In this post I look at the stats from the 2015 central statistics office detailed household expenditure survey of about 7,000 households. I also look at a few other sources on average earnings after tax. Have a look and see how your earnings and spending compares.
Earnings
The below chart from an OECD survey shows that as of 2017 the average Irish person earns 32,536€ net or 43,000€ gross and pays 15.4% tax and 4% in social security (PRSI). This should bring the 2 person take home to 65,072€ (or 86,000€ gross).
This is pretty close to another average from the Central Stats Offices Yearbook of Ireland 2016 which states the average gross wage of 45,075€ for 2015.
Spending
In summary, the average Irish household spends 3,350€/month or 40,198€/year. This means that if you were a married couple jointly assessed in 2015 making the average salary of 43,000€/year gross each then you’d have 65,072€ net earnings leaving about 25,000€ to spare/year based on the average spending below. Or if you had nothing to spare you’d each be earning a little over 23,000€ gross each in order to spend the below.
| Category | Percentage | Monthly | Annually |
| Housing | 20% | € 657 | € 7,889 |
| Transport | 15% | € 498 | € 5,971 |
| Food | 15% | € 493 | € 5,918 |
| Other | 7% | € 248 | € 2,976 |
| Medical | 5% | € 169 | € 2,023 |
| Fuel/Light | 5% | € 154 | € 1,851 |
| Pension contributions | 4% | € 150 | € 1,799 |
| Clothing/Footwear | 4% | € 135 | € 1,615 |
| Holidays | 4% | € 132 | € 1,588 |
| Alcohol/Tobacco | 3% | € 112 | € 1,344 |
| Housing durable goods | 3% | € 110 | € 1,320 |
| Phone | 2% | € 80 | € 958 |
| Education and training | 2% | € 73 | € 873 |
| Sports and leisure activities | 2% | € 71 | € 857 |
| Housing non-durable goods | 2% | € 66 | € 792 |
| Television | 2% | € 60 | € 724 |
| Childcare | 1% | € 43 | € 512 |
| Money given to those outside of household | 1% | € 40 | € 479 |
| Reading materials | 1% | € 30 | € 360 |
| Charitable donations | 0% | € 15 | € 180 |
| Betting and lotteries | 0% | € 14 | € 170 |
| Total | 100% | € 3,350 | € 40,198 |
And in chart form:
Compared to America
A lot of the blogs and books I read on financial freedom detail what the average American family spends so to provide a little contrast: An average American family spends 61% on Housing, Transport and Food, where here in Ireland it’s surprisingly 50% (11% less). They also spend about 11,000€ more per year in total than the average Irish family.
According to the OECD chart above, the US average take-home was 2,685€ less per person compared to the Irish take home or 5,370€/family, meaning they either carry a lot of debt to spend 51,000€/year (which wouldn’t be surprising) or Irish households are saving more, or some combination of the two.
Detailed breakdown
And here is the detailed breakdown of the spending for the average urban home. The stats go into even further detail but I think this gives enough to compare against for most people. Keep in mind these are averages so the housing for example would include people who had only a few years left on their mortgage etc bringing the average down to 719€/month and baby nappies down to 5€/month on average (as most homes in the survey did not have that expense at all).
| Urban | Monthly | Annually | % |
| 01 Total food | € 481 | € 6,247 | 14% |
| 01.01 Total food consumed at home | € 373 | € 4,848 | 11% |
| 01.02 Meals away from home (incl. takeout tea/coffee) | € 108 | € 1,399 | 3% |
| 02 Total drink and tobacco | € 120 | € 1,557 | 4% |
| 02.01 Drink consumed at home | € 45 | € 591 | 1% |
| 02.02 Drink consumed out | € 42 | € 549 | 1% |
| 02.03 Tobacco | € 32 | € 417 | 1% |
| 03 Total clothing and footwear | € 132 | € 1,714 | 4% |
| 03.01 Clothing materials | € 0 | € 4 | 0% |
| 03.02 Men’s outerwear | € 26 | € 333 | 1% |
| 03.03 Men’s nightwear and underwear | € 2 | € 30 | 0% |
