Housing and cost of living top Irish voters’ concerns as immigration rises sharply, CSO finds

64% of respondents cited cost of living as key issue — a four percentage point rise from 2023.

The public are now 33% more likely to list immigration as a key national issue than they were three years ago, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office.

Across a survey that assessed the population's top three voting concerns, housing was the most common answer, with 64% of respondents flagging issues around availability, quality and affordability as a wedge issue. 

The figures, which were compared to a similar survey in 2023, found respondents were 10% less likely to cite housing as a key issue, despite shortfalls in stock persisting.

Concerns around housing were matched with worries about the spiralling cost of living, with 64% of respondents citing it as key issue — a four percentage point rise from 2023.

Other issues like essential services (healthcare and education) and the environment recorded significant drop-offs in levels of public interest, dropping by 12 and 15 percentage points.

The CSO surveyed 2,194 respondents across a range of demographics, questioning attitudes on topics from national security, corruption, poverty and international diplomacy.

The survey was part of a wider effort conducted across the OECD's 38 countries.

Despite a nosedive in interest, Ireland was an outlier when it came to people’s concerns about the quality of essential services.

“Only Iceland (52%) and Finland (49%) put this topic higher,” said Sarah Crilly, a CSO statistician in the Social Cohesion unit.

“In the United Kingdom, 25% of respondents reported the availability, quality or affordability of essential services as one of the top three issues.

“In Ireland, there was a notable difference on the importance of this issue for men and women, with 38% of men and 52% of women ranking it among their top three issues.

“Analysis by the employment status of the respondent showed that 51% of those who were unemployed or otherwise not working identified the availability, quality, or affordability of essential services as one of their top three issues compared with 36% of retired respondents.” 

A quarter (24%) of respondents reported immigration as a top three issue facing the country in 2025, compared with 16% in 2023.

Men were 18% more likely to cite immigration as a major issue than women, with the sentiment being particularly pronounced among respondents 50 years or older (27% listed immigration as a top issue).

Respondents who were retired or employed were also less likely to cite issues over poverty and social inequality. The same cohort of retired workers was more likely to express fears about crime and safety compared to their younger counterparts.

Housing concerns were felt most acutely among younger generations, with 84% of respondents aged 18-28 citing it as a top three issue — compared to 59% of respondents 50 years and older.