Over one in five face ‘enforced deprivation’ - despite economic recovery
More than one in five people experienced enforced deprivation in 2016, despite the upturn in the economy in recent years.
That’s according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO) statistical yearbook for 2018 which reveals that the percentage of people considered to be experiencing “enforced deprivation” in 2016 was 21%. However, this figure has fallen from 30.5% in 2013.
Enforced deprivation is defined as not being able to afford two or more basics, such as going without heating in the past year, or being unable to afford items such as two pairs of strong shoes, a warm waterproof coat or a meal with meat, chicken or fish every second day.
The study points to an economic outlook which is steadily improving. The number of people in employment increased from 1,878,000 in 2012 to 2,255,000 in 2018. That is an increase of more than 20% in six years.
The percentage of people who were classified as overweight or obese in 2015 was 60%. This rose to 62% in 2017.
In the first four months of this year, 89% of all households had access to the internet at home. It is estimated that 94% of households in the Dublin region have internet access. This contrasts with 85% of households in the border region.
Just under half of all people aged 60 to 74 say they have never used the internet, compared to 2% of individuals aged 16 to 29.
Clothes or sports goods (50%), holiday accommodation (44%), other travel arrangements (41%) and tickets for events (39%) were the most popular types of internet purchases.
Ordering medicine online (2%) was the least popular type of internet purchase.
The most popular activities of Irish people using the internet are finding information on goods and services (88%), email (84%), social networking and reading or downloading online news (both at 73%), and internet banking (70%).
More than nine out of 10 people aged 16 and 29 use the internet for social networking.
The percentage of people who were classified as overweight or obese in 2015 was 60%. This rose to 62% in 2017.
A person is classified as overweight if their body mass index exceeds 25; they are classified as obese if their index is 30 or higher.
In 2015, 39% of those aged 15 and older binge drank on a regular basis.
This fell slightly in 2016 to 37%, and increased to 39% in 2017.
Binge drinking is defined by health experts, including the World Health Organisation, as consuming six or more standard drinks in one sitting, which is the equivalent of three or more pints of beer or six or more pub measures of spirits.
