According to the most recent poverty figures, 14.1% of the Irish population are at risk of poverty and 5.5% experience consistent poverty. However, some social groups have higher poverty rates than the rest of the population: lone parent families, the unemployed, and people with disabilities or long-term illnesses. Older people have a lower rate of both risk of poverty and consistent poverty.
This table shows how these groups compare with the population as a whole:
| At Risk of Poverty | Consistent Poverty | |
| Total Population | 14.1% | 5.5% |
Lone Parents |
35.5% |
16.6% |
Unemployed People |
24.8% |
11.5% |
Ill or Disabled People |
21.7% |
8.8% |
| Children (0-17) | 18.6% |
8.7% |
Older People (65-74) |
8.9% |
1.3% |
| Older People (75+) | 10.6% |
0.9% |
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 2009 is available in the EU-SILC section of the CSO website.