| Percentage of persons who experienced discrimination1 | |
| % of persons aged 18+ | |
| Q1 2019 | |
| State | 17.7 |
| Principal economic status | |
| At work | 17.1 |
| Unemployed | 30.2 |
| Student | 21.9 |
| Home duties | 14.1 |
| Retired | 12.4 |
| Others | 24.1 |
| LGBTI+ | |
| LGBTI+ | 33.2 |
| Non-LGBTI+ | 17.2 |
| Nationality | |
| Irish | 16.3 |
| Non-Irish | 26.7 |
| 1 In the two years prior to interview | |
|
Users should note that the survey instrument used to carry out the Equality and Discrimination survey has changed since the survey was last carried out in Quarter 3 2014. Previously it was carried out as a module of the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS). The Labour Force Survey (LFS) has now replaced the QNHS. With this change, surveys previously carried out as modules of the QNHS, are now carried out for the most part in the General Household Survey (GHS). This change has affected sample size. The achieved sample size for the Q1 2019 survey was 3,971 respondents. Further information is available in the Background Notes. It should be noted that a national sample of this size can be insufficient to report on minority groups. It should also be noted that in the Q1 2019 Equality and Discrimination survey, an additional category of discrimination was included – discrimination experienced In contact with An Garda Síochána. This category of discrimination was not included in previous years’ surveys. See the section Discrimination levels over time for more analysis of the inclusion of this category. |
Rates of discrimination
Nearly 18% (17.7%) of persons aged 18 years or over said that they experienced discrimination in the two years prior to interview.
In Quarter 1 2019, the highest rates of perceived discrimination were among the following groups (See Table 1 and Figure 2):
| Table 1 All persons aged 18 years and over classified by their reported experience of discrimination in the past two years, Q1 2019 | ||
| % of persons aged 18+ | ||
| Experienced Discrimination | ||
| Yes | No | |
| State | 17.7 | 82.3 |
| Region | ||
| Border, Midland and Western | 20.1 | 79.9 |
| Southern and Eastern | 14.2 | 85.8 |
| Sex | ||
| Male | 16.6 | 83.4 |
| Female | 18.8 | 81.2 |
| Age group | ||
| 18-24 | 23.9 | 76.1 |
| 25-44 | 20.5 | 79.5 |
| 45-64 | 15.0 | 85.0 |
| 65+ | 11.2 | 88.8 |
| Principal Economic Status | ||
| At work | 17.1 | 82.9 |
| Unemployed | 30.2 | 69.8 |
| Student | 21.9 | 78.1 |
| Home duties | 14.1 | 85.9 |
| Retired | 12.4 | 87.6 |
| Others | 24.1 | 75.9 |
| Nationality | ||
| Irish | 16.3 | 83.7 |
| Non-Irish | 26.7 | 73.3 |
| Disability | ||
| Yes | 24.1 | 75.9 |
| No | 16.7 | 83.3 |
| Religion | ||
| Catholic | 14.0 | 86.0 |
| Others1 | 28.5 | 71.5 |
| Ethnicity | ||
| White ethnic backgrounds | 17.0 | 83.0 |
| Other ethnic backgrounds2 | 33.1 | 66.9 |
| LGBTI+3 | ||
| LGBTI+ | 33.2 | 66.8 |
| Non-LGBTI+ | 17.2 | 82.8 |
| Highest education level attained | ||
| Primary or below | 12.5 | 87.5 |
| Lower secondary | 13.2 | 86.8 |
| Higher secondary | 16.2 | 83.8 |
| Post leaving cert | 20.2 | 79.8 |
| Third level | 20.8 | 79.2 |
| Not stated | 17.8 | 82.2 |
| 1 Includes not stated. | ||
| 2 Includes Black or Black Irish (African and any other Black background), Asian or Asian Irish (Chinese, Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi, any other Asian background), Other mixed group/background - Arab, Mixed, Other. | ||
| 3 See Background Notes. | ||
| Data may be subject to sampling and other survey errors, which are relatively greater in respect of smaller values, or estimates of change. | ||
| X-axis label | Q1 2019 |
|---|---|
| At work | 17.1 |
| Unemployed | 30.2 |
| Student | 21.9 |
| Home duties | 14.1 |
| Retired | 12.4 |
| LGBTI+ | 33.2 |
| Non-LGBTI+ | 17.2 |
| Irish | 16.3 |
| Non-Irish | 26.7 |
Type of discrimination
There are many types of discrimination. Workplace discrimination refers to discrimination experienced In the workplace and/or while Looking for work in the two years prior to interview. Discrimination experienced in Accessing services refers to discrimination experienced in one or more of the following - In places like shops, pubs or restaurants, Using the services of banks, insurance companies or financial institutions, Education, Looking for housing or accommodation, Accessing health services, Using transport services, Accessing other public services at a local or national level and In contact with An Garda Síochána.
Almost one in eight (11.8%) persons experienced discrimination when Accessing services, while nearly one in ten (9.4%) cited Workplace discrimination. See Table 2.1.
Persons who experienced Workplace discrimination were predominantly from the following groups:
Persons most at risk of experiencing discrimination when Accessing services were from the following groups:
Experiencing both types of discrimination - Workplace discrimination and discrimination in Accessing services - was reported by just 3.5% of persons aged 18 years or over. Over one in ten (10.8%) of unemployed persons experienced both types of discrimination. Similarly, 10.1% of persons from non-white ethnic backgrounds experienced both types of discrimination, while 3.9% of persons who identify as LGBTI+ experienced both types of discrimination. See Table 2.1.
| Table 2.1 All persons aged 18 years and over classified by type of discrimination experienced in the past two years, Q1 2019 | ||||||||
| % of persons aged 18+ | ||||||||
| Type of discrimination | ||||||||
| Workplace1 | Accessing services2 | Experienced both types of discrimination | ||||||
| Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | |||
| State | 9.4 | 90.6 | 11.8 | 88.2 | 3.5 | 96.5 | ||
| Region | ||||||||
| Border, Midland and Western | 10.8 | 89.2 | 13.8 | 86.2 | 4.0 | 96.0 | ||
| Southern and Eastern | 7.9 | 92.1 | 9.6 | 90.4 | 3.0 | 97.0 | ||
| Sex | ||||||||
| Male | 8.2 | 91.8 | 11.9 | 88.1 | 3.3 | 96.7 | ||
| Female | 10.6 | 89.4 | 11.7 | 88.3 | 3.7 | 96.3 | ||
| Age group | ||||||||
| 18-24 | 9.1 | 90.9 | 19.1 | 80.9 | 4.3 | 95.7 | ||
| 25-44 | 11.0 | 89.0 | 13.5 | 86.5 | 4.4 | 95.6 | ||
| 45-64 | 9.6 | 90.4 | 8.5 | 91.5 | 3.1 | 96.9 | ||
| 65+ | 3.8 | 96.2 | 7.9 | 92.1 | 0.8 | 99.2 | ||
| Principal Economic Status | ||||||||
| At work | 10.0 | 90.0 | 10.3 | 89.7 | 3.4 | 96.6 | ||
| Unemployed | 24.6 | 75.4 | 17.4 | 82.6 | 10.8 | 89.2 | ||
| Student | 7.4 | 92.6 | 17.0 | 83.0 | 3.0 | 97.0 | ||
| Home duties | 5.4 | 94.6 | 12.8 | 87.2 | 3.4 | 96.6 | ||
| Retired | 4.0 | 96.0 | 9.0 | 91.0 | 1.2 | 98.8 | ||
| Others | 10.0 | 90.0 | 17.8 | 82.2 | 4.2 | 95.8 | ||
| Nationality | ||||||||
| Irish | 8.5 | 91.5 | 10.8 | 89.2 | 3.2 | 96.8 | ||
| Non-Irish | 14.4 | 85.6 | 17.4 | 82.6 | 5.1 | 94.9 | ||
| Disability | ||||||||
| Yes | 12.3 | 87.7 | 18.3 | 81.7 | 5.4 | 94.6 | ||
| No | 9.0 | 91.0 | 10.9 | 89.1 | 3.3 | 96.7 | ||
| Religion | ||||||||
| Catholic | 7.5 | 92.5 | 9.1 | 90.9 | 2.7 | 97.3 | ||
| Others3 | 14.8 | 85.2 | 19.2 | 80.8 | 5.8 | 94.2 | ||
| Ethnicity | ||||||||
| White ethnic background | 9.0 | 91.0 | 11.3 | 88.7 | 3.2 | 96.8 | ||
| Other ethnic background4 | 19.8 | 80.2 | 23.1 | 76.9 | 10.1 | 89.9 | ||
| LGBTI+5 | ||||||||
| LGBTI+ | 17.5 | 82.5 | 19.6 | 80.4 | 3.9 | 66.8 | ||
| Non-LGBTI+ | 9.2 | 90.8 | 11.5 | 88.5 | 3.5 | 82.8 | ||
| Highest education level attained | ||||||||
| Primary or below | 5.4 | 94.6 | 9.7 | 90.3 | 2.4 | 97.6 | ||
| Lower secondary | 6.3 | 93.7 | 9.6 | 90.4 | 2.5 | 97.5 | ||
| Higher secondary | 7.3 | 92.7 | 11.8 | 88.2 | 3.2 | 96.8 | ||
| Post leaving cert | 12.2 | 87.8 | 13.6 | 86.4 | 5.0 | 95.0 | ||
| Third level | 12.0 | 88.0 | 11.8 | 88.2 | 3.4 | 96.6 | ||
| Not stated | 8.5 | 91.5 | 15.6 | 84.4 | 6.2 | 93.8 | ||
| 1 Includes categories: 'In the workplace' and 'Looking for work'. | ||||||||
| 2 Includes discrimination experienced in at least one of the following areas: 'In places like shops, pubs or restaurants', 'Using the services of banks, insurance companies or financial institutions', 'Education', 'Obtaining housing or accommodation', 'Accessing health services', 'Using transport services', 'Accessing public services' and 'In contact with An Garda Síochána'. | ||||||||
| 3 Includes not stated. | ||||||||
| 4 Includes Black or Black Irish (African and any other Black background), Asian or Asian Irish (Chinese, Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi, any other Asian background), Other mixed group/background - Arab, Mixed, Other. | ||||||||
| 5 See background notes. | ||||||||
| Data may be subject to sampling and other survey errors, which are relatively greater in respect of smaller values, or estimates of change. | ||||||||
Social setting of discrimination
In the workplace
In the workplace, 7.3% of females experienced some form of discrimination in the two years prior to interview, compared with 4.6% of males. See Table 2.2.
