The data relating to 2022 in this publication is currently under review and will be re-weighted. Revised estimates are expected to be published in early 2023.
Households were asked to rate their self-perceived level of difficulty in making ends meet, with the answer options being: ‘with great difficulty’; ‘with difficulty’; ‘with some difficulty’; ‘fairly easily’; ‘easily’; ‘very easily’.
One in two households (49.3%) said they had at least some difficulty in making ends meet in 2022, compared with 42.0% of households in 2021. One in twenty (5.7%) had great difficulty in making ends meet. See figure 4.1 and table 4.1.
| X-axis label | Very easily | Easily | Fairly easily | With some difficulty | With difficulty | With great difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 7.6 | 12.8 | 30.3 | 31.5 | 12.1 | 5.7 |
| 2021 | 9.3 | 14.8 | 33.9 | 27.2 | 9.2 | 5.6 |
| 2020 | 6.5 | 13 | 34 | 30.7 | 9.8 | 6 |
By household composition, one adult households with children are the most likely to be experiencing at least some level of difficulty (73.7%) in making ends meet, while 8.2% had great difficulty. See figure 4.2 and table 4.1.
| X-axis label | With some difficulty | With difficulty | With great difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 adult aged 65 years and over | 29 | 10.1 | 5.4 |
| 1 adult aged less than 65 years | 31.6 | 13.4 | 8.1 |
| 2 adults, at least 1 aged 65 years and over | 25.8 | 11 | 2.2 |
| 2 adults, both aged less than 65 years | 24.6 | 10.2 | 5.3 |
| 3 or more adults | 26.9 | 9 | 3.8 |
| 1 adult, with children under 18 years | 46.2 | 19.3 | 8.2 |
| 2 adults, with 1-3 children under 18 years | 38 | 14.7 | 5.1 |
| Other households with children under 18 years | 38 | 11 | 11 |
By tenure, seven in ten (68.4%) of rented or rent-free households have at least some level of difficulty in making ends meet, compared with four in ten (40.6%) owner-occupied households. One in ten (10.8%) of rented or rent-free households had great difficulty in making ends meet. See figure 4.3 and table 4.1.
| X-axis label | Very easily | Easily | Fairly easily | With some difficulty | With difficulty | With great difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rented or rent free | 3.7 | 7 | 20.9 | 39.9 | 17.7 | 10.8 |
| Owner-occupied | 9.3 | 15.4 | 34.6 | 27.7 | 9.5 | 3.4 |
Of households experiencing enforced deprivation, more than nine in ten (93.7%) had at least some difficulty in making ends meet, with 23.8% having great difficulty. One in four (39.5%) of households not experiencing enforced deprivation had at least some difficulty in making ends meet, with 1.7% having great difficulty. See figure 4.4 and table 4.1.
| X-axis label | Very easily | Easily | Fairly easily | With some difficulty | With difficulty | With great difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experiencing deprivation | 0.1 | 0.1 | 6.1 | 40.6 | 29.3 | 23.8 |
| Not experiencing deprivation | 9.3 | 15.6 | 35.7 | 29.5 | 8.3 | 1.7 |
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