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Society - Social Cohesion

EU: At risk of poverty rates, 2011

1.8 EU: At risk of poverty rates, 20111
     
   % of population
CountryBefore pensions and social transfersAfter pensions After pensions and social transfersReduction
Czech Republic38181028
Netherlands37211126
Austria44251331
Denmark40281327
Slovakia38201325
Luxembourg44271430
Slovenia40241427
Finland41271428
Hungary52291438
France44251430
Sweden42281428
Cyprus33241518
Ireland51401535
Belgium42281527
Malta37231522
Germany45251629
United Kingdom43311627
EU44261727
Estonia41251824
Poland43241826
Portugal43251825
Latvia47271928
Lithuania49301930
Italy45242025
Greece45252124
Spain45302223
Romania50292228
Bulgaria42272219
     
Iceland3523925
Norway42301131
Switzerland35231520
Croatia47312126
Source:Eurostat, EU SILC
1 Poverty rates based on EU definition of income (see Appendix 1).
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Ireland: At risk of poverty rates, 2003 - 2011
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EU: At risk of poverty rates, 2011
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  • Ireland had the second highest percentage of population at risk of poverty, before pensions and social transfers, in the EU in 2011, after Hungary.
  • The at risk of poverty rate in Ireland, after pensions and social transfers, at 15%, was lower than the average EU rate of 17%.
  • The Czech Republic had the lowest at risk of poverty rate (after pensions and social transfer) in the EU at 10% while Bulgaria, Romania and Spain had the joint highest at 22%.
  • The at risk of poverty rate in Ireland, as calculated by Eurostat, has declined from over 20% in 2003 to 15% in 2011, (see chart for 2003 to 2011 data).

Ireland: At risk of poverty rates by age and sex, 2010-2011

1.9 Ireland: At risk of poverty rates by age and sex1, 2010-2011
       
     % of age group
 20102011
Age groupMalesFemalesPersonsMalesFemalesPersons
0-1414.919.817.315.017.616.3
15-6414.914.914.917.816.217.0
65 & over9.38.38.710.19.49.7
Total14.315.114.716.315.616.0
     Source: CSO SILC
1 Calculated using the national definition of income.
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Ireland: At risk of poverty rates by age and sex, 2011
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  • The at risk of poverty rate for females in 2011 in Ireland was 15.6% while the rate for males was 16.3%.
  • The lowest at risk of poverty rate by age group was 9.7% for those aged 65 and over.
  • Those aged between 15 and 64 had an at risk of poverty rate of 17%.

Ireland: Persons in consistent poverty by age and sex, 2010-2011

1.10 Ireland: Persons in consistent poverty by age and sex, 2010-2011
       
      % of cohort
 20102011
Age groupMalesFemalesPersonsMalesFemalesPersons
0-146.310.48.37.59.78.6
15-646.36.96.67.47.07.2
65+1.30.70.92.11.81.9
Total5.86.86.36.96.96.9
     Source: CSO SILC
  • In 2011 6.9% of the population was living in consistent poverty, with the same rate for males and females.
  • The lowest consistent poverty rate by age group was 1.9% for those aged 65 and over.
  • Young people under the age of 15 had a consistent poverty rate of 8.6% in 2011, with 9.7% of girls and 7.5% of boys living in consistent poverty.

Ireland: Persons in consistent poverty by principal economic status, 2010-2011

1.11 Ireland: Persons in consistent poverty by principal economic status, 2010-2011
   
  % of cohort
Principal economic status20102011
At work1.32.1
Retired1.21.6
Home duties8.18.7
Student8.210.6
Ill/disabled12.411.1
Unemployed16.016.5
Source: CSO, EU SILC
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Ireland: Persons in consistent poverty by principal economic status, 2011
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  • One in six (16.5%) unemployed persons and 11.1% of ill/disabled persons lived in consistent poverty in 2011.
  • Just 2.1% of people at work lived in consistent poverty in 2011.

