People at risk of poverty last year increased by 3,277 over 2012 and reached 64,966, that is 15.7 per cent of the population.

Official data published yesterday on income and living conditions put those living in households where the total annual disposable income was below €7,256 as being at risk of poverty.

The threshold is based on what is known as the median nationalised equivalised income (NEI), which, in 2013, stood at €12,093. For statistical purposes, the National Statistics Office considers households with an income below 60 per cent of this value as being at risk of poverty.

Those living in single parent households were found to be more susceptible to poverty, with 41.9 per cent being below the threshold.

Analysing the data according to age groups, it transpired that those under 18 were mostly at risk as the rate stood at 24 per cent. Next on the list were those aged 65 and over where the at-risk-of-poverty rate was 14.9 per cent. Over half of the surveyed population (55.5 per cent) were living in households which claimed that not all members could afford to pay for a one-week annual holiday.

In addition, 23.3 per cent reported they could not afford to keep their home adequately warm in winter and 22.8 per cent could not afford to face unexpected financial expenses.

Next on the list were those households who could not afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish or vegetarian equivalent every second day, which represented 14.9 per cent of the population.

It also transpired that one in every 10 households (11.6 per cent) had defaulted on mortgage, rent payments, utility bills, hire purchase instalments or other loan payments.

Last year, the average household gross income was of €28,379, up from €26,746 the year before. However the average disposable income was significantly lower and stood at €23,498, when in 2012 it was €22,379.

The survey, done annually, was carried out on a sample of 4,381 households, comprising 11,965 residents, of which 10,201 were aged 16 and over.