Poverty and living standards in Southern, Ireland: official figures
Disposable household income was 20,900 PPS per person in 2023; the highest of 3 regions in Ireland.
How many people in Southern are at risk of poverty?
The share of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion was 18.2% in 2025, against 18.8% for Ireland; 2nd highest of 3 regions in Ireland.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat percentage of people rent in the Southern Region?
16.6% of households in the Southern Region rented from a private landlord in Census 2022, while 42.5% owned their home outright and 28.2% had a mortgage or loan.
Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copyHow many vacant homes are there in the Southern Region?
Census 2022 found 57,481 vacant dwellings in the Southern Region (excluding holiday homes), 7.9% of the housing stock and the 2nd highest of 3 regions (Ireland: 7.7%); a further 31,941 were unoccupied holiday homes.
Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copyHow many one-parent families are there in the Southern Region?
One-parent families made up 24.6% of families with children in the Southern Region in Census 2022, below the national 24.8%.
Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copyHow many people are on the Live Register in the Southern Region?
50,349 people in the Southern Region were on the Live Register in September 2026, 30.1% of the national total of 167,193.
Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copyWhat is the poverty rate in Southern?
12.7% of people lived below the poverty line (60% of national median income after social transfers) in 2025, compared with 13.0% nationally. In 2016 it was 17.5%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people in Southern cannot afford basic necessities?
3.8% of people suffered severe material and social deprivation in 2025, meaning they could not afford at least 7 of 13 basic items such as heating, a week away or replacing worn-out furniture, compared with 5.2% nationally. In 2016 it was 8.0%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many households in Southern have nobody in work?
Very low work intensity affected 9.3% of people under 65 in 2025 (households where working-age adults worked under 20% of the time they could), compared with 8.8% nationally. In 2016 it was 18.2%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average income in Southern?
Disposable household income averaged €28,700 per person in 2023 (Ireland: €28,000; EU: €21,000). In 2013 it was €19,300.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people in Southern use the internet?
99.6% of people used the internet at least once a week in 2025, compared with 99.7% nationally. In 2018 it was 81.0%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 91% of households had broadband in 2021. Source: Eurostat · saved copy
- 12.3% of households in the Southern Region had no car in Census 2022, below the national 14.4% and the 2nd highest of 3 regions. Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
- 11.3% of households in the Southern Region had no internet connection in Census 2022 (9.5% nationally) and 1.54% had no central heating. Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
- That was 158 fewer than in September 2025 (50,507), a change of -0.3% in a year; nationally the count changed by +1.2%. Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
- Relative to its Census 2022 population aged 15 to 64, the Southern Region had 46 people on the Live Register per 1,000 in September 2026, the lowest of 3 regions (Ireland: 50). Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
How Southern compares with other statistical regions
Households renting social housing (%) (2022)
Southern ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Households renting social housing (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern and Midland | 11.2% |
| 2 | Southern | 10.6% |
| 3 | Northern and Western | 7.9% |
Vacant dwellings, excluding holiday homes (%) (2022)
Southern ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Vacant dwellings, excluding holiday homes (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern and Western | 11.5% |
| 2 | Southern | 7.9% |
| 3 | Eastern and Midland | 6.0% |
Households with no car (%) (2022)
Southern ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Households with no car (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern and Midland | 17.0% |
| 2 | Southern | 12.3% |
| 3 | Northern and Western | 11.4% |
Social benefits and transfers as % of household income (2024)
Southern ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Social benefits and transfers as % of household income |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern and Western | 20.7% |
| 2 | Southern | 19.1% |
| 3 | Eastern and Midland | 14.3% |
People on the Live Register per 1,000 aged 15-64 (Census 2022 population) (2026-09)
Southern ranks 3 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | People on the Live Register per 1,000 aged 15-64 (Census 2022 population) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern and Western | 50 |
| 2 | Eastern and Midland | 49 |
| 3 | Southern | 46 |
At-risk-of-poverty rate (after social transfers) (2025)
Southern ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | At-risk-of-poverty rate (after social transfers) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern and Western | 20.9% |
| 2 | Southern | 12.7% |
| 3 | Eastern and Midland | 10.4% |
Severe material and social deprivation rate (2025)
Southern ranks 3 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Severe material and social deprivation rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern and Western | 6.5% |
| 2 | Eastern and Midland | 5.7% |
| 3 | Southern | 3.8% |
People in households with very low work intensity (2025)
Southern ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | People in households with very low work intensity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern and Western | 11.8% |
| 2 | Southern | 9.3% |
| 3 | Eastern and Midland | 7.5% |
Disposable household income per person (euros) (2023)
Southern ranks 1 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Disposable household income per person (euros) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern | €28,700 |
| 2 | Eastern and Midland | €28,100 |
| 3 | Northern and Western | €26,200 |
People who use the internet regularly (2025)
Southern ranks 3 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | People who use the internet regularly |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern and Midland | 99.8% |
| 2 | Northern and Western | 99.7% |
| 3 | Southern | 99.6% |
More on Southern: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government and politics · Ireland
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2hhinc: Disposable household income per person (PPS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 bd6019768e9f…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_peps11n: At risk of poverty or social exclusion, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 94dcf245d20e…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset isoc_r_broad_h: Households with broadband, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b02c9a1ef222…)
- Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland: Estimates of Household Income by Region and County, 2000-2024 (PxStat table CIRGDP07, County Incomes and Regional GDP), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e9c131e91ab7…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_mdsd18: Severe material and social deprivation rate by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 62e6e6fba571…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset isoc_r_iuse_i: Individuals regularly using the internet by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fb4ff8800853…)
- Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland: Census 2022 Small Area Population Statistics (SAPS), all themes, by administrative county and city, read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 32250e98c48a…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_li41: At-risk-of-poverty rate by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 27849ad61b9a…)
- Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland: Persons on the Live Register by age group, sex and county, monthly 2022-2026 (PxStat table LRM15), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d22c9fc2ec84…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_lvhl21n: People living in households with very low work intensity by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8b5e993ae943…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2hhinc: Income of households by NUTS 2 region (euros per inhabitant), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a7441dafca51…)
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