More than 807,800 forced to go without in 2025

The 2025 enforced deprivation figures published by the Central Statistics Office show that over 807,800 people still struggle to achieve a basic standard of living, including almost 236,000 children.  The decrease in the proportion of the population experiencing deprivation since 2024 is welcome, however it is of concern that this decrease occurred at a time when one off income supports (since discontinued) were still in place for vulnerable households. These figures offer some insight into living standards across the state and show the impact of rising costs on peoples’ daily lives.

Enforced Deprivation 2025 – some key findings

Households with highest deprivations rates:

• Households with one adult and one or more children have the highest deprivation rate, 49 per cent.
• People who are unemployed have a deprivation rate of 41 per cent
• People not at work due to a permanent illness or disability have a deprivation rate of 39 per cent.
• More than 3 in ten people living in rented accommodation experienced deprivation (31.6 per cent), four times the rate of those who own their own homes.

Difficulty making ends meet:

• More than four in five (84 per cent) single-adult households with children under 18 years experienced at least some level of difficulty in making ends meet this year.
• Three in five households in rented accommodation reported difficulty in making ends meet.
• Overall, two in five households reported some difficulty in making ends meet this year. 

Arrears:

• More than one third of households experiencing deprivation were in arrears on utility bills this year.
• One in three single adult households with children were in arrears on utility bills in 2025.
• Three in ten (31 per cent) single-adult households with children went into debt to meet ordinary living expenses in 2025.

Persistent deprivation among vulnerable groups

Of particular concern to us in Social Justice Ireland are the persistently high deprivation rates among households with one adult and one or more children (49 per cent), those who are unemployed (41 per cent) and people not at work due to illness or disability (39 per cent).  According to the 2025 figures one in seven of those who are unemployed or not at work due to illness of disability were unable to keep their homes adequately warm in 2025.  Those in rented accommodation were more likely to have to go without heating at some stage in the past year than those who own their homes, and one in four people in single-adult households with children went without heating due to lack of money” .

These groups are among those who have been most impacted by the rising cost-of-living, and they need support.  People in low paid jobs and those in rented accommodation are also experiencing high levels of deprivation and challenges making ends meet. The Government should prioritise these groups by benchmarking core social welfare rates to average earnings, making tax credits refundable and by introducing a Living Wage.

Government

The impact of inflation is greatest for those households in the bottom four deciles of the income distribution.  These households are very exposed to the nature of the current cost-of-living crisis as they spend a greater proportion of their income on food and energy. As inflation persists, policy will need to more impactfully target these households and further assist with the growing living cost challenges they face. Despite the declining inflation rate, cost-of-living pressures remain a challenge for those on the lowest incomes. The persistently high deprivation rates among single parent households, for those who are unemployed and those unable to work due to illness or disability reflect the damaging impact of cost-of-living pressures.

These figures must act as a wake-up call for Government.  Sustained action is required to support vulnerable households who can’t afford the basics, and a long-term approach to the persistent problem of households who are unable to make ends meet is required.  That should begin with an immediate commitment to benchmark core social welfare rates to average earnings.  This is essential to deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to run progressive budgets.

Policy recommendations for Government:

• Acknowledge that Ireland has an on-going poverty problem.
• Link the value of all core welfare payments to movements in average earnings, so that welfare dependent households do not fall behind.
• Acknowledge the failure to meet repeated policy targets on poverty reduction and commit sufficient resources to achieve ambitious and credible new targets.
• Adopt new, ambitious targets aimed at reducing poverty among particular vulnerable groups such as children, lone parents, jobless households and those in social rented housing.
• Recognise the problem of the ‘working poor’. Make tax credits refundable to address the situation of households in poverty which are headed by a person with a job.
• Support the widespread adoption of a Living Wage so that low paid workers receive an adequate income and can afford a minimum, but decent, standard of living.
• Introduce a cost of disability allowance to address the poverty and social exclusion of people with a long-term illness or disability.
• Recognise the reality of poverty among migrants and adopt policies to assist this group. Including the full implementation of the White Paper on the Elimination of Direct Provision.
• Accept that persistent poverty should be used as the primary indicator of poverty measurement and assist the CSO in allocating sufficient resources to collect this data.
• Examine and support viable, alternative policy options aimed at giving priority to protecting vulnerable sectors of society.
• Carry out in-depth social impact assessments prior to implementing proposed policy initiatives that impact on the income and public services that many low income households depend on. This should include the poverty-proofing of all public policy initiatives.
• Introduce a universal basic income system. No other approach has the capacity to ensure all members of society have sufficient income to live life with dignity. 

The 'Survey on Income and Living Conditions’ (SILC) on which these numbers are based, was published on 8^th December 2025 by the CSO.