One in twelve (8.1%) of persons with a disability, experienced discrimination In the workplace, while 7.8% of persons unemployed at the time of interview, felt that they were discriminated against In the workplace in the previous two years. Over one in nine persons (10.9%) identifying as LGBTI+ experienced this type of discrimination, as did 17.1% of persons from non-white ethnic backgrounds. See Table 2.2.
| Table 2.2 All persons aged 18 years and over by social setting of discrimination in the past two years, Q1 2019 | ||||||||||
| % of persons aged 18+ | ||||||||||
| Social setting of discrimination | ||||||||||
| In the workplace | Looking for work | In shops, pubs, restaurants, etc. | Banks, insurance companies or financial institutions | Health1 | Education | Looking for housing or accommodation | Using public transport services | Accessing other public services2 | In contact with An Garda Síochána3 | |
| State | 6.0 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 1.7 |
| Region | ||||||||||
| Border Midland and Western | 7.4 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 4.3 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 |
| Eastern and Southern | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 1.5 |
| Sex | ||||||||||
| Male | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 3.5 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.4 |
| Female | 7.3 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.0 |
| Age group | ||||||||||
| 18-24 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 7.2 | 3.6 | 1.2 | 3.4 | 5.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 3.9 |
| 25-44 | 7.3 | 5.6 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 4.4 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 1.8 |
| 45-64 | 6.0 | 4.8 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1.3 |
| 65+ | 2.5 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 0.5 |
| Principal economic status | ||||||||||
| At work | 7.2 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.5 |
| Unemployed | 7.8 | 20.1 | 9.2 | 2.6 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 4.7 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 6.9 |
| Student | 5.0 | 3.6 | 7.0 | 3.4 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 5.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 2.2 |
| Home duties | 2.3 | 3.9 | 2.4 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 0.0 |
| Retired | 2.6 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 0.5 |
| Other | 4.8 | 6.7 | 8.8 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 2.7 | 4.7 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 3.2 |
| Nationality | ||||||||||
| Irish national | 5.3 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 1.6 |
| Non-Irish | 9.4 | 8.2 | 6.5 | 4.3 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 6.6 | 1.3 | 2.8 | 2.2 |
| Disability | ||||||||||
| Yes | 8.1 | 5.8 | 7.3 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 2.1 | 3.2 | 3.5 |
| No | 5.7 | 4.7 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 1.5 |
| Religion | ||||||||||
| Roman Catholic | 4.8 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Other4 | 9.1 | 8.4 | 5.9 | 5.2 | 3.2 | 2.1 | 6.5 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 3.4 |
| Ethnicity | ||||||||||
| White ethnic backgrounds | 5.4 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.8 |
| Other ethnic backgrounds5 | 17.1 | 10.6 | 14.4 | 5.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 8.1 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 0.8 |
| LGBTI+6 | ||||||||||
| LGBTI+ | 10.9 | 8.1 | 6.1 | 5.9 | 4.5 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 3.6 |
| Non-LGBTI+ | 5.8 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 1.7 |
| Highest level of education attained | ||||||||||
| Primary or below | 2.2 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 1.3 |
| Lower secondary | 2.5 | 4.5 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 2.1 |
| Higher secondary | 4.5 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 3.2 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 2.2 |
| Post Leaving Cert | 8.8 | 5.3 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 3.2 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.9 |
| Third level | 8.2 | 6.0 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 3.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| Other/Not stated | 4.1 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 5.8 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 0.2 |
| 1 Examples include getting access to a GP, access to hospital, access to specialist treatment, etc. | ||||||||||
| 2 Either at a local or national level. | ||||||||||
| 3 New category of discrimination included in the Q1 2019 survey. Examples include reporting a crime, traffic offences, stamping of official documents, being stopped or questioned by An Garda Síochána, etc. | ||||||||||
| 4 Includes 'Not stated'. | ||||||||||
| 5 Includes Black or Black Irish (African and any other Black background), Asian or Asian Irish (Chinese, Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi, any other Asian background), Other mixed group/background - Arab, Mixed, Other. | ||||||||||
| 6 See background notes. | ||||||||||
| Note: This table allows for multiple responses for perceived grounds for discrimination, therefore the columns do not sum to 100%. | ||||||||||
More than one third of women (34.3%) cited Bullying or harassment as the perceived focus of discrimination In the workplace, as did 30.4% of males. Promotion was the second most common perceived focus of workplace discrimination experienced by males (21.6%). For females, Work conditions (19.4%) was the second most common perceived focus of workplace discrimination, followed by Promotion (17.2%). See Table 2.3 and Figure 3.
| Table 2.3 Perceived focus of workplace discrimination by sex, Q1 2019 | |||
| % of persons aged 18+ who experienced discrimination in the workplace | |||
| Male | Female | All persons | |
| State | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Focus of workplace discrimination | |||
| Pay | 11.8 | 14.4 | 13.4 |
| Promotion | 21.6 | 17.2 | 18.9 |
| Work conditions | 18.1 | 19.4 | 18.9 |
| Bullying or harrassment | 30.4 | 34.3 | 32.8 |
| Lost job or made redundant | 4.3 | 0.9 | 2.2 |
| Other | 13.7 | 13.8 | 13.7 |
| Pay | Promotion | Work conditions | Bullying or harassment | Lost job or made redundant | Other | |
| Males | 11.8 | 21.6 | 18.1 | 30.4 | 4.3 | 13.7 |
| Females | 14.4 | 17.2 | 19.4 | 34.3 | 0.9 | 13.8 |
| All persons | 13.4 | 18.9 | 18.9 | 32.8 | 2.2 | 13.7 |
Looking for work
Similar numbers of males and females experienced discrimination while Looking for work, 4.8% of males and 4.9% of females. One in five (20.1%) of unemployed persons experienced discrimination while Looking for work, as did 10.6% of persons from non-white ethnic backgrounds. One in twelve (8.1%) of persons who identify as LGBTI+ experienced discrimination while Looking for work in the two years prior to interview. See Table 2.2.
In shops, pubs, restaurants and other retail outlets
One in seven (14.4%) of persons from non-white ethnic background experienced discrimination In shops, pubs, restaurants and other retail outlets. See Table 2.2.
There was a higher incidence of discrimination experienced by younger age groups In shops, pubs, restaurants and other retail outlets, with 7.2% of persons aged 18 to 24 years stating that they experienced such discrimination in the two years prior to interview, compared with just 1.4% of persons aged 65 years and over. One in eleven (9.2%) of unemployed persons experienced discrimination in shops, pubs, restaurants and other retail outlets. Just over 7% (7.3%) of persons with a disability cited experiencing this type of discrimination in the two years previous to interview, as did 7.0% of students. See Table 2.2.
Banks, insurance companies or financial institutions
Overall, 3.5% of all persons aged 18 years or over, experienced discrimination in using the services of Banks, insurance companies or financial institutions. The level of this type of discrimination experienced by males and females was the same (3.5%). See Table 2.2.
