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Income and living conditions

The CSO's Survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) is a household survey covering a broad range of issues in relation to income and living conditions in Ireland. It is the official source of data on household and individual income and provides a number of key national poverty indicators, such as the at risk of poverty rate and the consistent poverty rate.

This new CSO report, ‘Tenure and Households in Ireland, 2016-2019’, examines some results from the 2017 and 2018 EU-SILC by tenure and dwelling type. The SILC survey uses an alternative categorisation of household composition, which is not comparable to family unit type as presented in this publication. Therefore, this chapter will focus on tenure type and dwelling type.

The nominal median value for equivalised disposable income on an annual basis was €22,872 in 2018, an increase of 9.6% from the 2017 value of €20,869. See Table 4.1.

People who 'own with a mortgage or a loan' had the highest median income of €27,082 in 2018, while those who 'rented from a local authority' had the lowest at €14,612. See Table 4.1.

The highest median income by dwelling type in 2018 was among those in a 'detached house' at €24,055. The lowest was for those in a 'semi-detached house', at €21,515. See Table 4.2.

Table 4.1 Summary of main results on Income and Living Conditions by tenure type, 2017 and 2018
Tenure typeNominal Income - Equivalised disposable income per individual
 Median 2017Mean 2017Median 2018Mean 2018
Owned outright21,13324,99723,20826,476
Own with a mortgage or a loan26,40630,25227,08232,431
Rent from a landlord (including voluntary/co-operative body/occupied free of rent)17,49122,17520,66623,850
Rented from a local authority13,78414,59614,61215,389
All persons20,86924,98322,87226,766
X-axis label20172018
Owned outright21132.5723208.22
Owned with a mortgage or a loan26406.0727082
Rented from a landlord*17490.9820666.4
Rented from a local authority13783.9814611.92
All persons2086922871.6
Table 4.2 Summary of main results on income and living conditions by dwelling type, 2017 and 2018
Dwelling typeNominal Income - Equivilised disposible income per person
 Median 2017Mean 2017Median 2018Mean 2018
Detached house22,04726,25124,05527,646
Semi-detached house20,86924,43921,51526,378
Terraced House19,09323,55921,76625,736
Apartment, flat, bedsit, other18,64024,36422,78126,475
All persons20,86924,98322,87226,766
X-axis label20172018
Detached house22046.8124054.58
Semi-detached house20868.9421515.41
Terraced house19092.7421766.24
Apartment, flat, bedsit, other18639.5822780.6
All persons2086922871.6

Rented occupancies and Terraced Houses have highest deprivation indicators

People who 'rented from a local authority' had the highest at risk of poverty rate in 2018 of 41.7% and the highest deprivation rate of 39.6%. See Table 4.4.

By dwelling type, the highest at risk of poverty rate was 16.4% for those in a 'semi-detached house', while the highest deprivation rate was for those in a 'terraced house' at 19.8%. See Table 4.6.

Table 4.3 Poverty Indicators by tenure type, 2017

Table 4.4 Poverty Indicators by tenure type, 2018
Tenure typePoverty and Deprivation rates Income equality Indicators
 At risk of poverty rate (%)1Deprivation rate (%) 2Consistent poverty rate (%) Gini coefficient (%)Income quintile share ratio
Owned outright11.18.42.5 28.24.1
Own with a mortgage or a loan6.811.82.6 28.94.2
Rent from a landlord (including voluntary/co-operative body/occupied free of rent)17.121.19.0 27.23.9
Rented from a local authority41.739.620.8 19.12.6
All persons14.015.15.6 29.74.4
1 Tenure type AROP rates are based on the national AROP threshold.
2 Experienced two or more types of enforced deprivation.
X-axis label20172018
Owned outright1311.1
Owned with a mortgage or a loan6.26.8
Rented from a landlord*23.317.1
Rented from a local authority39.541.7
All persons15.714
Table 4.5 Poverty Indicators by dwelling type, 2017

Table 4.6 Poverty Indicators by dwelling type, 2018
Dwelling typePoverty and Deprivation rates Income equality Indicators
 At risk of poverty rate (%)1Deprivation rate (%) 2Consistent poverty rate (%) Gini coefficient (%)Income quintile share ratio
Detached house10.610.03.0 28.24.1
Semi-detached house16.418.08.0 28.94.2
Terraced house15.719.86.3 27.23.9
Apartment, flat, bedsit, other16.318.37.6 19.12.6
All persons14.015.15.6 29.74.4
1 Tenure type AROP rates are based on the national AROP threshold.
2 Experienced two or more types of enforced deprivation.
X-axis label20172018
Detached house13.410.6
Semi-detached house1516.4
Terraced house17.715.7
Apartment, flat, bedsit, other25.116.3
All persons15.714

Highest income in tenures 'own with a mortgage or a loan' and 'detached house'

Now looking at average weekly income by households in 2018, the nominal average weekly total direct income in the State was €1,048.35. By tenure type, the highest household direct income was in ‘own with a mortgage or a loan’ at €1,881.73 and the lowest was in households ‘rented from a local authority’ at €251.50.

