Social Justice Ireland has published a report, “Poverty Focus 2025“, that examines the nature and experiences of poverty in Ireland.
“Drawing on the available statistical evidence, they outline how poverty is measured, the value of the poverty line and consider many of the groups in our society who are most exposed to living life below the poverty line. This year, they pay particular attention to impact of cost of living pressures.
Poverty Focus 2025: key findings
- More than one in every ten people in Ireland lives on an income below the poverty line (11.7 per cent of the population). Based on the most recent Census data, this corresponds to more than 629,000 people.
- Without cost of living supports the at risk of poverty rate would have been 14.1 per cent.
- While these measures supported vulnerable households, particular people aged over 65, most of these measures are one off in nature. This presents a particular challenge to Government in terms of the long term economic and social impact of rising cost on low income households as these temporary measures wind down.
- When poverty is analysed by age, the 2024 figures show that just over 15 per cent of children aged under 18 are living in relative income poverty, more than 190,000 children.
- More than 106,000 pensioners are living in poverty an increase of 64 per cent in once year.
- About 140,000 workers are living at risk of poverty, 6 per cent of those who are employed. Poverty figures for the working poor have shown little movement over time reflecting a persistent problem with low earnings.
- Income inequality has remained stubbornly stable over the past fifty years. While the total value of income has increased, not much has changed about its distribution. The share of total household disposable income going to the top quintile (20 per cent) of households between 1973 and 2022 has steadily remained between 40 and 45 per cent.
- Targeted measures that prioritise those households with the least resources and the most needs can yield welcome poverty reductions. However, these anti-poverty interventions need to be sustained; something than has been lacking in recent budgetary policy.”
The report is available here.