Those most at risk of poverty in 2019 were individuals who were not at work due to illness or disability (37.5%) and those who were unemployed (35.4%).
Deprivation
This compares with an at-risk-of-poverty rate of 4.6% for those who described their principal economic status as ‘at work’.
Enforced deprivation was experienced by 17.8% of the population, up from 15.1% in 2018. The deprivation rate for those at risk of poverty was 42.7% in 2019, up from 40.3% in 2018.
The consistent poverty rate was 5.5%, which is not a statistically significant change on the 2018 figure of 5.6%.
By household composition, individuals living in households where there was one adult and one or more children aged under 18 had the highest consistent poverty rate at 17.1%.
Age group
The consistent poverty rate was lowest for individuals living in households composed of two or more adults, with at least one aged 65 or over, and no children (1.0%)
Consistent poverty rates decreased by age group. Of those aged 0-17, 8.1% were in consistent poverty, compared with 5.1% of those aged 18-64 and 2.3% of persons aged 65 and over.
One in seven (13.5%) of those living in rented accommodation were defined as living in consistent poverty, compared with one in fifty (1.8%) of those living in owner-occupied accommodation.
The nominal median household disposable income in 2019 was €43,552, an increase of 1.6% on the 2018 figure of €42,865.
Households with three or more persons at work had the highest nominal median household disposable income of €95,613, compared with €24,173 for households with no one at work.
Level of education
Household disposable income increased as the highest level of education attained by the head of household increased.
Where the head of household had an educational attainment of primary level or below, the nominal median household disposable income was €26,527, compared with €66,811 for those with a third level degree or above.