Housing Affordability
Statistics Ireland 2026
Ireland's national price-to-income ratio stands at 9.2×, making it the 3rd most unaffordable housing market in the EU. County breakdowns, EU comparisons, and historical trend data for 2000–2025.
Last updated: 31 December 2025·Data range: 2000–2025
National P/I ratio
9.2×
Price-to-income, 2025
% income on rent
38.4%
Average renter, 2025
% income on mortgage
28.6%
Average owner, 2025
EU affordability rank
#3
Most unaffordable in EU
Price-to-Income Ratio 2000–2025
Ireland's price-to-income ratio collapsed after the 2008 crisis and has now surpassed its Celtic Tiger peak, driven by chronic supply shortfall.
Ireland vs EU Average: Price-to-Income Ratio
Ratio above 4.5× is considered unaffordable. Ireland diverged sharply from the EU average after 2014.
Source: CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC); Property Price Register; Eurostat
% of Income Spent on Housing: Owners vs Renters
Renters now spend 38.4% of gross income on rent — well above the 30% affordability threshold. The gap between owners and renters has widened since 2012.
Housing Cost as % of Gross Income (2012–2025)
Both cohorts now exceed the 30% guideline, but renters bear a significantly higher burden.
Source: CSO SILC; Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) Rent Index
Affordability by County
Dublin and commuter-belt counties are least affordable. Rural counties in Connacht and Ulster offer significantly lower price-to-income ratios.
All 26 Counties — Sorted by Affordability Rank
Click column headers to sort. Red ratio = above 8× (severely unaffordable); green = below 6×.
| # ↑ | County ↕ | Median Price ↕ | Local Avg Wage ↕ | P/I Ratio ↕ | Mortgage % Income ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DublinLeinster | €520,000 | €58,000 | 8.97× | 48.0% |
| 2 | WicklowLeinster | €420,000 | €48,000 | 8.75× | 46.0% |
| 3 | KildareLeinster | €380,000 | €46,000 | 8.26× | 44.0% |
| 4 | MeathLeinster | €360,000 | €44,000 | 8.18× | 43.0% |
| 5 | CorkMunster | €330,000 | €46,000 | 7.17× | 38.0% |
| 6 | GalwayConnacht | €310,000 | €44,000 | 7.05× | 37.0% |
| 7 | LimerickMunster | €280,000 | €42,000 | 6.67× | 35.0% |
| 8 | WaterfordMunster | €255,000 | €40,000 | 6.38× | 34.0% |
| 9 | WexfordLeinster | €250,000 | €40,000 | 6.25× | 33.0% |
| 10 | KilkennyLeinster | €245,000 | €40,000 | 6.13× | 32.0% |
| 11 | ClareMunster | €240,000 | €40,000 | 6.00× | 32.0% |
| 12 | TipperaryMunster | €210,000 | €39,000 | 5.38× | 29.0% |
| 13 | WestmeathLeinster | €210,000 | €39,000 | 5.38× | 29.0% |
| 14 | LaoisLeinster | €205,000 | €39,000 | 5.26× | 28.0% |
| 15 | KerryMunster | €220,000 | €42,000 | 5.24× | 28.0% |
| 16 | CarlowLeinster | €200,000 | €38,500 | 5.19× | 28.0% |
| 17 | LouthLeinster | €225,000 | €43,500 | 5.17× | 27.0% |
| 18 | MayoConnacht | €195,000 | €38,000 | 5.13× | 27.0% |
| 19 | SligoConnacht | €195,000 | €38,500 | 5.06× | 27.0% |
| 20 | OffalyLeinster | €190,000 | €38,000 | 5.00× | 27.0% |
| 21 | CavanUlster | €185,000 | €38,000 | 4.87× | 26.0% |
| 22 | MonaghanUlster | €180,000 | €38,000 | 4.74× | 25.0% |
| 23 | DonegalUlster | €175,000 | €38,000 | 4.61× | 25.0% |
| 24 | RoscommonConnacht | €170,000 | €38,000 | 4.47× | 24.0% |
| 25 | LongfordLeinster | €165,000 | €38,000 | 4.34× | 23.0% |
| 26 | LeitrimConnacht | €160,000 | €39,000 | 4.10× | 22.0% |
Source: Property Price Register (PPR); CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC), 2025.
