SDG 1.1.1 Proportion of the Population Below the International Poverty Line is measured by the consistent poverty rate according to the CSO Survey of Income and Living Conditions (SILC).
The consistent poverty rate in Ireland fell from 7% in 2005 to 4.2% by 2008 before rising to 9% in 2013. Over the following five years, the rate fell to 5.6% in 2018. See Table 1.1.
The consistent poverty rate for females of 6.2% was higher than the male rate of 5.1% in 2018.
Young people were more likely to be in consistent poverty than older people. In 2018, the consistent poverty rate was 7.7% for people under the age of 18, over four times higher than the rate of 1.7% for people aged 65 and over.
The consistent poverty rate in urban areas was 5.5% in 2018, slightly below the rate of 5.8% in rural areas.
The consistent poverty rate is heavily influenced by the number of people at work in a household. In 2018, the consistent poverty rate in a household with no people at work was 17.8%, over 3 times the rate of 5.4% where one person is at work. See Table 1.2 and Figure 1.1.
| X-axis label | None | One | Two | Three or More | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 15.9 | 5.2 | 1.2 | 0 | 6.9 |
| 2012 | 19.8 | 7.1 | 0.4 | 0 | 8.2 |
| 2013 | 22.1 | 6.8 | 0.9 | 0 | 9 |
| 2014 | 19.8 | 8 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 8.3 |
| 2015 | 22.7 | 7.8 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 8.5 |
| 2016 | 23.6 | 6.8 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 8.2 |
| 2017 | 21.3 | 5.1 | 0.8 | 0 | 6.7 |
| 2018 | 17.8 | 5.4 | 0.8 | 0 | 5.6 |
The highest consistent poverty rate in 2018 was the South-East region at 9.1% while the lowest was in Dublin at 3.4%. A change to the NUTS3 regional classifications is outlined in the Background Notes. See Table 1.3 and Map 1.1.
SDG 1.2.1 Proportion of the Population Living Below the National Poverty Line is measured by the at risk of poverty rate according to the CSO Survey of Income and Living Conditions (SILC).
The at risk of poverty rate fell from 19.4% in 2004 to 14.1% in 2009, before increasing to 16.7% in 2014. The rate then fell over the following four years to stand at 14% in 2018. See Table 1.4.
The at risk of poverty rate in 2018 for females of 14.9% was higher than the male rate of 13%.
Older people are less likely to be at risk of poverty. The at risk of poverty rate in 2018 for people aged 65 and over was 11.4%, lower than the rate of 15.9% for children under 18 years and the rate of 13.7% for those aged 18 to 64.
The number of persons at work in a household has a huge impact on the at risk of poverty rate over the time period 2004 to 2018. See Table 1.5.
A household with no person at work showed the at risk of poverty rate fell from 52% in 2004 to 38.6% in 2018. This rate dropped to just 15.8% where one person in the household was at work in 2018.
The highest at risk of poverty rate in 2018 was the South-East region at 21.4% while the lowest was in Dublin at 9.8%. A change to the NUTS3 regional classifications is outlined in the Background Notes. See Table 1.6 and Map 1.2.
SDG 1.2.2 Proportion of the Population Living in Poverty in all its Dimensions is measured by the deprivation rate according to the CSO Survey of Income and Living Conditions (SILC).
The deprivation rate fell from 14.8% in 2005 to 11.8% in 2007. It then increased sharply to 30.5% in 2013 before dropping to 15.1% In 2018. See Table 1.7.
The deprivation rate in 2018 for females of 15.6% was higher than the male rate of 14.7%.
Deprivation rates were lower among older people. In 2018, the deprivation rate for people aged 65 and over was 8.2%, well below the rates of 19.7% for children aged under 18 and 14.8% for those aged 18-64. See Table 1.7 and Figure 1.2.
Urban areas had a deprivation rate of 16.0% in 2018, above the rate of 13.4% in rural areas.
| 0-17 | 18-64 | 65+ | |
| 2004 | 18.2 | 13.1 | 10 |
| 2005 | 21.1 | 12.8 | 11.3 |
| 2006 | 19.4 | 12.4 | 9.9 |
| 2007 | 15.9 | 10.6 | 8.1 |
| 2008 | 17.9 | 12.7 | 9.2 |
| 2009 | 23.2 | 15.8 | 9.5 |
| 2010 | 30.4 | 21.6 | 9.7 |
| 2011 | 32.1 | 23.7 | 11.3 |
| 2012 | 32.4 | 27.4 | 13.5 |
| 2013 | 37.5 | 30.5 | 16.1 |
| 2014 | 36.3 | 28.8 | 14.3 |
| 2015 | 31.1 | 25.1 | 15.5 |
| 2016 | 25 | 21 | 13.1 |
| 2017 | 23 | 19.1 | 9.7 |
| 2018 | 19.7 | 14.8 | 8.2 |
The deprivation rate is heavily influenced by the number of people at work in a household. In 2018, the deprivation rate in a household with no people at work was 28.9%, over 10% higher than the rate of 18.5% where one person was at work. See Table 1.8.
The highest deprivation rate in 2018 was the Midlands region at 20.3%, while the lowest was in the Mid-West at 12.8%. A change to the NUTS3 regional classifications is outlined in the Background Notes. See Table 1.9 and Map 1.3.
SDG 1.3.1 Proportion of Population Covered by Social Protection Systems is published by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.
A state pension was received by over one in eleven people in Ireland in 2019. See Table 1.10.
The non-contributory state pension was received by 2% of people while over four times as many people received the contributory state pension, at 9.1% of the population in 2019.
Jobseekers Allowance and Benefits were received by almost 3% of people in 2019.
The percentage of the population in receipt of social welfare payments by scheme in 2018 can be seen in Table 1.11.
The proportion of the population receiving contributory state pension by county in 2019 can be seen in Table 1.12 and in Map 1.4.
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection information is available in the Annual Report 2018 and Statistical Information Report.
Go to next chapter: Housing
