Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Ireland

Ireland: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income was 7.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
7.3%
Change on year
up 4.3%
World rank
113th
of 130 countries
All-time high
13.8%
in 1987
All-time low
6.2%
in 2020
Years of data
27
1987–2023

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Ireland, 1987–2023

0510151987200520231987: 13.81994: 12.51995: 11.71996: 12.22000: 10.92002: 11.42003: 11.32004: 12.12005: 9.92006: 9.52007: 8.52008: 8.82009: 10.32010: 10.62011: 11.52012: 112013: 11.42014: 9.42015: 9.82016: 8.82017: 8.42018: 7.12019: 6.92020: 6.22021: 6.52022: 72023: 7.3

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

The most recent figure for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Ireland is 7.3%, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 4.3% on the previous year and down 36.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Ireland peaked at 13.8% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 6.2%, in 2020.

Ireland ranks 113th of 130 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%) in Ireland, 1987 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1987 13.8%
1994 12.5% -9.4%
1995 11.7% -6.4%
1996 12.2% +4.3%
2000 10.9% -10.7%
2002 11.4% +4.6%
2003 11.3% -0.9%
2004 12.1% +7.1%
2005 9.9% -18.2%
2006 9.5% -4.0%
2007 8.5% -10.5%
2008 8.8% +3.5%
2009 10.3% +17.0%
2010 10.6% +2.9%
2011 11.5% +8.5%
2012 11.0% -4.3%
2013 11.4% +3.6%
2014 9.4% -17.5%
2015 9.8% +4.3%
2016 8.8% -10.2%
2017 8.4% -4.5%
2018 7.1% -15.5%
2019 6.9% -2.8%
2020 6.2% -10.1%
2021 6.5% +4.8%
2022 7.0% +7.7%
2023 7.3% +4.3%

Ireland compared with similar countries

  • Ireland's 7.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 11.7%, 62% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
  • Ireland's 7.3% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.0%, 66% of the median. (46 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 13.8% 13.8% 13.8% 1
1990s 12.1% 11.7% 12.5% 3
2000s 10.3% 8.5% 12.1% 9
2010s 9.5% 6.9% 11.5% 10
2020s 6.8% 6.2% 7.3% 4

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 110 Cyprus 7.5% compare
  2. 110 Jordan 7.5% compare
  3. 112 Finland 7.4% compare
  4. 114 Czechia 7.0% compare
  5. 115 Bangladesh 6.8% compare
  6. 116 Indonesia 6.7% compare

See the full ranking of 131 places →

More infrastructure data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Ireland?
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Ireland was 7.3% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 13.8% in 1987.
What is the lowest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 6.2% in 2020.
How does Ireland rank for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
Ireland ranks 113th out of 130 countries with data for 2023.
Is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 36.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ireland data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-people-living-below-50-percent-of-median-income-percent-2/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
131 places, 2,510 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed