Back to Top

 Skip navigation

Appendix 2 - Definitions and Methodology

Open in Excel:

Economy

1.     Average Household Debt

Source: National Income and Expenditure

A link to the National Income and Expenditure release is found here.

2.     Modified Gross National Income at current market prices per capita (GNI*)

Source: National Income and Expenditure

In July 2016, the Central Statistics Office released the National Income and Expenditure accounts for 2015. These figures showed that the economy grew by 26.3% in 2015. The reporting of GDP is a requirement under EU law and must be compiled strictly in accordance with international rules. The figures published were based on hard data and attributable to the globalisation activities of a very small number of companies.

The core issue relates to the insights on our changing domestic economy that can be gained from the key economic indicators of GDP and GNP in a small, open and highly globalised economy – perhaps the most globalised in the world. Moreover, GDP and GNP, although required internationally, no longer provide a sufficient understanding of the domestic economy of Ireland and need to be supplemented with a broader suite of indicators that can provide the necessary insights.

A group of experts was being convened to undertake this work, and developed Modified GNI (or GNI*). GNI* is defined as GNI less the effects of the profits of re-domiciled companies and the depreciation of intellectual property products and aircraft leasing companies. This new indicator of the level of the Irish economy is a useful additional input to debt ratio analysis.

Despite this work, GNI* is a modified national economic indicator, and is not intended to be used as a sole measure of societal well-being.

The full NIE release can be found here.

3.     Average earnings

Source: Earnings, hours, employment and cost survey (EHECS)

A link to EHECS survey release can be found here.

4.     Consumer Price Index

Source: Prices division – Central Statistics Office

The Consumer Price Index is designed to measure the change in the average level of prices (inclusive of all indirect taxes) paid for consumer goods and services by all private and institutional households in the country and by foreign tourists holidaying in Ireland.

A link to the full Consumer Price Index can be found here.

Work

5.     Unemployment Rate

Source: Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS)

Unemployed persons are persons who, in the week before the survey, were without work and available for work within the next two weeks, and had taken specific steps, in the preceding four weeks, to find work. It should be noted that as per Eurostat’s operational implementation, the upper age limit for classifying a person as unemployed is 74 years.

The full QNHS release can be found here.

6.     Long-term unemployed

Source: Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS)

The long-term unemployed are those that have been classified as unemployed for a period of 12 months or longer

The full QNHS release can be found here.

7.     Employment rates of those with a disability

Source: Derived from Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS)

The Employment Rate is the number of employed aged 15 to 64 expressed as a percentage of the total population aged 15 to 64. This definition has been applied to those who have identified themselves as having a disability in the survey.

The full QNHS release can be found here.

8.     Percentage working longer than 48 hours per week on average

Source: Quarterly National household Survey

This indicator is derived from a QNHS variable which asks how many hours the respondent usually works. The indicator is the percentage who have identified that they work greater than 48 hours per week.

9.     Job instability

Source: Survey of Income and Living Conditions (SILC)

This is the percentage of those individuals who have changed job as a result of being obliged to do so by their employer. Being obliged to leave job by employer includes reasons such as; being dismissed, being made redundant, a business closure, and early retirement.

The full SILC release can be found here.

10.  Discrimination in the workplace

Source: Equality module – Quarterly National Household Survey quarter 3 2014

Data on discrimination levels occurring in the workplace were gathered as part of an Equality module which was carried out in the third quarter of 2014. The full details of this module can be found here.

Education

11.  Educational Attainment

Source: Quarterly National Household Survey

Educational data are gathered as part of the QNHS each quarter.

12.  Early school leavers

Source: Quarterly National Household Survey

The percentage of individuals that have left education at or below lower secondary level is gathered as part of the QNHS each quarter.

13.  Digital Skills

Source: Information and Communications Technology module (QNHS)

Data are gathered concerning the ICT usage of persons each year as part of a module present on the QNHS. This data is supplied to Eurostat, and further details can be found here.

14.  Programme for International Student Assessment

Source: OECD

Further information on the Programme for International Student Assessment can be found here.

Housing and Natural Environment

15.  Homelessness

Source: Census of population

Data concerning homeless persons is gathered as part of each Census. Full Census 2016 data on homelessness can be found here:

16.  Air Quality

Source: Environmental Indicators

The measures of air quality referenced in this report are further explained here.

17.  River water quality

Source: Environmental Indicators

The measures of water quality referenced in this report are further explained here.

