Nearly one in five experienced income poverty between 2015 and 2023, study shows
While the percentage of those at risk of poverty has gradually declined, lone parent families, single people and older adults living alone experienced a post-Covid spike.
The rate of people at risk of poverty declined from 16pc in 2016 to 11pc in 2023.
However, 18pc of individuals experienced income poverty in at least one year during that time period.
The at-risk-of-poverty rate is the percentage of people with a household income below 60pc of the national median income.
Lone parent families, large families and households with a working-age adult with a disability are at the most risk of poverty and deprivation, the new research shows.
Basic deprivation implies that individuals are living in households that cannot afford adequate food, clothing, heating, or an occasional meal or drink out with family and friends.
An average of 33pc of children in lone-parent families are being persistently deprived, with 21pc of them found to be at risk of poverty between 2016 and 2023.
'The longer people stay in poverty, the harder it is for them to escape'
Material deprivation, which is the inability to afford essential goods and services, increased from 14pc in 2021 to 17pc in 2023. Inflation and the economic cycle were cited as two of the main reasons for this.
Between 2016 and 2023, 22pc of people experienced deprivation at least once in two consecutive years, and almost half of these were in persistent deprivation.
Households in the northern and western regions, people living with low-educated or unemployed household heads, and workless households were significantly more likely to experience transient and persistent poverty and deprivation.
The report said that timely adjustments to social welfare payments, including pensions, 'are critical to protect vulnerable groups from inflation and economic disruptions'.
Bertrand Maitre, co-author of the report, said: 'Research shows that the longer people stay in poverty, the harder it is for them to escape. This highlights the urgent need to tackle persistent poverty and to design policies that protect the most vulnerable groups from falling into long-term poverty.'
The study was published in partnership with the Department of Social Protection.
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