Irish households saving less, spending more in bars and restaurants, new figures show

There was a significant increase in spending in bars (up 8%) during the festive season.

Irish households are saving less money than their EU counterparts, opting to spend more cash in bars and restaurants as 2024 drew to a close, new figures have shown.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) said households saved 13.8% of their disposable income in the fourth quarter of last year, a fall from 14.8% in the previous quarter.