The National Statistics’ Office statistics on income and living conditions survey revealed that the monetary at-risk-of-poverty rate last year stood at 15 per cent.

In a statement this morning, the NSO said that the average household gross income and the mean disposable income stood at €26,746 and €22,379 respectively.

These figures were used for the computation of the median national equivalised income and the monetary at-risk-of-poverty threshold. The latter rose by five per cent when compared to 2011, reaching €6,869.

The survey showed that 61,689 persons living in private households, or 15 per cent, had an equivalised income below this threshold, and were considered to be at-risk-of-poverty

The at-risk-of-poverty rate among persons aged under 18 stood at 23 per cent. This rate stood at 17 per cent for persons aged 65 and over.

Persons living in single parent households were found to be more susceptible to being at-risk-of-poverty.

The at-risk-of-poverty rate was found to decrease as household work intensity increased.

When considering households with dependent children, this rate ranged from 71 per cent among households with zero work intensity to 15 per cent among those with a work intensity between 0.5 and 0.9.

Over half of the surveyed population were living in households which claimed they could not afford to pay for a one-week annual holiday away from home. In addition, 25 per cent claimed that they could not afford to face unexpected financial expenses, while 22 per cent could not afford to keep their home adequately warm in winter.

The severe material deprivation rate stood at nine per cent.