18.  Recovered packaging rates (recycling)

Source: Environmental Indicators

The measures of recycling referenced in this report are further explained here.

Governance and Equality

19.  Female Representation in Dáil Éireann

Source: Oireachtas figures

The computation of rates of female representation in both the Dáil and the Seanad were carried out on figures on government compositions which can be found here.

20.  Consistent poverty rates

Source: Survey of Living Conditions

Poverty rates are derived from data which is gathered as part of the Survey of Income and Living Conditions, which is carried out on an annual basis. The full data can be found here.

21.  Equality of income distribution

Source: Survey of Living Conditions

Gini coefficient

This is the relationship between cumulative shares of the population (ranked according to the level of income from lowest to highest) and the cumulative share of total income received by them, i.e. the Lorenz Curve.  If there was perfect equality (i.e. each person receives the same income) the Gini coefficient would be 0%.  A Gini coefficient of 100% would indicate there was total inequality and the entire national income was in the hands of one person.

Calculation of the Gini Coefficient

‌ Image for appendix 2 of gini coefficient formula

Wgti = Final calibrated weight per individual ‌

Eq_Inci= Equivalised disposable income ‌

Image 2 for appendix 2

22.  Experience of discrimination

Source: Equality module – Quarterly National Household Survey quarter 3 2014

Data on discrimination levels occurring in the workplace were gathered as part of an Equality module which was carried out in the third quarter of 2014. The full details of this module can be found here.

Health

23.  Self-Perceived Health

Source: Survey of Income and Living Conditions

The self-perceived health status is taken from the Survey of Income and Living Conditions. The full details of this release can be found here.

24.  Healthy Life Years (HLY)

Source: Eurostat

Healthy Life Years are calculated using mortality statistics and data on self-perceived long-standing activity limitations. Full details of this indicator can be found here.

25.  Prevalence of Overweight/Obesity

Source: Healthy Ireland

As an important determinant of health, data on weight and height were gathered in the Irish Health Survey, from which the Body Mass Index was then calculated. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify underweight, overweight and obesity in adults. It is defined as the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in metres.

To be classified as overweight, a respondent’s BMI would need to be greater or equal to equal 25 and less than 30. A BMI of 30 or more is classified as obese.

Full details of these data can be found here.

26.  Prevalence of binge drinking

Source: Healthy Ireland

Binge drinking is defined by health experts, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), as six or more standard drinks in one sitting, which is the equivalent of three or more pints of beer or six or more pub measures of spirits.

Full details of these data can be found here.

27.  Number of deaths by suicide

Source: Vital statistics

Further information on the number of suicides in Ireland can be found here

Public Safety

28.  Self-reported Victimisation

Source: Crime and victimisation survey

Self-reported victimisation figures were chosen to represent the levels of crime experienced by the individual in this publication, and are taken from the Crime and Victimisation Survey. Full details of this survey can be found here.

29.  Worrying about becoming a victim of crime

Source: Crime and victimisation survey

Full details regarding figures on the percentage of persons aged 18 and over who are worried about becoming a victim of crime are taken from the Crime and victimisation survey, and full details of these can be found here.

30.  Perception of crime in Ireland

Source: Crime and victimisation survey

Figures concerning respondent’s perception of crime in their own community can be found in the Crime and victimisation survey, and full details of the figures and methodology can be found here.

31.  Injuries and fatalities from road traffic accidents

Source: Road Safety Authority

Data on the number of injuries and fatalities occurring annually as a result of road traffic accidents are to be found in table 2 of the Road Safety Authority’s publication ‘Road Casualties and Collisions in Ireland 2014’. A link to this document can be found here.

Time Use

32.  Volunteering

Source: QNHS volunteering module Q3 2013

Data on rates of volunteering were gathered in the QNHS Volunteering module, carried out in quarter 3 of 2013. Full details of this module can be found here.

33.  Sports Participation

Source: Sports Council Monitor Annual Report

The level of participation in sport is derived from data gathered by the sports council. Full details of this report can be found here.

34.  Average weekly expenditure on sports and leisure

Source: Household Budget Survey

A link to the full Household Budget Survey can be found here.

The full list of items included in the HBS can be found at the following link.

35.  Commuting time

Source: Census of population

Commuting time data are gathered as part of each Census, and further details of this can be found here.

Go to next chapter: Contact Details