Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) 2025

At Risk of Poverty

In SILC 2025, the at risk of poverty rate was 12.6%, a 0.9 percentage point increase on the SILC 2024 estimate of 11.7%. This 2025 figure is up 2.0 percentage points from the 2023 estimate of 10.6% and is slightly above the SILC 2022 estimate of 12.5%.

An individual is defined as being at risk of poverty if their nominal equivalised disposable income is under the at risk of poverty threshold, i.e. 60% of the median nominal equivalised disposable income. See At Risk of Poverty Indicators Explained (PDF 717KB) .

The at risk of poverty threshold increased by 5.9% to €19,060 in SILC 2025 while the equivalised disposable income rose to a lesser extent for individuals in groups who were most likely to be at risk of poverty (e.g. those unable to work due to long-standing health problems, single adult households with children aged under 18, those who do not own their homes etc.), thus moving some individuals in these groups over the at risk of poverty threshold and increasing the at risk of poverty rate in SILC 2025. This is analysed further below. See figure 5.1 and table 5.1.

Persons in the Northern and Western region were most likely to be at risk of poverty in SILC 2025, with one in five (20.4%) of individuals in this region having equivalised disposable income below the at risk of poverty threshold. Over one in ten were at risk of poverty in the Southern region (12.6%) and just under one in ten were at risk of poverty in the Eastern and Midland region (9.6%). See figure 5.2 and table 5.1.

Persons with higher levels of educational attainment are less likely to be at risk of poverty in SILC 2025. Just under one in four (24.0%) persons whose highest level of education was primary or below were at risk of poverty in 2025, while just over one in five (20.9%) with lower secondary education, and over one in ten with upper secondary (11.6%) and third level non-degree (11.9%), were at risk of poverty. Those persons who had attained a third level education or above were least likely to be at risk of poverty with one in twenty (5.6%) being at risk of poverty in SILC 2025. See figure 5.3 and table 5.1.

Enforced Deprivation

The enforced deprivation results were published on 08 December 2025, with revisions to these estimates published on 11 March 2026, and are available in the SILC: Enforced Deprivation 2025 release.

In SILC 2025, 15.1% of the population were defined as living in enforced deprivation, i.e. had experienced two or more of the eleven types of self-perceived deprivation indicators. This compares with 15.7% in 2024 and 17.3% in 2023.

Enforced deprivation refers to the inability to afford goods, services, or activities that are considered necessary for an acceptable standard of living. It captures situations where individuals perceive they lack items regarded as the norm within society specifically because they cannot afford them. This measure is grounded in social norms and lived experience, reflecting whether people are excluded or marginalised from normal consumption due to financial constraints.

Individuals that are not classified as income poor (i.e. not at risk of poverty) may still experience enforced deprivation. For example, an individual may have income above the at-risk-of-poverty threshold but face high living costs that reduces disposable income. In these circumstances, they may be unable to afford at least two of the eleven deprivation items and therefore be considered experiencing enforced deprived, despite not falling below the income poverty line.

The enforced deprivation rate for those at risk of poverty was 37.4% in SILC 2025 compared with 43.1% in 2024. The deprivation rate for those not at risk of poverty was 11.9% in 2025, compared with 12.1% in 2024.  In SILC 2025 there was a divergence between those who were at risk of relative income poverty and those who were experiencing enforced deprivation, reversing the convergence trend that was seen in SILC 2024. This is in part due to the increased proportion of individuals in lower-middle equivalised income deciles (3^rd to 5^th decile) who experienced enforced deprivation in 2025 and a reduced proportion of individuals in lower equivalised income deciles who experienced enforced deprivation. See table 5.5 and PxStat table SIA79.

Consistent Poverty

The consistent poverty measure is defined as the proportion of people who are both at risk of poverty and experiencing enforced deprivation. The consistent poverty rate in SILC 2025 was 4.7%, compared with 5.0% for the previous year. See figure 5.4 and table 5.1.

