Poverty Focus 2026 - Older people continue to be negatively impacted by rising living costs
For those on a fixed income, recent sharp rises in the cost of essentials make managing household budgets a challenge. Poverty Focus 2026 examines the nature and lived experience of poverty in Ireland. Social Justice Ireland uses the available statistical evidence in its latest publication ‘Poverty Focus 2026’ to highlight the groups within Irish society that are most vulnerable to experiencing poverty. The 2026 edition pays particular attention to the challenges facing older people.
Older people in Ireland
There has been a 22 per cent increase in the number of people aged 65 and over in Ireland in less than a decade. There are now more than 726,000 people over 65 in the State. The highest increases are seen in those aged 70 and over, followed by those aged 85 and over. More than one quarter of people aged 65 and over in Ireland live alone; this rises to 44 per cent for people aged 85 and over. 30 per cent of women aged over 65 live alone compared with 21 per cent of men.
Impact of rising living costs on older people
When poverty is analysed by age group, the 2025 Survey on Income and Living Conditions figures show that 14.8 per cent of those aged over 65 live in relative income poverty, an increase of 15 per cent in a year. It remains a concern that so many of this country’s senior citizens are living on so little. Without the temporary cost of living measures in that year the rate would have been 20.7 per cent. As these measures have been discontinued, the true picture of older person poverty will reveal itself in future data and this is a notable concern.
Ageing and gender
Older women are disproportionately affected by poverty compared with older men across a range of economic and social indicators. Women generally have a longer life expectancy than men and are more likely to have lower pension incomes due to interrupted employment, lower lifetime earnings, and greater caring responsibilities. As a result, many older women face an increased risk of financial insecurity and poverty in later life. Improving pension adequacy, supporting carers, promoting equal pay and employment opportunities, and ensuring affordable housing and healthcare can help reduce poverty in later life. These measures are particularly important as the number of older women in Ireland continues to grow. Ensuring that older women can live with financial security and dignity should therefore remain a key priority for policy-makers.
Housing costs and older people
The number of older people reliant on renting in the private sector is steadily increasing. According to the last Census, there were more than 17,000 private rented households where the head of household was aged 65 or over. This figure has increased by almost 85 per cent in less than a decade. At the same time, average market rents have nearly doubled over the past decade, placing increasing financial pressure on older renters as their income transitions from a wage to a pension. Without greater access to affordable and secure housing, increasing numbers of older renters may face poverty and financial hardship in later life.
Fuel poverty
Older people are more likely to live in older homes which are less well insulated and more reliant on oil and solid fuel heating. Demographic change means that more older people will be ageing in the private rental sector, making it clear that the issues of energy costs will become a bigger issue for older people in the coming years. The 2025 SILC study found that 7.5 per cent of individuals were without heating at some stage in that year; for those in poverty the figure is 22.5 per cent. Given recent upward trends in energy costs, there is a worrying potential for a significant increase in energy poverty in 2027, particularly when all the short-term cost-of-living supports are discontinued. While Government has made some inroads in addressing low-income household energy issues through funding a local authority retrofitting campaign, progress to date has been less than ideal given the scale of the problem and its implication for the health and wellbeing of many low-income families. Addressing this issue, like all issues associated with poverty and deprivation, requires a multi-faceted approach. Welfare payments are a key component of addressing energy poverty, alongside investment in energy efficiency, public awareness to promote energy saving; and the compensation of Ireland’s poorest households for the existing carbon tax.