Weekly household total social transfers were highest in tenures ‘rented from a local authority’ at €353.70, followed by ‘owned outright’ at €349.20, while the State average was €264.13. The lowest transfers were in tenures that ‘own with a mortgage or a loan’ at €136.75.

Households that ‘own with a mortgage or a loan’ had the highest weekly gross income at €2,018.48, as well as the highest total tax and social contributions, and highest net disposable income, at €617.08 and €1,401.40 respectively.

However, tenures ‘rented from a local authority’ had the lowest weekly gross income at €605.19, the lowest total tax and social contributions at €43.60, and the lowest net disposable income at €561.59.

Table 4.8 presents a full breakdown of these figures and the equivalised weekly income per person as well. Table 4.7 presents the equivalent figures for the year 2017.

Table 4.7 Composition of nominal household income and nominal equivalised income by tenure type, 2017

Table 4.8 Composition of household income and equivalised income by tenure type, 2018
 Household income Equivalised income
Average Weekly IncomeOwned outrightOwn with a mortgage or a loanRent from a landlord (including voluntary/co-operative body)Rented from a local authority2018 State Owned outrightOwn with a mortgage or a loanRent from a landlord (including voluntary/co-operative body)Rented from a local authorityState
            
Direct Income           
Employee income515.091,381.41772.75217.98760.10 312.53615.50392.2114.4406.08
Employer's social insurance contributions53.15171.2892.9420.9788.25 32.4876.2246.711.047.24
Cash benefits or losses from self-employment171.51295.4573.689.00169.60 101.16129.4934.55.087.58
Other direct income42.0033.5911.933.5530.41 23.1913.096.12.114.44
Total direct income781.751,881.73951.29251.501,048.35 469.36834.30479.5132.4555.34
            
Social Transfers           
Unemployment related payments18.3427.6948.9076.1832.18 10.7612.4526.740.217.41
Old-age related payments (excl. occ pen)147.027.1810.4440.9074.57 76.442.704.216.532.36
Occupational pension121.4412.214.802.6659.46 64.144.862.01.126.41
Family/children related allowances23.9864.2767.25115.2651.55 15.7932.1940.668.831.33
Housing allowances6.771.0529.7519.2610.80 3.410.4316.810.05.72
Other social transfers31.6524.3627.1199.4435.56 17.7710.1913.748.717.66
Total social transfers349.20136.75188.24353.70264.13 188.3162.82103.9185.2130.88
            
Gross Income1,130.952,018.481,139.54605.191,312.48 657.67897.13583.4317.6686.22
            
Tax and Social Contributions           
Tax on income and social contributions190.31441.52156.3021.58232.92 112.98197.6278.711.2123.38
Employer's social insurance contributions53.15171.2892.9420.9788.25 32.4876.2246.711.047.24
Regular inter-household cash transfers paid7.774.282.071.065.13 4.831.751.00.42.64
Total Tax and Social Contributions251.23617.08251.3143.60326.31 150.28275.60126.422.7173.26
            
Net Disposable Income879.721,401.40888.22561.59986.17 507.39621.53457.1294.9512.96
Source: Survey on Income and Living conditions (SILC), Central Statistics Office, Ireland.

In 2018 the highest nominal average weekly total direct income by dwelling type was for households classified as a ‘detached house’ at €1,114.50 while households in ‘apartment/flat/bedsit/other’ had the lowest at €921.30. Average total direct income for the State was €1,048.35.

Similarly, average weekly household total social transfers were highest in a ‘detached house’ at €285.75 and lowest in the category ‘apartment/flat/bedsit/other’ at €187.57, compared to the State average of €264.13.

Dwelling type ‘detached house’ had the highest weekly gross income at €1,400.25, the highest total tax and social contributions at €362.46 and the highest net disposable income at €1,037.79.

Households living in an ‘apartment/flat/bedsit/other’ had the lowest average weekly gross income at €1,108.88, as well as the lowest total tax and social contributions at €277.89, and the lowest net disposable income at €830.99.

Households living in a ‘semi-detached house’ had an average weekly net disposable income of €1,008.97 while households in a ‘terraced house’ had recorded an average of €925.03.

Table 4.10 presents a full breakdown of these figures and the equivalised weekly income per person, while Table 4.9 presents the equivalent figures for the year 2017.

