According to the most recent poverty figures, 17% of the Irish population are at risk of poverty and 7% experience consistent poverty. However, some social groups have higher poverty rates than the rest of the population: lone parent families, the unemployed, people with disabilities or long-term illnesses, and immigrants. Older people's risk of poverty has fallen from 20% in 2005 to 14% in 2006, and the rate of consistent poverty for this group has decreased from 4% in 2005 to 2% in 2006.
This table shows how these groups compare with the population as a whole:
| At Risk of Poverty | Consistent Poverty | |
| Total Population | 17% | 7% |
Lone Parent Families |
40% |
33% |
Unemployed People |
44% |
23% |
Ill or Disabled People |
41% |
20% |
| Children (under 14s) | 20% |
11% |
Foreign Nationals |
24% |
9% |
Older People (65+) |
14% |
2% |
For more information on how particular social groups are affected by poverty, see our child poverty, lone parents and homelessness pages.
More detailed information on the results of EU-SILC 2006 is available in the EU-SILC section of the CSO website.