Lone parents, households with children, single working-age adults and renters are the groups most likely to have an income that does not meet their basic expenditure needs, according to a new study by the ESRI.

Overall, 37pc of lone parent families do not meet their expenditure needs, the highest of any group. Only 9.4pc of household with both parents present and one to four children could not make ends meet. As at 2022, over 16pc of Irish children were growing up in a lone parent household.

The research examined how households’ income compares to an independently determined benchmark of the minimum needed to meet essential expenditures in Ireland.

Overall, the majority of people live in households that meet their expenditure needs. 11% of people do not, with children, renters, lone parents, and single working-age adults being the most affected groups.