Accessing health services
At a State level, 2.1% of persons aged 18 years or over experienced discrimination in the previous two years, when Accessing health services, including getting access to a GP, access to hospital, access to specialist treatment, etc. Discrimination experienced in Accessing health services was cited by 4.8% of persons with a disability, while 4.5% of persons who identify as LGBTI+ cited such discrimination. See Table 2.2.
Education
Overall, just 1.5% of persons aged 18 years or over experienced discrimination in Education. Discrimination in Education was lowest for persons with a higher level of educational attainment. Just 1.0% of persons with a third level qualification experienced discrimination in Education, compared with 3.5% of persons whose highest level of educational attainment was Primary or below. See Table 2.2.
Looking for housing or accommodation
One in every twelve (8.1%) of persons of other non-white ethnic background experienced such discrimination. Similarly, 6.6% of non-Irish persons experienced discrimination when seeking housing or accommodation. Persons in the lower age group, 18 to 24 years, experienced the highest levels (5.6%) of discrimination when compared with 1.7% of persons in the 45 to 64 years age group and 0.5% of persons aged 65 or over. See Table 2.2.
Using public transport services
Overall, at a State level, discrimination experienced in Using public transport services was relatively low (0.6%). For persons with a disability, 2.1% cited discrimination in Using public transport services, while 3.5% of persons of other non-white ethnic background stated that they experienced discrimination in using such services. See Table 2.2.
Accessing other public services
Just over 1% (1.2%) of persons aged 18 or over experienced discrimination in Accessing other public services, at a local or national level. Discrimination in Accessing other public services was cited by 4.5% of persons of other non-white ethnic background. Such discrimination was cited by 3.2% of persons with a disability compared with under 1% (0.9%) of persons with no disability. See Table 2.2.
In contact with An Garda Síochána
A new questions category was added to the survey questionnaire in 2019 - discrimination experienced In contact with An Garda Síochána (in the two years previous to interview), such as reporting a crime, traffic offences, stamping of official documents, being stopped or questioned by An Garda Síochána, etc.
Just 1.7% of persons cited experiencing such discrimination in the two years prior to interview. More males than females said that they felt discriminated against In contact with An Garda Síochána, 2.4% of males aged 18 years or over compared with just 1% of females. This type of discrimination was also higher for persons in the 18 to 24 years age group (3.9%) compared with 1.3% of persons in the 45 to 64 years age cohort and 0.5% of persons aged 65 or over. See Table 2.2.
Nearly 7% (6.9%) of unemployed persons cited discrimination In contact with an Garda Síochána in the previous two years. See Table 2.2.
Respondents who experienced discrimination In contact with An Garda Síochána were asked the type of interaction(s) that best described when the discrimination took place. Of persons who experienced such discrimination in the two years prior to interview, Being stopped in a vehicle was the most common interaction type (39.5%), followed by Being stopped in the street (37.5%). One in ten (10.4%) of persons who experienced discrimination from An Garda Síochána stated that they felt discriminated against when Reporting a crime and 18.2% experienced discrimination when Requesting a service at a Garda station or on the street. See Table 2.4.
| Table 2.4 Persons who experienced discrimination in contact with An Garda Síochána by the type of interaction, Q1 2019 | |
| % persons aged 18+ | |
| Type of interaction1 | |
| Reporting a crime | 10.4 |
| Requesting a service at a Garda station or on the street | 18.2 |
| Being stopped in the street | 37.5 |
| Being stopped in a vehicle | 39.5 |
| Being detained by An Garda Síochána | 7.5 |
| During a visit to your home by An Garda Síochána | 9.8 |
| Other2 | 16.2 |
| 1 More than one type of interaction could be chosen. | |
| 2 Includes 'Not stated' | |
Grounds for discrimination
Over one third (34.1%) of persons who experienced discrimination cited Age as a ground for this discrimination, while 21.9% gave Race/Skin colour/Ethnic group/Nationality as a reason for this discrimination and 18.6% cited Gender. While age, race and gender were the most common grounds identified at an overall level, there were other variations in the most common grounds identified according to each type of discrimination.
Gender (33.0%), Age (25.9%) and Race/skin colour/ethnic group/nationality (22.6%) were the most common grounds identified by people who experienced discrimination In the workplace. Over one third (35.3%) of persons who experienced discrimination when Looking for work gave Age as a ground for this discrimination. Nearly three tenths (29.1%) of persons who experienced discrimination In pubs, shops, restaurants, etc. cited Race/Skin colour/Ethnic group/Nationality as a ground for discrimination, and the same discrimination ground was identified by 35.9% of persons aged 18 years or over in Using public transport services. More than one third (34.7%) of respondents cited Disability as a ground for discrimination that they experienced in Using public transport services. See Table 3.1.
Over one in ten (10.5%) of persons who experienced discrimination In contact with An Garda Síochána gave Race/skin colour/ethnic group/nationality as a ground for discrimination, and nearly 7% (6.8%) felt that Membership of the Traveller community was a ground for their perceived discrimination. See Table 3.1.
| Table 3.1 Persons who experienced discrimination by social setting of discrimination and perceived grounds for discrimination, Q1 2019 | |||||||||||
| % of persons aged 18+ who experienced discrimination | |||||||||||
| Social setting of discrimination | |||||||||||
| In the workplace | Looking for work | Pubs restaurants etc. | Banks, insurance companies or financial institutions | Health1 | Using public transport services | Accessing other public services2 | Education | Looking for housing or accommodation | Contact with An Garda Síochána3 | Persons who experienced any type of discrimination | |
| Perceived grounds for discrimination | |||||||||||
| Gender | 33.0 | 15.6 | 12.4 | 11.5 | 0.8 | 9.3 | 0.8 | 6.3 | 2.9 | 32.6 | 18.6 |
| Civil or marital status | 4.0 | 3.9 | 1.0 | 5.1 | 6.8 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 4.7 | 0.0 | 5.0 |
| Family status4 | 5.2 | 12.1 | 3.8 | 12.5 | 5.3 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 27.4 | 9.4 | 4.4 | 11.7 |
| Religious belief | 0.2 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 6.5 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 4.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 3.0 |
| Sexual orientation | 2.2 | 2.8 | 30.4 | 0.0 | 5.2 | 5.7 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 5.6 | 9.1 |
| Age | 25.9 | 35.3 | 18.1 | 35.2 | 16.2 | 5.2 | 17.3 | 38.2 | 19.2 | 26.2 | 34.1 |
| Disability | 2.8 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 7.1 | 2.0 | 34.7 | 20.3 | 6.3 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 4.9 |
| Race/Skin colour/Ethnic group/Nationality | 22.6 | 19.7 | 29.1 | 15.4 | 7.9 | 35.9 | 31.6 | 10.9 | 15.4 | 10.5 | 21.9 |
| Membership of the traveller community | 0.9 | 2.0 | 5.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.6 | 2.4 | 6.4 | 3.6 | 6.8 | 1.8 |
| Other | 15.6 | 16.2 | 9.8 | 27.8 | 57.4 | 6.3 | 38.2 | 25.1 | 12.9 | 22.2 | 27.5 |
| 1 Examples include getting access to a GP, access to hospital, access to specialist treatment, etc. | |||||||||||
| 2 Either at a local or national level. | |||||||||||
| 3 New category of discrimination included in the Q1 2019 survey. Examples include reporting a crime, traffic offences, stamping of official documents, being stopped or questioned by An Garda Síochána, etc. | |||||||||||
| 4 Examples include pregnancy or with children or other dependants. | |||||||||||
| Note: This table allows for multiple responses for perceived grounds for discrimination, therefore the columns do not sum to 100%. | |||||||||||
Overall, 9.1% of persons who experienced any type of discrimination cited Sexual orientation as a perceived ground for this discrimination. This ground for discrimination was felt most by persons who experienced discrimination In shops, pubs, restaurants and other retail outlets (30.4%). See Table 3.1.
When comparing males and females for this discrimination ground, discrimination on the basis of one's Sexual orientation was cited by 9.5% of males and 8.8% of females. See Table 3.2.