| 03.04 Women’s outerwear | € 44 | € 574 | 1% |
| 03.05 Women’s nightwear and underwear | € 7 | € 90 | 0% |
| 03.06 Boys’ outerwear | € 6 | € 74 | 0% |
| 03.07 Boys’ nightwear and underwear | € 1 | € 11 | 0% |
| 03.08 Girls’ outerwear | € 8 | € 107 | 0% |
| 03.09 Girls’ nightwear and underwear | € 1 | € 14 | 0% |
| 03.10 Infants’ clothing | € 3 | € 42 | 0% |
| 03.11 Men’s clothing accessories | € 1 | € 15 | 0% |
| 03.12 Women’s clothing accessories | € 3 | € 40 | 0% |
| 03.13 Children’s clothing accessories | € 1 | € 7 | 0% |
| 03.14 Haberdashery (e.g. buttons, thread and wool) | € 1 | € 9 | 0% |
| 03.15 Protective headgear | € 0 | € 5 | 0% |
| 03.16 Men’s footwear | € 11 | € 140 | 0% |
| 03.17 Women’s footwear | € 12 | € 162 | 0% |
| 03.18 Children’s footwear | € 4 | € 57 | 0% |
| 04 Total fuel and light | € 146 | € 1,893 | 4% |
| 04.01 Electricity | € 70 | € 906 | 2% |
| 04.02 Gas | € 38 | € 491 | 1% |
| 04.03 Liquid Fuels (e.g. heating oil) | € 23 | € 298 | 1% |
| 04.04 Solid Fuels | € 15 | € 198 | 0% |
| 05 Total housing | € 719 | € 9,349 | 22% |
| 05.01 Rent paid for primary dwelling | € 251 | € 3,262 | 8% |
| 05.02 Ground rent and other rentals paid by tenants | € 2 | € 31 | 0% |
| 05.03 Second dwelling rent | € – | € – | 0% |
| 05.04 Mortgage payment (primary dwelling) | € 264 | € 3,437 | 8% |
| 05.05 Purchase (including deposit) on primary dwelling | € 15 | € 199 | 0% |
| 05.06 Second dwelling – mortgage and home insurance | € 6 | € 74 | 0% |
| 05.07 Purchase (including deposit) on second dwelling | € 2 | € 23 | 0% |
| 05.08 Primary dwelling insurance | € 19 | € 249 | 1% |
| 05.09 Local property tax | € 16 | € 205 | 0% |
| 05.10 Water charges | € 8 | € 103 | 0% |
| 05.11 Refuse/sewage collection and skip hire | € 15 | € 189 | 0% |
| 05.12 Other services relating to dwelling | € 7 | € 85 | 0% |
| 05.13 Paint, wallpaper, timber and plaster | € 6 | € 79 | 0% |
| 05.14 Equipment hire and small material purchase (e.g. sandpaper) | € 5 | € 69 | 0% |
| 05.15 Other materials for the maintenance and repair of the dwelling | € 2 | € 32 | 0% |
| 05.16 Central heating maintenance | € 3 | € 41 | 0% |
| 05.17 Services for maintenance and repair of the dwelling (e.g. electrician, painter) | € 19 | € 245 | 1% |
| 05.18 Central heating installation | € 6 | € 75 | 0% |
| 05.19 Capital improvements contractor (e.g. extension and room conversion) | € 62 | € 807 | 2% |
| 05.20 Double glazing, kitchen units, sheds, etc. | € 7 | € 86 | 0% |
| 05.21 Purchase of materials for capital improvements | € 1 | € 14 | 0% |
| 05.22 Bathroom fittings | € 2 | € 23 | 0% |
| 05.23 Carpets and rugs | € 1 | € 18 | 0% |
| 05.24 Hard floor coverings | € 0 | € 4 | 0% |
| 06 Total household non-durable goods | € 65 | € 849 | 2% |
| 06.01 Detergents, washing up liquid and washing powder | € 7 | € 90 | 0% |
| 06.02 Disinfectants, polishes and other cleaning materials | € 6 | € 73 | 0% |
| 06.03 Non-durable small household articles | € 6 | € 80 | 0% |
| 06.04 Toilet paper | € 5 | € 66 | 0% |
| 06.05 Toiletries – disposable (e.g. toothpaste) | € 8 | € 101 | 0% |
| 06.06 Toilet soap, liquid soap, shower gel, etc. | € 2 | € 28 | 0% |
| 06.07 Toilet requisites (e.g. toothbrush and comb) | € 3 | € 43 | 0% |
| 06.08 Hair products | € 6 | € 72 | 0% |
| 06.09 Cosmetics and related accessories | € 18 | € 235 | 1% |
| 06.10 Baby toiletries/accessories (e.g. nappies) | € 5 | € 61 | 0% |
| 07 Total household durable goods | € 107 | € 1,390 | 3% |
| 07.01 Household furniture | € 21 | € 271 | 1% |
| 07.02 Furniture recovering and repairs | € 0 | € 2 | 0% |
| 07.03 Bedroom textiles | € 5 | € 66 | 0% |
| 07.04 Other household textiles | € 5 | € 62 | 0% |
| 07.05 Fridges and freezers | € 2 | € 24 | 0% |
| 07.06 Washing machines, spin and tumble dryers | € 3 | € 38 | 0% |
| 07.07 Dishwasher | € 1 | € 15 | 0% |
