Almost 900,000 people experiencing 'enforced deprivation' in Ireland

• Published date: 23 November 2022

The agency's latest Survey of Income and Living Conditions suggested the proportion of people deprived of certain basic goods and services rose from 13.8 per cent last year to 17.1 per cent in 2022

This equates to approximately 872,000 people.

Enforced deprivation is defined as a household which experiences two or more "deprivation items", such as being unable to heat their home, being unable to afford a roast once a week, or being unable to afford a warm, waterproof jacket.

The survey suggested the number of people who are unable to afford to keep the home adequately heated more than doubled in the past 12 months, from 3.2 per cent in 2021 to 7.4 per cent.

The groups most likely to be experiencing deprivation were those living in one-adult households with children under 18 (45.4 per cent); those who are unemployed (45 per cent); those who are unable to work due to long-standing health problems (42.7 per cent); and those living in rented or rent-free accommodation (34.1 per cent).

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Conversely, the people least likely to experience deprivation were the employed (12.4 per cent) and the retired (10.5 per cent).

Reflecting the squeeze on real incomes, the CSO said all socio-demographic groups experienced an increase in enforced...