When comparing the experience of males and females, 29.1% of females stated cited Gender as a ground for discrimination experienced, compared with 7.8% of males. Over one fifth (27.6%) of males believed that Race/Skin colour/Ethnic group/Nationality was a perceived ground for discrimination cited by 28.4% of males, compared with 16% of females. See Table 3.2.
| Table 3.2 Persons who experienced discrimination by sex, type of discrimination and perceived grounds for discrimination, Q1 2019 | |||
| % of persons aged 18+ who experienced discrimination | |||
| Male | Female | All persons | |
| Type of discrimination1 | |||
| In the workplace | 27.5 | 39.1 | 33.6 |
| Looking for work | 28.4 | 26.1 | 27.2 |
| In shops, pubs or restaurants | 23.5 | 20.6 | 22.0 |
| Banks, insurance companies or other financial institutions | 20.6 | 19.0 | 19.8 |
| Education | 8.9 | 8.5 | 8.7 |
| Obtaining housing or accommodation | 21.0 | 15.0 | 17.9 |
| Accessing health services | 7.0 | 16.5 | 12.0 |
| Using transport services | 3.9 | 3.0 | 3.4 |
| Accessing public services | 5.0 | 3.8 | 4.4 |
| Contact with An Garda Síochána | 14.4 | 5.5 | 9.7 |
| Grounds for discrimination1 | |||
| Gender | 7.8 | 29.1 | 18.6 |
| Civil or marital status | 5.6 | 4.4 | 5.0 |
| Family status2 | 9.0 | 14.1 | 11.7 |
| Age | 34.2 | 34.1 | 34.1 |
| Disability | 4.8 | 5.0 | 4.9 |
| Race/Skin colour/Ethnic group/Nationality | 28.4 | 16.0 | 21.9 |
| Sexual orientation | 9.5 | 8.8 | 9.1 |
| Other3 | 32.9 | 31.7 | 32.2 |
| 1 Respondents may choose more than one type of discrimination and ground for discrimination so rows may now add to 100%. | |||
| 2 Examples include pregnancy or with children or other dependants. | |||
| 3 Includes categories 'Religious belief', 'Membership of the Traveller Community' and 'Other'. | |||
Frequency of discrimination
For most types of discrimination, the most common experience was that the discrimination happened on a few occasions. As might be expected, discrimination occurred most frequently in areas where people usually have more frequent interaction. Thus the highest incidence of 'more regular' discrimination was In the workplace (25.7%). See Table 4.
| Table 4 Persons who experienced discrimination1 by type of discrimination and frequency, Q1 2019 | ||||
| % of persons aged 18+ who experienced discrimination | ||||
| Frequency of discrimination | ||||
| Just once | On a few occasions | More regularly | Total | |
| Type of discrimination | ||||
| In the workplace | 25.4 | 49.0 | 25.7 | 100.0 |
| Looking for work | 22.3 | 60.9 | 16.8 | 100.0 |
| In shops, pubs or restaurants | 21.7 | 57.4 | 20.9 | 100.0 |
| Banks, insurance companies or other financial institutions | 37.1 | 50.4 | 12.5 | 100.0 |
| Education | 28.3 | 60.4 | 11.3 | 100.0 |
| Obtaining housing or accommodation | 25.5 | 55.2 | 19.3 | 100.0 |
| Accessing health services | 40.7 | 43.8 | 15.5 | 100.0 |
| Using transport services | [30.9] | [51.3] | [17.8] | 100.0 |
| Accessing public services | [29.7] | [46.4] | [24.0] | 100.0 |
| In contact with on An Garda Síochána | 37.9 | 32.9 | 29.3 | 100.0 |
| 1 Discrimination experienced in the two years previous to the survey. | ||||
| Data may be subject to sampling and other survey errors, which are relatively greater in respect of smaller values, or estimates of change. | ||||
| Figures in parentheses [ ] indicate percentages based on small numbers, and are, therefore, subject to a wide margin of error | ||||
| Just once | On a few occasions | More regularly | |
| In the workplace | 25.4 | 49 | 25.7 |
| Looking for work | 22.3 | 60.9 | 16.8 |
| In shops, pubs or restaurants | 21.7 | 57.4 | 20.9 |
| Banks, insurance companies or other financial institutions | 37.1 | 50.4 | 12.5 |
| Education | 28.3 | 60.4 | 11.3 |
| Obtaining housing or accommodation | 25.5 | 55.2 | 19.3 |
| Accessing health services | 40.7 | 43.8 | 15.5 |
| Using transport services | 30.9 | 51.3 | 17.8 |
| Accessing public services | 29.7 | 46.4 | 24 |
| In contact with on An Garda Siochana | 37.9 | 32.9 | 29.3 |
Effect of discrimination
Across each type of discrimination, the most commonly reported impact was that the discrimination had ‘some effect’ on the respondent’s life. However, the type of discrimination experienced did influence the seriousness of the effect it had on people’s lives. Nearly three tenths (29.2%) of those who experienced discrimination In the workplace said it had a serious effect on their lives, while 31.2% of persons who experienced discrimination In looking for work stated that it had a serious effect on their lives. Nearly one third (31.3%) of persons who experienced discrimination Accessing health services stated the discrimination had a serious effect on their lives. See Table 5.
| Table 5 Persons who experienced discrimination1 by type of discrimination and effect on individuals' lives, Q1 2019 | ||||||
| % of persons aged 18+ who experienced discrimination | ||||||
| Effect on individuals' lives | ||||||
| Little or no effect | Some effect | Serious effect | Very serious effect | Total | ||
| Type of discrimination | ||||||
| In the workplace | 16.3 | 41.4 | 29.2 | 13.1 | 100.0 | |
| Looking for work | 20.5 | 40.0 | 31.2 | 8.3 | 100.0 | |
| In shops, pubs or restaurants | 39.7 | 35.5 | 20.9 | 3.9 | 100.0 | |
| Banks, insurance companies or other financial institutions | 21.9 | 42.2 | 24.9 | 11.0 | 100.0 | |
| Education | 20.6 | 36.6 | 25.9 | 16.9 | 100.0 | |
| Obtaining housing or accommodation | 20.5 | 33.4 | 28.2 | 17.9 | 100.0 | |
| Accessing health services | 18.4 | 36.2 | 31.3 | 14.1 | 100.0 | |
| Using transport services | [28.8] | [51.4] | [10.6] | [9.2] | 100.0 | |
| Accessing public services | [9.3] | [41.8] | [40.1] | [8.8] | 100.0 | |
| In contact with on An Garda Síochána | 8.3 | 45.4 | 29.4 | 17.0 | 100.0 | |
| 1Discrimination experienced in the two years previous to the survey. | ||||||
| Data may be subject to sampling and other survey errors, which are relatively greater in respect of smaller values, or estimates of change. | ||||||
| Figures in parentheses [ ] indicate percentages based on small numbers, and are, therefore, subject to a wide margin of error | ||||||
Knowledge of rights and action taken
Nearly one eighth (11.8%) of all persons aged 18 or over, including those who did not experienced discrimination, had no knowledge or understanding of their rights under Irish equality legislation, compared with 31.4% who have a good understanding. Nearly six in ten (56.8%) had a moderate understanding of their rights. See Table 6.1.
Of those who experienced discrimination, almost one third (32.3%) had a very good understanding of their rights. Understanding of rights under Irish equality law was greatest for persons with a higher level of educational attainment. Just over 46% (46.3%) of persons with third level education and 35.2% or persons with post Leaving Cert standard had the greatest level of understanding of their rights. Persons who identify as LGBTI+ also had a very good understanding of their rights, 42% compared with 31.7% of non-LGBTI+ persons. See Table 6.2.
Of those persons who experienced discrimination and at the same time, had a very good understanding of their rights, the majority (62.3%) of persons , took no action, while 27.1% took verbal action and spoke with for example, their manager, service provider, a support organization, Citizens’ Information, or Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), etc. See Table 6.4.
At an overall level, irrespective of one's knowledge of their rights, just 3% of persons who experienced discrimination made an official complaint (such as to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC), etc.) or took legal action, while 1.7% contacted An Garda Síochána. See Table 6.4.