In SILC 2025, the at risk of poverty rate increased, while the enforced deprivation rate decreased. However, the overlap between the two fell, leading to a fall in the consistent poverty rate. Thus, there was a divergence between those at risk of poverty and those experiencing enforced deprivation. For instance, the proportion of individuals in the first equivalised income decile facing enforced deprivation fell from 46.0% in SILC 2024 to 38.7% in 2025, while it rose from 12.2% to 19.3% in the fifth decile. This suggests that a lower share of those at risk of poverty are now experiencing enforced deprivation, whereas more individuals not at risk of poverty are affected. Across the income distribution, enforced deprivation decreased across most deciles, with the exception of the 3^rd to 5^th deciles, which experienced a rise in enforced deprivation. This suggests less of an overlap between poverty risk and deprivation in 2025 compared to 2024. It should also be noted that for SILC 2025 the subjective questions on deprivation were collected during the first seven months of 2025, while the income reference period for relative at risk of poverty is the calendar year of 2024. See figure 5.5, table 5.4 and PxStat table SIA79.

Almost one in three unemployed persons are at risk of poverty

An analysis by socio-demographic characteristics shows that those most at risk of poverty in SILC 2025 were those individuals who described their Principal Economic Status (PES) as unemployed (29.3%), followed by those fulfilling domestic tasks (29.1%). This compares with an at risk of poverty rate of 5.7% for those that described themselves as employed.

The at risk of poverty rate increased across four out of six Principal Economic Status groups in SILC 2025. The at risk of poverty rate for persons who stated their PES as student or pupil increased by the greatest extent, rising by 4.0 percentage points in the year to 17.4%. The at risk of poverty rate rose by 2.2, 1.6 and 0.3 percentage points respectively for those who describe themselves as fulfilling domestic tasks, retired, and employed. The at risk of poverty rate decreased by 4.8 and 4.1 percentage points for those who are unemployed, and those with long-standing health problems.

For persons of working age, risk of poverty, deprivation and consistent poverty tends to be correlated with employment status. An analysis by PES shows that the consistent poverty rate was highest among the unemployed (18.1%), and persons unable to work due to long-standing health problems (13.9%), while it was lowest amongst those who were employed (1.5%). See figure 5.6 and table 5.1.

As outlined in the previous chapter, SILC respondents’ PES is self-defined at the time of interview (first seven months of 2025), whereas their income reference period is the calendar year 2024. Therefore, reported income may not be perfectly aligned with PES. Measures put in place to mitigate the economic impact of the cost-of-living crisis contributed to the decrease in the at risk of poverty rate for respondents in SILC 2025, see Chapter 6 Impact of Cost-of-Living Measures on Poverty and Income for further analysis.

Looking at the profile of the population in SILC 2025, while 3.2% of persons described their PES as unemployed, this same group represented 7.4% of those who were at risk of poverty and 12.2% of those in consistent poverty.

Persons who describe themselves as unable to work due to long-standing health problems represented 4.0% of persons in SILC 2025, while this group of persons represented 9.1% of those who were at risk of poverty and 12.0% of those in consistent poverty. See table 5.3.

In SILC 2025, while 47.2% of persons defined themselves as being employed, this group made up 21.6% of people that were at risk of poverty, 29.9% of those experiencing enforced deprivation, and 15.0% of those in consistent poverty. See figure 5.7 and table 5.3.

Risk of poverty increases while enforced deprivation falls for people aged under 18 years

By age group, persons aged under 18 years (16.9%) had the highest at risk of poverty rate in SILC 2025, followed by those aged 65 years and over (14.8%). Those aged 18 to 34 years had the lowest at risk of poverty rate of 9.3%.

Those defined as being at risk of poverty and aged under 18 years increased by 1.6 percentage points in the year to 2025, while the enforced deprivation rate fell by 1.6 percentage points. The overlap between those at risk of poverty and those experiencing enforced deprivation decreased in 2025. Thus, the consistent poverty rate for this age group decreased by 0.7 percentage points.

