Wealthiest 20% of Irish households earn five times more than poorest, new figures show

While those with the most disposable income spent more of their money on restaurants and hotels, those with the lowest incomes spent almost half (46%) of it on housing, energy and food.

The disposable income available to Irish households has jumped by more than €30,000 on average in the space of a decade, while the richest fifth of people earn almost five times more than the poorest 20%, new figures have shown.

The Central Statistics Office said the highest 20% of Irish households enjoyed disposable income of €163,289 on average in 2023, with the lowest having just €35,010.