| Table 6.1 All persons aged 18 years and over classified by knowledge of their rights under Irish equality legislation, Q1 2019 | |||||
| % of persons aged 18+ | |||||
| Knowledge of rights | |||||
| No understanding | Understand a little | Understand a lot | |||
| State | 11.8 | 56.8 | 31.4 | ||
| Discrimination | |||||
| Reported experiencing discrimination | 8.3 | 50.4 | 41.3 | ||
| Reported no experience of discrimination | 12.7 | 58.7 | 28.6 | ||
| Region | |||||
| Border, Midland, Western | 15.6 | 53.7 | 30.7 | ||
| Eastern & Southern | 5.8 | 61.6 | 32.7 | ||
| Sex | |||||
| Male | 14.2 | 64.1 | 21.7 | ||
| Female | 9.8 | 50.6 | 39.7 | ||
| Age group | |||||
| 18-24 | 15.8 | 66.8 | 17.4 | ||
| 25-44 | 13.3 | 53.4 | 33.4 | ||
| 45-64 | 6.9 | 54.8 | 38.3 | ||
| 65+ | 12.7 | 62.6 | 24.7 | ||
| Principal Economic Status | |||||
| At work | 9.4 | 53.8 | 36.8 | ||
| Unemployed | 16.9 | 61.8 | 21.3 | ||
| Student | 11.5 | 67.1 | 21.5 | ||
| Home duties | 21.1 | 50.4 | 28.5 | ||
| Retired | 13.0 | 60.5 | 26.5 | ||
| Others | 14.8 | 57.7 | 27.5 | ||
| Nationality | |||||
| Irish | 9.8 | 57.4 | 32.9 | ||
| Non-Irish | 19.5 | 54.6 | 25.9 | ||
| Disability | |||||
| Yes | 13.9 | 51.4 | 34.7 | ||
| No | 11.3 | 58.0 | 30.7 | ||
| Religion | |||||
| Catholic | 10.9 | 62.6 | 26.5 | ||
| Others1 | 13.0 | 48.6 | 38.4 | ||
| Ethnicity | |||||
| White ethnic backgrounds | 11.8 | 56.2 | 32.0 | ||
| Other ethnic backgrounds2 | 11.9 | 63.4 | 24.7 | ||
| LGBTI+3 | |||||
| LGBTI+ | 26.4 | 41.5 | 32.2 | ||
| Non-LGBTI+ | 13.1 | 55.6 | 31.4 | ||
| Highest education level attained | |||||
| Primary or below | 23.4 | 66.0 | 10.6 | ||
| Lower secondary | 12.0 | 61.3 | 26.7 | ||
| Higher secondary | 10.6 | 76.0 | 13.4 | ||
| Post leaving cert | 8.6 | 57.8 | 33.7 | ||
| Third level | 11.3 | 42.3 | 46.4 | ||
| Not stated | 16.4 | 65.5 | 18.1 | ||
| 1 Includes not stated. | |||||
| 2 Includes Black or Black Irish (African and any other Black background), Asian or Asian Irish (Chinese, Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi, any other Asian background), Other mixed group/background - Arab, Mixed, Other. | |||||
| 3 See background notes | |||||
| Table 6.2 Persons aged 18 years and over who experienced discrimination classified by knowledge of their rights under Irish equality legislation, Q1 2019 | |||
| % of persons aged 18+ who experienced discrimination | |||
| Knowledge of rights | |||
| No understanding | Understand a little | Understand a lot | |
| State | 11.5 | 56.3 | 32.3 |
| Region | |||
| Border, Midland, Western | 15.4 | 53.1 | 31.6 |
| Eastern & Southern | 5.4 | 61.1 | 33.5 |
| Sex | |||
| Male | 13.4 | 62.7 | 23.9 |
| Female | 9.7 | 50.5 | 39.8 |
| Age group | |||
| 18-24 | 15.1 | 66.4 | 18.6 |
| 25-44 | 12.6 | 54.5 | 32.9 |
| 45-64 | 6.8 | 52.9 | 40.3 |
| 65+ | 14.7 | 57.8 | 27.5 |
| Nationality | |||
| Irish | 9.5 | 56.9 | 33.6 |
| Non-Irish | 18.1 | 54.0 | 27.9 |
| Disability | |||
| Yes | 14.1 | 52.6 | 33.4 |
| No | 10.9 | 57.0 | 32.1 |
| Religion | |||
| Catholic | 10.5 | 61.2 | 28.3 |
| Others1 | 12.8 | 49.3 | 37.9 |
| Ethnicity | |||
| White ethnic backgrounds | 11.4 | 55.6 | 33.0 |
| Other ethnic backgrounds2 | 12.4 | 63.2 | 24.4 |
| LGBTI+3 | |||
| LGBTI+ | 10.6 | 47.4 | 42.0 |
| Non-LGBTI+ | 11.5 | 56.8 | 31.7 |
| Highest education level attained | |||
| Primary or below | 22.5 | 65.2 | 12.2 |
| Lower secondary | 12.3 | 59.2 | 28.4 |
| Higher secondary | 10.2 | 75.5 | 14.3 |
| Post leaving cert | 9.3 | 55.6 | 35.2 |
| Third level | 10.4 | 43.3 | 46.3 |
| Not stated | 18.5 | 61.1 | 20.4 |
| 1 Includes not stated. | |||
| 2 Includes Black or Black Irish (African and any other Black background), Asian or Asian Irish (Chinese, Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi, any other Asian background), Other mixed group/background - Arab, Mixed, Other. | |||
| 3 See background notes. | |||
| Table 6.3 Persons who experienced discrimination in the past two years by action taken, Q1 2019 | |||||
| % of persons aged 18+ who experienced discrimination | |||||
| Action taken | |||||
| Verbal action1 | Written action2 | Official complaint3 or legal action | Contacted An Garda Síochána4 | No action taken | |
| State | 21.3 | 10.2 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 70.4 |
| Region | |||||
| Border, Midland and Western | 23.2 | 9.5 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 69.4 |
| Southern and Eastern | 18.4 | 11.2 | 3.4 | 1.5 | 71.9 |
| Sex | |||||
| Male | 14.2 | 10.6 | 3.5 | 2.7 | 75.8 |
| Female | 27.6 | 9.8 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 65.6 |
| Age group | |||||
| 18-24 | 13.7 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 84.2 |
| 25-44 | 22.1 | 13.6 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 66.9 |
| 45-64 | 25.3 | 10.6 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 65.8 |
| 65+ | 17.8 | 5.1 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 79.3 |
| Principal Economic Status | |||||
| At work | 22.5 | 13.2 | 3.5 | 2.4 | 67.6 |
| Unemployed | 12.2 | 7.9 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 75.8 |
| Student | 22.9 | 8.3 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 75.5 |
| Home duties | 20.9 | 0.0 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 76.7 |
| Retired | 19.6 | 5.4 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 78.7 |
| Others | 23.4 | 6.7 | 5.5 | 2.9 | 61.4 |
| Nationality | |||||
| Irish | 21.8 | 11.1 | 3.6 | 1.9 | 69.4 |
| Non-Irish | 19.9 | 7.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 73.7 |
| Disability | |||||
| Yes | 22.5 | 7.0 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 66.5 |
| No | 21.1 | 10.8 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 71.2 |
| Religion | |||||
| Catholic | 20.9 | 9.4 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 72.0 |
| Others5 | 21.9 | 11.2 | 3.5 | 2.7 | 68.1 |
| Ethnicity | |||||
| White ethnic backgrounds | 20.5 | 10.2 | 3.3 | 1.5 | 70.9 |
| Other ethnic backgrounds | 30.4 | 9.3 | 0.0 | 4.3 | 64.5 |
| LGBTI+6 | |||||
| LGBTI+ | 39.9 | 3.2 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 55.3 |
| Non-LGBTI+ | 20.1 | 10.6 | 3.1 | 1.8 | 71.4 |
| Highest education level attained | |||||
| Primary or below | 17.8 | 5.5 | 0.0 | 4.2 | 73.1 |
| Lower secondary | 15.7 | 6.1 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 76.5 |
| Higher secondary | 13.2 | 4.8 | 3.3 | 0.4 | 80.1 |
| Post leaving cert | 20.8 | 11.1 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 70.2 |
| Third level | 27.7 | 11.5 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 65.7 |
| Not stated | 22.2 | 31.6 | 6.2 | 0.0 | 51.6 |
| 1Examples include verbally to one's manager, a service provider, a support organization, Citizens’ Information, Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), etc. | |||||
| 2Examples include in writing to one's manager, a service provider, a support organization, etc. | |||||
| 3Examples include the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC), etc. | |||||
| 4'Contacted An Garda Síochána' was added as an action taken in the Q1 2019 Equality survey . | |||||
| 5Includes 'Not stated'. | |||||
| 6See Background notes. | |||||
| Note: More than one type of action taken may be given by respondents so rows may not sum to 100%. | |||||
| Data may be subject to sampling and other survey errors, which are relatively greater in respect of smaller values, or estimates of change. | |||||
| Table 6.4 Persons aged 18 years and over who experienced discrimination in the previous two years classified by action taken and knowledge of rights under Irish equality legislation, Q1 2019 | |||||
| % of persons aged 18+ who experienced discrimination | |||||
| Action Taken | |||||
| Verbal action1 | Written action2 | Official complaint3 or legal action | Contacted An Garda Síochána | No action taken | |
| State | 21.3 | 10.2 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 70.4 |
| Knowledge of rights | |||||
| No understanding | 16.4 | 4.7 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 78.1 |
| Understand a little | 19.0 | 9.7 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 73.4 |
| Understand a lot | 27.1 | 13.0 | 3.6 | 1.1 | 62.3 |
| 1 Examples include verbally to one's manager, a service provider, a support organization, Citizens’ Information, Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), etc. | |||||
| 2 Examples include in writing to one's manager, a service provider, a support organization, etc. | |||||
| 3 Examples include the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC), etc. | |||||
| Note: More than one type of action may be given by respondents so rows may not sum to 100%. | |||||
| X-axis label | No understanding | Understand a little | Understand a lot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal action | 16.4 | 19.02 | 27.07 |
| Written action | 4.66 | 9.68 | 12.96 |
| Official complaint or legal action | 0.36 | 3.2 | 3.57 |
| Contacted An Garda Siochana | 1.22 | 2.15 | 1.12 |
| No action taken | 78.14 | 73.4 | 62.34 |
Discrimination levels over time
The survey instrument used to carry out the Equality and Discrimination survey has changed since the survey was last carried out in Quarter 3 2014. Previously it was carried out as a module of the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS). The Labour Force Survey (LFS) has now replaced the QNHS. With this change, surveys previously carried out as modules of the QNHS, are now carried out for the most part in the General Household Survey (GHS). This change has affected sample size. The achieved sample size for the Quarter 1 2019 survey was 3,971 respondents. Annex 1 below details sample sizes for the Equality and Discrimination survey in Quarter 4 2010, Quarter 3 2014 and most recently in Quarter 1 2019. See Annex 1.