Those aged 65 years and over were more likely to be at risk of poverty in 2025 than in 2024, with the rate increasing by 1.5 percentage points. The risk of experiencing enforced deprivation rose for this group by 2.1 percentage points in 2025. The consistent poverty rate for these persons 65 years and over increased by 1.4 percentage points in the year. See table 5.1.

By household composition, the at risk of poverty rate was highest in households composed of one adult aged 65 years and over (30.3%), followed by one adult households aged under 65 years (20.0%). The rate was lowest for those living in households with two adults, both aged under 65 (5.2%).

Analysis by household composition shows that persons living in households comprised of one adult with children, and one adult aged 65 years and over, had the highest consistent poverty rates (13.4% and 9.6% respectively). Persons living in two adult households, where at least one adult was aged 65 years or older, and households with three or more adults, had the lowest consistent poverty rate at 1.8%. See figure 5.8 and table 5.1.

The relationship between the at risk of poverty rate and the enforced deprivation rate by household composition illustrates a variety of conflicting trends. Households with two adults with one to three children saw their risk of poverty rate rise by 1.0 percentage point while their risk of experiencing enforced deprivation rate fell by 3.9 percentage points, leading to a decrease in consistent poverty of 1.8 percentage points to 4.2% for this group in SILC 2025. On the other hand, households with one adult with children experienced a fall in their at risk of poverty rate of 7.1 percentage points, an increase in enforced deprivation by 2.4 percentage points and a subsequent rise in their consistent poverty rate of 2.4 percentage points to 13.4%. Both cases highlight different trends in the overlap between the at risk of poverty rate and the at risk of experiencing enforced deprivation rate for groups in SILC 2025.

Only one household group, that consisting of one adult aged 65 years and over, saw both their risk of poverty as well as their enforced deprivation increase, with a resultant rise in the consistent poverty rate. See figure 5.9 and table 5.1.

The at risk of poverty, enforced deprivation and consistent poverty rates tend to follow a downward trajectory as the number of employed persons within a household increase. For persons living in households where no one is at work, the consistent poverty rate was 14.2% in SILC 2025, compared with 5.8% for those living in households with one person at work, 1.6% for those in households with two persons at work and 0.0% for those in households with three or more persons at work.

In terms of tenure status, the at risk of poverty rate increased by 2.4 percentage points to 24.2% in 2025 for those living in rented or rent-free accommodation, while the enforced deprivation rate increased by 0.4 percentage points to 31.9%. Despite these increasing trends the consistent poverty rate decreased by 0.3 percentage points in the year to 12.2%. The consistent poverty rate for those living in owner-occupied dwellings was 1.4%, down from 1.7% in SILC 2024. See figure 5.10 and table 5.1.

Eight in ten persons experiencing consistent poverty are living in rented or rent-free accommodation

Looking at the profile of the population, while 30.8% of the population are living in rented or rent-free accommodation, such people make up 59.4% of those at risk of poverty and 80.0% of those living in consistent poverty in SILC 2025. See figure 5.11 and table 5.3.

At Risk of Poverty Rate after Deducting Rent and Mortgage Interest

The at risk of poverty rate after deducting rent and mortgage interest is used to help analyse inequalities in housing costs and their impact on poverty risk. Using the standard at risk of poverty threshold (€19,060 in SILC 2025), if rent and mortgage interest payments were deducted from income the at risk of poverty rate would have been 19.7%, 7.1 percentage points higher than without the deduction. See the Background Notes for full technical details.

Analysis by tenure shows that after deducting rent paid, over two in five (45.2%) of those that stated they lived in rented or rent-free accommodation would have been at risk of poverty.

For those that stated they rent from a local authority, 40.6% would have been at risk of poverty after deducting rent paid. The at risk of poverty rate for those living in accommodation rented with other forms of social housing supports, such as the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), Rent Supplement and the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), was 58.0% when rent was deducted from disposable income. For persons living in accommodation rented without housing supports, the at risk of poverty rate was 42.6% after deducting rent paid. See figure 5.12 and table 5.6.