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 the extent to which housing costs and the repayment of non-housing-related debts are a financial burden to the household. The answer categories were ‘a heavy burden’; ‘somewhat a burden; ‘not a burden at all”.
In 2022, of the 99.5% households indicating they have housing costs, 30.2% regard housing costs as a heavy financial burden, compared with 23% in 2021. The proportion reporting housing costs to be no burden at all reduced from 30.1% in 2021 to 22.6% in 2022. See figure 6.1 and table 6.1.
| No burden at all | Somewhat of a burden | A heavy burden | |
| 2022 | 22.6 | 47.1 | 30.2 |
| 2021 | 30.1 | 47 | 23 |
| 2020 | 24.7 | 50.6 | 24.7 |
Of the 28.7% of households that indicated they have hire purchase instalments or other loan payments, 20.6% regard the repayment of such loans to be a heavy financial burden in 2022, up from 16.9% in 2021. See figure 6.2 and table 6.2.
| X-axis label | No burden at all | Somewhat of a burden | A heavy burden |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 32.4 | 47 | 20.6 |
| 2021 | 32.3 | 50.8 | 16.9 |
| 2020 | 28.6 | 48.8 | 22.5 |
By household composition, the financial burden of housing costs is higher for households containing children and lowest amongst households without children. Three in five (59.5%) of single-adult households with children regard housing costs as a heavy burden, compared with less than one in five (18.9%) of households comprised of two-adults where at least one is aged 65 or over. See figure 6.3 and table 6.1.
| X-axis label | Total housing cost | Repayment of debts from hire purchases or loans |
|---|---|---|
| 1 adult aged 65 years and over | 23.9 | 27.1 |
| 1 adult aged less than 65 years | 26 | 25.4 |
| 2 adults, at least 1 aged 65 years and over | 18.9 | 15.3 |
| 2 adults, both aged less than 65 years | 26.9 | 21.1 |
| 3 or more adults | 26.1 | 13.9 |
| 1 adult, with children under 18 years | 59.5 | 32 |
| 2 adults, with 1-3 children under 18 years | 39.2 | 20.5 |
| Other households with children under 18 years | 37.6 | 18.4 |
Rented or rent-free households are more likely than owner-occupied households to consider housing costs and loan repayments to be a heavy financial burden. Two in five (41.3%) of rented or rent-free households found housing costs to be a heavy burden, compared with owner-occupied households at 25.3%. See figure 6.4.
| X-axis label | Total housing cost | Repayment of debts from hire purchases or loans |
|---|---|---|
| Owner-occupied | 25.3 | 17.6 |
| Rented or rent free | 41.3 | 28.2 |
Of households living in enforced deprivation, 66.2% find housing costs to be a heavy financial burden, compared with 22.3% of households not experiencing deprivation. See figure 6.5.
| X-axis label | Total housing cost | Repayment of debts from hire purchases or loans |
|---|---|---|
| Not experiencing deprivation | 22.3 | 12.2 |
| Experiencing deprivation | 66.2 | 45.7 |
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