| Annex 1 Unweighted sample of persons aged 18 years or over by their experience of discrimination, Q4 2010, Q3 2014 and Q1 2019 | |||
| Unweighted sample of persons 18+ | |||
| Q4 2010 | Q3 2014 | Q1 2019 | |
| State | 16,821 | 14,868 | 3,971 |
| Region | |||
| Border Midland and Western | 4,654 | 3,972 | 2,100 |
| Eastern and Southern | 12,167 | 10,896 | 1,871 |
| Sex | |||
| Male | 6,586 | 5,885 | 1,848 |
| Female | 10,235 | 8,983 | 2,123 |
| Age group | |||
| 18-24 | 854 | 583 | 383 |
| 25-44 | 6,914 | 5,618 | 1,382 |
| 45-64 | 5,676 | 5,298 | 1,429 |
| 65+ | 3,377 | 3,369 | 777 |
| Principal economic status | |||
| At work | 7,994 | 7,438 | 2,225 |
| Unemployed | 1,521 | 1,126 | 180 |
| Student | 570 | 414 | 299 |
| Home duties | 3,831 | 2,797 | 385 |
| Retired | 2,200 | 2,384 | 657 |
| Other | 705 | 709 | 225 |
| Nationality | |||
| Irish national | 15,170 | 13,434 | 3,512 |
| Non-Irish | 1,651 | 1,434 | 459 |
| Disability | |||
| Yes | 2,012 | 2,165 | 568 |
| No | 14,809 | 12,703 | 3,403 |
| Religion | |||
| Roman Catholic | 14,585 | 12,308 | 3,047 |
| Other | 2,236 | 2,560 | 924 |
| Ethnicity | |||
| White ethnic backgrounds | 16,391 | 14,391 | 3,828 |
| Other ethnic backgrounds | 430 | 477 | 143 |
| Highest level of education attained | |||
| Primary or below | 3,132 | 2,546 | 444 |
| Lower secondary | 2,436 | 1,932 | 573 |
| Higher secondary | 3,698 | 3,104 | 929 |
| Post Leaving Cert | 1,874 | 1,878 | 512 |
| Third level | 5,303 | 5,145 | 1,296 |
| Other/Not stated | 378 | 263 | 217 |
The table Annex 2 below provides results on discrimination levels from the last three Equality and Discrimination surveys in Quarter 4 2010, Quarter 3 2014 and Quarter 1 2019.
Experience of discrimination (within the two years prior to interview) has increased by almost six percentage points in Quarter 1 2019, compared with Quarter 3 2014, when the survey was last carried out. Care should be taken in interpreting this increase. There are a number of factors that may have contributed to this increase in discrimination experienced, including the following:
| Annex 2 All persons aged 18 years and over classified by their reported experience of discrimination in the past two years, Q4 2010, Q3 2014 and Q1 2019 | ||||||||
| % of persons aged 18+ | ||||||||
| Experienced discrimination | ||||||||
| Yes | No | |||||||
| Q4 2010 | Q3 2014 | Q1 20191 | Q1 20192 | Q4 2010 | Q3 2014 | Q1 20191 | ||
| State | 11.7 | 11.8 | 17.7 | 17.0 | 87.5 | 88.3 | 82.3 | |
| Region | ||||||||
| Border, Midland and Western | 11.7 | 11.3 | 21.0 | 19.6 | 88.9 | 88.3 | 79.0 | |
| Southern and Eastern | 11.7 | 12.0 | 14.2 | 13.8 | 87.0 | 88.3 | 85.8 | |
| Sex | ||||||||
| Male | 11.5 | 11.0 | 16.6 | 15.8 | 88.5 | 89.0 | 83.4 | |
| Female | 11.8 | 12.6 | 18.8 | 18.3 | 88.2 | 87.4 | 81.2 | |
| Age group | ||||||||
| 18-24 | 13.4 | 13.2 | 23.9 | 22.3 | 86.6 | 86.8 | 76.1 | |
| 25-44 | 13.4 | 13.1 | 20.5 | 19.5 | 86.6 | 86.9 | 79.5 | |
| 45-64 | 11.9 | 12.7 | 15.0 | 14.5 | 88.1 | 87.3 | 85.0 | |
| 65+ | 5.3 | 6.1 | 11.2 | 10.5 | 94.7 | 93.9 | 88.8 | |
| Principal Economic Status | ||||||||
| At work | 10.6 | 10.8 | 17.1 | 16.3 | 89.4 | 89.2 | 82.9 | |
| Unemployed | 22.0 | 23.5 | 30.2 | 29.8 | 78.0 | 76.5 | 69.8 | |
| Student | 13.3 | 13.5 | 21.9 | 20.2 | 86.7 | 86.5 | 78.1 | |
| Home duties | 9.9 | 9.9 | 14.1 | 14.9 | 90.1 | 90.1 | 85.9 | |
| Retired | 5.7 | 7.1 | 12.4 | 11.4 | 94.3 | 92.9 | 87.6 | |
| Others | 18.3 | 17.6 | 24.1 | 23.3 | 81.7 | 82.4 | 75.9 | |
| Nationality | ||||||||
| Irish | 10.5 | 11.1 | 16.3 | 15.5 | 89.5 | 88.9 | 83.7 | |
| Non-Irish | 20.5 | 17.0 | 26.7 | 25.7 | 79.5 | 83.0 | 73.3 | |
| Disability | ||||||||
| Yes | 14.1 | 16.4 | 24.1 | 23.8 | 83.8 | 83.6 | 75.9 | |
| No | 11.5 | 11.1 | 16.7 | 16.1 | 88.5 | 88.9 | 83.3 | |
| Religion | ||||||||
| Catholic | 10.6 | 10.9 | 14.0 | 13.3 | 89.4 | 89.1 | 86.0 | |
| Others2 | 17.9 | 15.6 | 28.5 | 27.4 | 82.1 | 84.4 | 71.5 | |
| Ethnicity | ||||||||
| White ethnic backgrounds | 11.1 | 11.2 | 17.0 | 16.3 | 88.9 | 88.8 | 83.0 | |
| Other ethnic backgrounds | 28.9 | 27.8 | 33.1 | 32.6 | 71.1 | 72.2 | 66.9 | |
| Highest education level attained | ||||||||
| Primary or below | 8.0 | 9.8 | 12.5 | 12.0 | 92.1 | 90.2 | 87.5 | |
| Lower secondary | 12.0 | 12.1 | 13.2 | 13.1 | 88.0 | 87.9 | 86.8 | |
| Higher secondary | 10.7 | 11.2 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 89.3 | 88.8 | 83.8 | |
| Post leaving cert | 14.7 | 13.6 | 20.2 | 20.0 | 85.3 | 86.4 | 79.8 | |
| Third level | 12.7 | 12.3 | 20.8 | 20.0 | 87.3 | 87.7 | 79.2 | |
| Not stated | 15.4 | 11.4 | 17.8 | 17.7 | 84.6 | 88.6 | 82.2 | |
| 1Discrimination experienced 'In contact with an Garda Síochána' was included as a type of discrimination in the Q1 2019 Equality survey. | ||||||||
| 2 Discrimination excluding discrimination experienced In contact with An Garda Síochána. | ||||||||
| 3 Includes 'Not stated'. | ||||||||
| Data may be subject to sampling and other survey errors, which are relatively greater in respect of smaller values, or estimates of change. | ||||||||
Increase in knowledge of rights
There has also been a marked increase in awareness and knowledge of rights. See Annex 3.
