Hours of work needed … jobless family claiming minimum income benefits in Ireland
Ireland: Hours of work needed … jobless family claiming minimum income benefits was 18 Hours per week in 2025. ▲ Rising
Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to in Ireland, 2001–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Hours per week.
Analysis
In 2025, hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in Ireland stood at 18 Hours per week.
The figure is down 5.3% on the previous year and up 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in Ireland peaked at 20 Hours per week in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0 Hours per week, in 2009.
That places Ireland 19th out of 31 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Hours of work needed … jobless family claiming minimum income benefits in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Hours per week | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 16 Hours per week | — |
| 2002 | 16 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 16 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 17 Hours per week | +6.2% |
| 2005 | 17 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 19 Hours per week | +11.8% |
| 2007 | 18 Hours per week | -5.3% |
| 2008 | 16 Hours per week | -11.1% |
| 2009 | 0 Hours per week | -100.0% |
| 2010 | 0 Hours per week | — |
| 2011 | 0 Hours per week | — |
| 2012 | 0 Hours per week | — |
| 2013 | 15 Hours per week | — |
| 2014 | 16 Hours per week | +6.7% |
| 2015 | 17 Hours per week | +6.2% |
| 2016 | 16 Hours per week | -5.9% |
| 2017 | 18 Hours per week | +12.5% |
| 2018 | 18 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 18 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 19 Hours per week | +5.6% |
| 2021 | 19 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 20 Hours per week | +5.3% |
| 2023 | 20 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 19 Hours per week | -5.0% |
| 2025 | 18 Hours per week | -5.3% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 18 Hours per week is below the median for high income countries, which is 20 Hours per week, 90% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 18 Hours per week is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 20 Hours per week, 90% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Hours of work needed … jobless family claiming minimum income benefits in Ireland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | -100.0% | 16 Hours per week | 0 Hours per week |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15 Hours per week | 0 Hours per week | 19 Hours per week | 9 |
| 2010s | 11.8 Hours per week | 0 Hours per week | 18 Hours per week | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.17 Hours per week | 18 Hours per week | 20 Hours per week | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More economy & growth data for Ireland
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate 374.72 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.96 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.52 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 7.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0082 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 1,078 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 2.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 787.03 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 2.45 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in Ireland?
- Hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in Ireland was 18 Hours per week in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 20 Hours per week in 2022.
- What is the lowest hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 Hours per week in 2009.
- How does Ireland rank for hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to?
- Ireland ranks 19th out of 31 countries with data for 2025.
- Is hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to escape poverty for a jobless family claiming minimum income benefits. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
This indicator measures the working hours needed to escape poverty for a jobless family claiming minimum income benefits. Calculations for families with children assume 2 children aged 4 and 6 who do not use formal childcare.