EU: Gender pay gap, 2009-2011

1.12 EU: Gender pay gap, 2009-2011
    
Difference between male and female gross hourly earnings as % of average gross hourly male earnings
Country200920102011
Slovenia-0.90.92.3
Poland8.04.54.5
Italy5.55.35.8
Luxembourg9.28.78.7
Romania7.48.812.1
Belgium10.110.210.2
Portugal10.012.812.5
Bulgaria13.313.013.0
Malta13.813.412.9
Ireland12.613.9:
Lithuania15.314.611.9
Sweden15.715.415.8
Latvia13.115.513.6
France15.215.614.8
Denmark16.816.016.4
EU17.216.216.2
Spain16.716.216.2
Cyprus17.816.816.4
Hungary17.117.618.0
Netherlands18.517.817.9
United Kingdom20.619.520.1
Slovakia21.919.620.5
Finland20.820.318.2
Czech Republic25.921.621.0
Germany22.622.322.2
Austria24.324.023.7
Estonia26.627.727.3
Greece22.0::
    
Croatia:15.517.6
Norway16.516.115.9
Switzerland18.417.817.9
  Source: Eurostat, EU SES
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EU: Gender pay gap 2011
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  • Female employees were paid 13.9% an hour less than male employees in Ireland in 2010. This gave Ireland the tenth lowest gender pay gap in the EU in 2010, when the average EU gender pay gap was 16.2%.
  • Of those EU countries for which data was available in 2011, Slovenia had the lowest gender pay gap at 2.3% while Estonia had the highest at 27.3%.

EU: Net official development assistance, 2007-2011

1.13 EU: Net official development assistance, 2007-2011
      
     % of GNI
Country20072008200920102011
Sweden0.930.981.120.971.02
Luxembourg0.920.971.041.050.99
Denmark0.810.820.880.910.86
Netherlands0.810.800.820.810.75
United Kingdom0.350.430.520.570.56
Belgium0.430.480.550.640.53
Finland0.390.440.540.550.52
Ireland0.530.590.530.510.50
France0.380.390.470.500.46
Germany0.370.380.350.390.40
Spain0.370.450.460.430.29
Portugal0.220.270.230.290.29
Austria0.500.430.300.320.27
Italy0.190.220.160.150.19
Greece0.160.210.190.170.11
      
Norway0.950.881.061.101.00
Switzerland0.380.420.450.400.46
 Source: OECD Development Cooperation Report
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Ireland: Net official development assistance, 2002-2012
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  • Net official development assistance in Ireland as a percentage of Gross National Income (GNI) was 0.5% in 2011, which was the eighth highest in the EU.
  • In 2011 the Irish contribution was above the 2002 interim Irish Government target of 0.45% of GNI but below the UN 2007 target of 0.7%, (see graph).
  • Four EU countries (Sweden, Luxembourg, Denmark and Netherlands) and Norway exceeded the UN target in 2011.
  • Net official development assistance in Ireland as a percentage of Gross National Income (GNI) increased from 0.39% in 2002 to 0.59% in 2008 before falling to 0.47% in 2012, (see graph).

EU: Private households with internet access, 2008-2012

1.14 EU: Private households with Internet access1, 2008-2012 
      
    % of households
Country20082009201020112012
Netherlands8690919494
Luxembourg8087909193
Denmark8283869092
Sweden8486889192
Finland7278818487
United Kingdom7177808387
Germany7579828385
Ireland6367727881
France6269747680
Austria6970737579
Belgium6467737778
Malta5964707577
EU6066707376
Estonia5863687175
Slovakia5862677175
Slovenia5964687374
Poland4859636770
Latvia5358606469
Hungary4855606569
Spain5154596468
Czech Republic4654616765
Italy4753596263
Cyprus4353545762
Lithuania5160616262
Portugal4648545861
Greece3138465054
Romania3038424754
Bulgaria2530334551
      
Iceland8890929395
Norway8486909293
Croatia4550566166
Macedonia294246::
Turkey253042::
    Source: Eurostat
      
1 This table measures all means a household may have of accessing the Internet.
  • Over four-fifths (81%) of all private households in Ireland had internet access in 2012, compared to 63% in 2008.
  • The Netherlands had the highest rate of household internet access in the EU in 2012 at 94%, while Bulgaria was the lowest at 51%.
  • Ireland had the eighth highest rate of internet access for households in the EU. The EU average rate was 76%.