| Annex 3 All persons aged 18 years and over classified by knowledge of their rights under Irish equality law, Q4 2010, Q3 2014 and Q1 2019 | |||||||||||
| % of persons aged 18+ | |||||||||||
| Knowledge of rights | |||||||||||
| No understanding | Understand a little | Understand a lot | |||||||||
| Q4 2010 | Q3 2014 | Q1 2019 | Q4 2010 | Q3 2014 | Q1 2019 | Q4 2010 | Q3 2014 | Q1 2019 | |||
| State | 17.6 | 18.7 | 11.8 | 52.4 | 55.3 | 56.8 | 30.0 | 26.0 | 31.4 | ||
| Discrimination | |||||||||||
| Reported experiencing discrimination | 22.1 | 20.6 | 8.3 | 46.9 | 52.5 | 50.4 | 31.0 | 26.8 | 41.3 | ||
| Reported no experience of discrimination | 17.0 | 18.5 | 12.7 | 53.1 | 55.6 | 58.7 | 29.9 | 25.9 | 28.6 | ||
| Region | |||||||||||
| Border, Midland, Western | 20.9 | 22.5 | 15.6 | 52.6 | 55.3 | 53.7 | 26.5 | 22.2 | 30.7 | ||
| Eastern & Southern | 16.4 | 17.4 | 5.8 | 52.3 | 55.2 | 61.6 | 31.3 | 27.3 | 32.7 | ||
| Sex | |||||||||||
| Male | 15.8 | 18.5 | 14.2 | 53.2 | 54.5 | 64.1 | 31.0 | 27.0 | 21.7 | ||
| Female | 19.3 | 19.0 | 9.8 | 51.6 | 56.0 | 50.6 | 29.1 | 25.0 | 39.7 | ||
| Age group | |||||||||||
| 18-24 | 20.7 | 24.6 | 15.8 | 56.7 | 52.7 | 66.8 | 22.6 | 22.7 | 17.4 | ||
| 25-44 | 15.1 | 17.1 | 13.3 | 52.9 | 56.0 | 53.4 | 32.0 | 26.9 | 33.4 | ||
| 45-64 | 15.7 | 15.4 | 6.9 | 50.3 | 55.7 | 54.8 | 34.1 | 28.9 | 38.3 | ||
| 65+ | 26.1 | 25.3 | 12.7 | 52.1 | 54.2 | 62.6 | 21.8 | 20.5 | 24.7 | ||
| Principal Economic Status | |||||||||||
| At work | 12.2 | 14.4 | 9.4 | 51.8 | 55.5 | 53.8 | 35.9 | 30.1 | 36.8 | ||
| Unemployed | 20.5 | 25.7 | 16.9 | 55.0 | 55.5 | 61.8 | 24.8 | 18.8 | 21.3 | ||
| Student | 18.5 | 20.7 | 11.5 | 55.5 | 49.7 | 67.1 | 25.9 | 29.6 | 21.5 | ||
| Home duties | 26.6 | 24.8 | 21.1 | 52.5 | 58.5 | 50.4 | 20.8 | 16.7 | 28.5 | ||
| Retired | 20.5 | 20.2 | 13.0 | 50.8 | 53.9 | 60.5 | 28.7 | 25.9 | 26.5 | ||
| Others | 28.9 | 29.6 | 14.8 | 50.1 | 51.8 | 57.7 | 21.1 | 18.6 | 27.5 | ||
| Nationality | |||||||||||
| Irish | 16.5 | 17.5 | 9.8 | 52.7 | 55.7 | 57.4 | 30.8 | 26.8 | 32.9 | ||
| Non-Irish | 27.3 | 28.1 | 19.5 | 49.9 | 52.2 | 54.6 | 22.8 | 19.7 | 25.9 | ||
| Disability | |||||||||||
| Yes | 28.2 | 28.9 | 13.9 | 51.5 | 54.2 | 51.4 | 20.3 | 16.9 | 34.7 | ||
| No | 17.4 | 17.3 | 11.3 | 52.3 | 55.4 | 58.0 | 29.9 | 27.3 | 30.7 | ||
| Religion | |||||||||||
| Catholic | 17.6 | 18.4 | 10.9 | 52.6 | 56.3 | 62.6 | 29.8 | 25.3 | 26.5 | ||
| Others1 | 18.5 | 20.3 | 13.0 | 50.9 | 51.0 | 48.6 | 30.5 | 28.7 | 38.4 | ||
| Ethnicity | |||||||||||
| White ethnic backgrounds | 17.5 | 18.3 | 11.8 | 52.5 | 55.4 | 56.2 | 30.1 | 26.2 | 32.0 | ||
| Other ethnic backgrounds | 27.4 | 29.5 | 11.9 | 48.7 | 50.6 | 63.4 | 23.9 | 19.9 | 24.7 | ||
| Highest education level attained | |||||||||||
| Primary or below | 32.8 | 32.1 | 23.4 | 53.0 | 54.7 | 66.0 | 14.2 | 13.2 | 10.6 | ||
| Lower secondary | 21.2 | 22.7 | 12.0 | 54.7 | 60.2 | 61.3 | 24.1 | 17.1 | 26.7 | ||
| Higher secondary | 16.2 | 17.4 | 10.6 | 54.7 | 58.7 | 76.0 | 29.1 | 23.9 | 13.4 | ||
| Post leaving cert | 17.7 | 18.6 | 8.6 | 55.1 | 58.5 | 57.8 | 27.2 | 23.0 | 33.7 | ||
| Third level | 9.5 | 12.2 | 11.3 | 48.3 | 50.5 | 42.3 | 42.1 | 37.2 | 46.4 | ||
| Not stated | 24.4 | 31.3 | 16.4 | 51.1 | 49.3 | 65.5 | 24.5 | 19.4 | 18.1 | ||
| 1 Includes not stated. | |||||||||||
Purpose of survey
The Equality and Discrimination Survey was carried out in Quarter 1 2019. The questionnaire referred to discrimination experienced in the two years previous to the survey taking place.
Reference period
The Equality and Discrimination Survey was carried out in the three months from January to March in 2019.
Questionnaire design
The Equality and Discrimination Survey was last carried out in Quarter 3 2014, when it was carried out as a module of the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS). An equality module was also included on the QNHS in the fourth quarter of 2010 and 2004. However, it should be noted that in 2009, the QNHS moved from seasonal to calendar quarters. Therefore, the 2004 survey was conducted from September to November.
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) replaced the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) at the beginning of Q3 2017. With this change, modules previously carried out as modules of the QNHS, are now carried out as part of the General Household Survey (GHS). The GHS is a national survey that place takes place three or four times each year. The survey usually has a core of common demographic questions that are always asked (e.g. age, sex, education, etc.). Each survey also has a specific theme: for example, in the second half of 2017, the survey measured participation rates of adults in further education; in the first quarter of 2018 the GHS covered the Cross Border Shopping Survey and the ICT Household Survey, and in Quarter2 and 3 of 2018, the GHS covered the HFCS (Household Financial Consumption Survey).
Here below are the topics we have covered so far:
| Year | Quarter | Topic |
| 2017 | Q3 & Q4 | Adult Education Survey |
| 2018 | Q1 |
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Cross Border Shopping |
| Q2 | Household Financial Consumption Survey (HFCS) | |
| Q3 | Household Financial Consumption Survey (HFCS) | |
| Q4 | Household Financial Consumption Survey (HFCS) | |
| 2019 | Q1 |
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Equality and Discrimination Survey |
| Q2 |
European Health Interview Survey |
You can find more information here: https://www.cso.ie/en/aboutus/takingpartinasurvey/surveysofhouseholdsindividuals/generalhouseholdsurvey/
Discrimination
The questionnaire focused on discrimination based on the ten grounds set out above, as defined in Irish equality legislation. Under Irish law, discrimination takes place when one person or a group of persons are treated less favourably than others because of their:
When the term discrimination was used in this questionnaire, it referred to this legal definition only.
The ten types of discrimination examined in the survey were ‘In the Workplace', 'Looking for Work', 'In places like shops, pubs or restaurants', 'Using services of banks, insurance companies or financial institutions', ‘Education’, 'Obtaining housing or accommodation', 'Accessing health services’, ‘Using transport services', 'Accessing public services' and ‘Any contact with’An Garda Síochána’. The latter category was a new addition to the Equality and Discrimination Survey carried out in Q1 2019, and was not asked in previous Equality modules.
Respondents were shown the following definition of discrimination before they began the questionnaire:
If you believe you were treated less favourably than someone else but it was for another reason (e.g. your qualifications, being over an income limit or because you are further back in a queue for something), this is not considered discrimination under Irish law.
