The monetary ‘at-risk-of-poverty’ rate last year stood at 15.4 per cent while the ‘at-risk-of-poverty or social exclusion’ rate was 21.7 per cent, the National Statistics Office said.

It said that according to the annual survey on income and living conditions the average gross household income was estimated at €26,617, while the average disposable income stood at €22,403.

Increases of three per cent were registered in both the gross and disposable household income when compared to the previous year.

At 21 per cent, children under 18 years remained at a higher risk of being poor, as was similarly observed in 2010. The rate for persons aged 65 and over was 18 per cent. Both rates were distinctly higher than the at-risk-of-poverty rate estimated for the 18-64 age cohort, which stood at 13 per cent.

People living in households with dependent children tended to be more prone to being at-risk-of-poverty, as opposed to those living in households without dependent children - 18 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively.

People living in single-parent households were most at-risk-of-poverty, at 47 per cent.