Table 4.9 Composition of household income and equivalised income by dwelling type, 2017

Table 4.10 Composition of household income and equivalised income by dwelling type, 2018
  
 Household income Equivalised income
Average Weekly IncomeDetached houseSemi-detached houseTerraced HouseApartment, flat, bedsit, other2018 State Detached houseSemi-detached houseTerraced houseApartment, flat, bedsit, other2018 State
            
Direct Income           
Employee income751.85764.39783.95730.82760.10 399.87393.88421.7448.8406.08
Employer's social insurance contributions81.3792.8993.9489.4888.25 43.7747.9550.553.747.24
Cash benefits or losses from self-employment240.59161.5886.9878.57169.60 120.8380.3649.643.687.58
Other direct income40.6932.2111.2622.4330.41 19.7913.635.413.114.44
Total direct income1,114.501,051.07976.13921.301,048.35 584.27535.83527.2559.3555.34
            
Social Transfers           
Unemployment related payments24.5335.7737.3540.9332.18 12.7519.0220.626.417.41
Old-age related payments (excl. occ pen)100.4666.6757.5930.3674.57 43.1227.6425.215.232.36
Occupational pension80.8558.0234.0929.9059.46 35.7724.6215.114.726.41
Family/children related allowances43.6060.7756.7043.6751.55 25.4536.0334.533.731.33
Housing allowances5.9710.2715.4722.3510.80 2.665.418.615.25.72
Other social transfers30.3438.6348.4920.3535.56 14.7918.8524.211.117.66
Total social transfers285.75270.14249.69187.57264.13 134.55131.56128.2116.3130.88
            
Gross Income1,400.251,321.211,225.811,108.881,312.48 718.81667.38655.4675.5686.22
            
Tax and Social Contributions           
Tax on income and social contributions272.41216.87202.97186.49232.92 140.84112.65109.8113.2123.38
Employer's social insurance contributions81.3792.8993.9489.4888.25 43.7747.9550.553.747.24
Regular inter-household cash transfers paid8.682.483.881.925.13 4.371.252.01.22.64
Total Tax and Social Contributions362.46312.24300.78277.89326.31 188.99161.86162.2168.2173.26
            
Net Disposable Income1,037.791,008.97925.03830.99986.17 529.83505.52493.2507.4512.96
Source: Survey on Income and Living conditions (SILC), Central Statistics Office, Ireland.

Just over one in ten permanent private households received a majority of their income from social welfare working-age income supports.

This section examines the integration of the 2016 Census of Population with administrative data to analyse income in private permanent dwellings. For more information, see the CSO report Geographical Profiles of Income in Ireland 2016.

More than half the household income in Ireland came from working-age social welfare for 13.0% of households in 2016.

Over two-fifths (44.1%) of households who 'rented from a local authority' had more than half of their income from working-age social welfare, compared with about a fifth (19.1%) of households who 'rent from a landlord'. Less than 10% of households which were owned (outright or with a mortgage or a loan) had more than half of their income from working-age social welfare. See Table 4.11.

Looking at dwelling type, the category 'terraced house' had the highest proportion of households where working age social welfare was majority of income, at 17.7%, followed by ‘apartment/flat/bedsit/other’ at 17.1%.

While 41.2% of households in Ireland lived in a ‘detached house’ in 2016, only 9.1% (and also the lowest proportion among dwelling types) of these had more than half of their income from working age social welfare. Note that a household where over half of its gross income came from working age social welfare (excluding child benefits and state pension) was considered majority of income.

Table 4.11 Proportion of permanent private households with majority of income from working-age social welfare by tenure type, 2016
  Number%
Tenure typeHouseholds in permanent private dwellingsProportion of Households with more than half of income from working-age social welfare
 TotalMore than half of income from working-age social welfare
Own with a mortgage or a loan535,67530,8215.8
Owned outright611,87751,8988.5
Rent from a landlord (inc. voluntary/co-operative body/occupied free of rent)353,93367,64219.1
Rented from a local authority143,17863,07544.1
Not stated53,0027,91914.9
All households1,697,665221,35513.0
Table 4.12 Proportion of permanent private households with majority of income from working-age social welfare by dwelling type, 2016
  Number%
Tenure typeHouseholds in permanent private dwellingsProportion of Households with more than half of income from working-age social welfare
 TotalMore than half of income from working-age social welfare
Detached house715,13365,3219.1
Semi-detached house471,94865,38913.9
Terraced house284,56950,33417.7
Apartment, flat, bedsit, other204,14534,87817.1
Not stated21,8705,43324.8
All households1,697,665221,35513.0
X-axis labelTenure type
Own with a mortgage or a loan5.75
Owned outright8.48
Rented from a landlord*19.11
Rented from a local authority44.05
Not stated14.94
All households13.04
X-axis labelTenure type
Detached house9.13
Semi-detached house13.86
Terraced house17.69
Apartment, flat, bedsit, other17.08
Not stated24.84
All households13.04