Sexual identity and gender identity
In the Q1 2019 Equality and discrimination survey, new questions on sexual identity and gender identity were included. Due to the personal and sensitive nature of these questions, they were included in a self completion part of the questionnaire that was completed by the respondents only. Also included in this self completion section were questions on ethnicity, religion, nationality and marital status.
The questions asked on gender identity and sexual identity were as follows:
Questions on gender identity
Which of the following describes how you think of yourself?
Does the gender you were assigned at birth correspond to your current gender identity?
Question on sexual identity/orientation
Which of the following options best describes how you think of yourself?
These questions were developed in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders in Ireland and in line with international best practice.
Results from these questions allowed for data to be collated on LGBTI+ prevalence levels. In the tables in this statistical release, LGBTI+ denotes persons who answered 'yes' to any of options 2 to 6 in the question on sexual identity/orientation above and/or 'no' to the question on gender identity Does the gender you were assigned at birth correspond to your current gender identity? Refusal to answer is excluded.
Anti-discrimination legislation
The Equal Status Acts 2000-2015 address direct and indirect discrimination in the provision of goods and services on ten specific grounds including Sexual Orientation. The legislation is designed to promote equality and prohibit discrimination (direct, indirect and by association) and victimisation: it also allows for positive measures to ensure full equality across the ten grounds.
The Employment Equality Acts 1998–2015 outlaw discrimination in a wide range of employment and employment-related areas. These include recruitment and promotion; equal pay; working conditions; training or experience; dismissal and harassment including sexual harassment. The legislation defines discrimination as treating one person in a less favourable way than another person based on any of the following nine grounds: Age; Gender; Sexual Orientation; Civil Status; Family Status; Religious Belief; Disability; Race; colour, nationality, ethnic, or national origins; Membership of the Travelling Community.
As provided for in The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014, all public bodies in Ireland have a responsibility to promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of their employees, customers, service users and everyone affected by their policies and plans. This is a legal obligation, called the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty.
The tenth ground ‘Housing assistance in relation to the provision of residential accommodation’ is a new discriminatory ground, introduced on 1st January 2016, in the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2015. This means that discrimination in the provision of accommodation or related service and amenities against people in receipt of rent supplement, housing assistance payments or other social welfare payments is prohibited. Note that this new tenth ground only applies in the provision of accommodation.
Survey coverage
The Equality and Discrimination Survey was collected directly from private households. Institutional households, (e.g. nursing homes, barracks, boarding schools, hotels etc.) are not covered by the survey. A household is defined as a single person or group of people who usually reside together in the same accommodation and who share the same catering arrangements. The household members are not necessarily related by blood or marriage.
A person is defined as a "Usual Resident" of a private household if he or she:
Data collection
The data was collected by a team of up to one hundred Field Interviewers and ten Field coordinators (each with a team of ten interviewers). Interviewers were provided with a map of each of their interview areas as well as a listing of the address of each of the selected households. These interviewers also working on CSO surveys such as the Survey on Income and Living Conditions and the Labour Force Survey. Interviewers received a manual with information such as detailed explanations about the questionnaire, definitions of the concepts involved and examples.
It was conducted using a team of face-to-face interviewers using Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI). This enabled the use of extensive checks in the BLAISE interviewing software to make sure correct and coherent data was collected.
One person from each household was selected. Information was collected directly from respondents - proxy responses from other members of the household were not accepted.
Sample design
The sample for the General Household Survey (GHS) is stratified using administrative county and the Pobal HP (Haase and Pratschke) Deprivation Index (quintile). A two-stage sample design is used. In the first stage 1,300 blocks are selected using Probability Proportional to Size (PPS) sampling. In the second stage households are selected using Simple Random Sampling (SRS). This ensures each household in the sample frame has an equal probability of selection.
The total selected sample size for the Equality and Discrimination Survey was 9,000 households.
The survey results were weighted to agree with population estimates broken down by age, sex and region and are also calibrated to nationality totals.
Derivation of results
To provide national population results, the survey results were weighted to represent the entire population of 16 to 74-year olds. The survey results were weighted to agree with population estimates broken down by age group, sex and region and were also calibrated to nationality totals.
Household weights were calculated for all households in the initial sample. The design weights are computed as the inverse of the selection probability of the unit. The purpose of design weights is to eliminate the bias induced by unequal selection probabilities.
These design weights were then adjusted for non-response. This eliminated the bias introduced by discrepancies caused by non-response, particularly critical when the non-responding households are different from the responding ones in respect to some survey variables as this may create substantial bias in the estimates. Design weights are adjusted for non-response by dividing the design weights of each responding unit in the final/achieved sample by the (weighted) response probability of the corresponding group or strata.
To obtain the final household weights for the results, after the previous steps were carried out, the distribution of households by deprivation, NUTS3 region, sex and age was calibrated to the population of households in Quarter 1 2019 (as derived from the LFS Survey). The CALMAR2-macro, developed by INSEE, was used for this purpose.
Note on tables
The sum of row or column percentages in the tables in this report may not add to 100.0% due to rounding.
Percentage breakdowns exclude cases where the interviewee did not respond.
Disclosure control
Estimates for number of persons where there are less than 30 persons in a cell are too small to be considered reliable. These estimates are presented with an asterisk (*) in the relevant tables.
Where there are 30-49 persons in a cell, estimates are considered to have a wider margin of error and should be treated with caution. These cells are presented with parentheses [ ].
In the case of rates, these limits apply to the denominator used in generating the rate. In the case of annual changes, both the current year and the preceding year are taken into account when deciding whether the estimate should be suppressed or flagged as having a wider margin of error.
Reliability of estimates presented
Data are subject to sampling and other survey errors, which are relatively greater in respect of smaller values.
Classifications used:
Principal economic status classification
The Principal Economic Status (PES) classification is based on a single question in which respondents are asked what is their usual situation regarding employment and given the following response categories:
At work
Unemployed
Student
Engaged on home duties
Retired
Other
Highest level of education attained
This classification is derived from a single question and refers to educational standards that have been attained and can be compared in some measurable way and it is included in the core QNHS on an ongoing basis.
The question is phrased as follows:
What is the highest level of education or training you have attained?
Degree of urbanisation
This classification is created from an aggregation of population density estimates derived from the Census of Population. The categories included in each aggregate are explained below:
Thinly populated area refers to rural areas
Intermediate density area refers to towns and suburbs
Densely populated area refers to cities, urban centres and urban areas.
Region
The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) were created by Eurostat in order to define territorial units for the production of regional statistics across the European Union. In 2003 the NUTS classification was established within a legal framework (Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003).
As the administrative territorial breakdown of EU Member States is the basis of the NUTS classification, changes made under the 2014 Local Government Act prompted a revision to the Irish NUTS 2 and NUTS 3 Regions. These changes included the amalgamation of the local authorities of Tipperary North and South, Limerick City and County Councils and Waterford City and County Councils. In addition three Regional Assemblies were established (Northern & Western, Southern, Eastern & Midland).
The main changes at NUTS 3 level are the transfer of South Tipperary from the South-East into the Mid-West NUTS 3 region and the movement of Louth from the Border to the Mid-East NUTS 3 Region. There are now three NUTS 2 Regions which correspond to the Regional Assemblies established in the 2014 Local Government Act and are groupings of the new NUTS 3 Regions. The revisions made to the NUTS boundaries have been given legal status under Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/2066. The new NUTS 2 and NUTS 3 structure and classification are displayed in the table below:
NUTS2 Code |
NUTS 2 Name |
NUTS3 Code |
NUTS 3 Name |
County |
IE04 |
Northern & Western |
IE041 |
Border |
Donegal |
Sligo |
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Leitrim |
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Cavan |
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Monaghan |
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IE042 |
West |
Galway |
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Mayo |
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Roscommon |
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IE05 |
Southern |
IE051 |
Mid-West |
Clare |
Tipperary |
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Limerick |
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IE052 |
South-East |
Waterford |
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Kilkenny |
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Carlow |
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Wexford |
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IE053 |
South-West |
Cork |
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Kerry |
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IE06 |
Eastern & Midland |
IE061 |
Dublin |
Dublin |
IE062 |
Mid-East |
Wicklow |
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Kildare |
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Meath |
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Louth |
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IE063 |
Midlands |
Longford |
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Westmeath |
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Offaly |
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Laois |
Disability
Respondents are classified as having a disability if they indicate that they have any of the long-lasting conditions or difficulties listed in the following question:
Do you have any of the following long-lasting conditions or difficulties?
Hide Background Notes
Scan the QR code below to view this release online or go to
http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/ed/equalityanddiscrimination2019/
Show Table 1 All persons aged 18 years and over classified by their reported experience of discrimination in the past two years Q1 2019
Hide Table 1 All persons aged 18 years and over classified by their reported experience of discrimination in the past two years Q1 2019