compared to 98.3% for households where the reference person is in employment. Owner occupied households that have savings, (97.5% of such households), have a median savings value of €6,900. The proportion of rented households with savings was lower at 88.3%, and these households had median savings of only €1,700 (see Tables 3.3 & 3.4).
Other Financial Assets
The ownership of financial assets other than savings is less common. For example, just under one in ten households (9.7%) own publicly traded shares. The highest ownership recorded for this financial asset are households within the top fifth of household income at 23.7%, compared to 3.2% for the bottom fifth.
Those households where the highest level of education of the reference person is third level degree (or higher) are also more likely to own financial assets other than savings. Almost one in four (23.6%) of these households have at least one household member with a voluntary pension, compared to 4.2% of households where the highest education level is primary or lower (see Table 3.3 & Figure 3.3).
| X-axis label | Voluntary Pension | Shares | Bonds or Mutual Funds | Other Financial Asset (apart from savings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary or below | 4.2 | 3.9 | 5.8 | 3 |
| Lower secondary | 12.2 | 4.4 | 5.2 | 4.3 |
| Higher secondary | 12.7 | 5.6 | 10 | 4.4 |
| Post leaving cert | 13.8 | 6.8 | 9.5 | 4.7 |
| Third level non degree | 18.8 | 8.7 | 11.6 | 8.4 |
| Third level degree or above | 23.6 | 17 | 14.2 | 10.2 |