How Ireland Compares to Europe
With a ratio of 9.2×, Ireland is the 3rd most unaffordable housing market in the EU — surpassing the UK, Germany, France, and Spain.
Price-to-Income Ratio: EU Country Comparison
Ireland highlighted in red. Dashed line = affordability threshold (4.5×). Source: Eurostat Housing Statistics, 2025.
Source: Eurostat Housing Statistics; OECD Affordable Housing Database
The Growing Generational Affordability Gap
For under-35s, the price-to-income ratio has risen from 5.2× in 2000 to 11.8× in 2024 — a 127% increase in the relative cost of buying a first home.
Price-to-Income Ratio by Age Group: 2000, 2012, 2024
2024 bars (red) show the stark deterioration in affordability for younger buyers. Older cohorts face less severe but still elevated ratios.
Source: CSO SILC; Property Price Register; analysis by PropertyTech.ie
What Would Make Irish Housing Affordable?
To reach a 4× price-to-income ratio, Ireland would need either a dramatic fall in prices, a near-doubling of wages, or a sustained surge in supply — or some combination of all three.
Price Drop Needed
57%
fall in prices
Current national median ~€335,000 would need to fall to ~€145,652 to reach a 4× income ratio.
Wage Rise Needed
~130%
rise in wages
Average wages would need to rise ~130% to afford current prices at a 4× loan-to-income benchmark, without any price reduction.
Annual Supply Needed
55,000
homes per year
Ireland needs approximately 55,000 new homes per year to meet demand. In 2024 approximately 35,000 were delivered — a 20,000-unit shortfall.
Data Sources & Definitions
CSO SILC
Wage and income data sourced from the Central Statistics Office Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC), the primary source for household income statistics in Ireland.
Property Price Register
All transaction prices sourced from the Residential Property Price Register (PPR), published by the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA).
Eurostat
EU country comparisons sourced from Eurostat Housing Statistics and the OECD Affordable Housing Database.
RTB Rent Index
Rental cost data sourced from the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) Rent Index, covering standardised rents for new tenancies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is housing affordable in Ireland?
No. Ireland's national price-to-income ratio stands at 9.2×, meaning the average home costs 9.2 times the average annual gross income. This makes Ireland the 3rd most unaffordable country for housing in the EU, far above the internationally recognised affordability threshold of 4.5×.
What is the price-to-income ratio in Ireland?
Ireland's national price-to-income ratio is 9.2×. In Dublin specifically, the ratio reaches 12.4×, reflecting the acute shortage of supply in the capital relative to demand. A ratio above 4.5× is considered unaffordable by international standards (UN-Habitat benchmark).
How does Ireland compare to Europe for housing affordability?
Ireland ranks as the 3rd most unaffordable country in the EU for housing, with a price-to-income ratio of 9.2×. This places Ireland above the UK (8.9×), Germany (7.8×), Spain (7.2×), and France (8.1×), and just below the Netherlands (10.4×) which tops the EU affordability index.
What % of income should you spend on housing in Ireland?
Financial advisors and international guidelines recommend spending no more than 30–35% of gross income on housing costs. In practice, Irish renters spend an average of 38.4% of their gross income on rent, well above this threshold. Owner-occupiers with mortgages spend an average of 28.6% — also above the 30% guideline.
Which county in Ireland has the most affordable housing?
Leitrim is the most affordable county in Ireland, with a price-to-income ratio of 4.1×. Other relatively affordable counties include Longford and Roscommon, all in the Connacht/Midlands region. Dublin remains the least affordable at 12.4×.
Has housing become less affordable in Ireland over time?
Yes, significantly. Ireland's national price-to-income ratio was approximately 4.0× in 2012 following the post-crash correction. By 2025 it had more than doubled to 9.2×. The ratio has now surpassed the Celtic Tiger peak of ~10.2× recorded in 2006, driven by chronic undersupply, population growth, and strong inward migration.