| 07.08 Gas cooker | € 0 | € 5 | 0% |
| 07.09 Electric cooker and combined electric/gas (including microwave) | € 2 | € 28 | 0% |
| 07.10 Other major household appliances (including rental) | € 0 | € 3 | 0% |
| 07.11 Heaters/air conditioners/shower units etc. | € 1 | € 9 | 0% |
| 07.12 Cleaning equipment (e.g. vacuum) | € 1 | € 18 | 0% |
| 07.13 Small electric household appliances | € 3 | € 36 | 0% |
| 07.14 Gas/electric appliances spare parts | € 0 | € 4 | 0% |
| 07.15 Repairs and insurance for household appliances | € 2 | € 22 | 0% |
| 07.16 Glassware, china and pottery | € 3 | € 35 | 0% |
| 07.17 Cutlery | € 0 | € 5 | 0% |
| 07.18 Kitchen utensils | € 4 | € 55 | 0% |
| 07.19 Electrical tools for house and garden | € 2 | € 24 | 0% |
| 07.20 Small tools (e.g. hammer, spanner, saw) | € 4 | € 56 | 0% |
| 07.21 Electrical consumables (e.g. batteries, bulbs) | € 4 | € 56 | 0% |
| 07.22 Lighting equipment | € 2 | € 21 | 0% |
| 07.23 Audio equipment | € 1 | € 15 | 0% |
| 07.24 Accessories for audio equipment | € 1 | € 11 | 0% |
| 07.25 Television sets | € 5 | € 61 | 0% |
| 07.26 DVD and digital media players | € 0 | € 3 | 0% |
| 07.27 Satellite dish purchase | € 0 | € 1 | 0% |
| 07.28 TV/video/audio/computer – spare parts | € 0 | € 5 | 0% |
| 07.29 Cameras, camcorders and accessories | € 2 | € 20 | 0% |
| 07.30 Optical instruments (e.g. binoculars) | € 0 | € 1 | 0% |
| 07.31 Computers (including media tablets, laptops) | € 8 | € 98 | 0% |
| 07.32 Printers, ink cartridges, calculators and computer accessories | € 2 | € 25 | 0% |
| 07.33 Consoles for computer games | € 2 | € 29 | 0% |
| 07.34 Computer games/software | € 2 | € 30 | 0% |
| 07.35 Downloads, streaming, apps and other internet services n.e.c | € 1 | € 13 | 0% |
| 07.36 DVD and CD (pre recorded and blank) | € 2 | € 29 | 0% |
| 07.37 Film/memory card, hard drives and memory sticks | € 0 | € 6 | 0% |
| 07.38 Repairs and/or insurance of TV, video, audio, DVD and computer | € 0 | € 6 | 0% |
| 07.39 Musical instruments (purchase and hire) | € 1 | € 12 | 0% |
| 07.40 Major durables for indoor recreation | € 0 | € 1 | 0% |
| 07.41 Repair and maintenance of other major durables for recreation | € 0 | € 1 | 0% |
| 07.42 Garden furniture | € 3 | € 38 | 0% |
| 07.43 Garden accessories | € 1 | € 19 | 0% |
| 07.44 Lawn mowers | € 1 | € 9 | 0% |
| 07.45 Electrical items for personal care (e.g. hair dryer) | € 1 | € 11 | 0% |
| 07.46 Fancy and decorative goods (e.g. mirrors) | € 7 | € 94 | 0% |
| 08 Total transport | € 443 | € 5,761 | 13% |
| 08.01 Vehicles (net of trade in) | € 162 | € 2,103 | 5% |
| 08.02 Motor Fuel | € 116 | € 1,511 | 3% |
| 08.03 Insurance, tax and fines | € 81 | € 1,056 | 2% |
| 08.04 Vehicle maintenance and other costs | € 46 | € 597 | 1% |
| 08.05 Bus, Luas, rail and taxi | € 31 | € 407 | 1% |
| 08.06 Other transport expenditure | € 7 | € 87 | 0% |
| 09 Total miscellaneous goods, services and other expenditure | € 1,121 | € 14,577 | 34% |
| 09.01 Medical expenses/services and therapeutic equipment | € 71 | € 929 | 2% |
| 09.02 Telephone, mobile and car phone | € 76 | € 994 | 2% |
| 09.03 Television, internet and bundle subscriptions | € 72 | € 935 | 2% |
| 09.04 Admission and subscription charges – sports and leisure | € 74 | € 960 | 2% |
| 09.05 Betting and lotteries | € 14 | € 183 | 0% |
| 09.06 Reading materials | € 29 | € 376 | 1% |
| 09.07 Education and training | € 81 | € 1,054 | 2% |
| 09.08 Games and items for sports and open-air recreation | € 17 | € 227 | 1% |
| 09.09 Holiday expenditure | € 145 | € 1,890 | 4% |
| 09.10 Insurance/pension premiums | € 283 | € 3,684 | 9% |
| 09.11 Pet costs | € 16 | € 208 | 0% |
| 09.12 Legal/Professional/Banking fees | € 19 | € 246 | 1% |
| 09.13 Plants, flowers, seeds, fertilisers and insecticides | € 10 | € 132 | 0% |
| 09.14 Hairdressing and personal grooming | € 22 | € 286 | 1% |
| 09.15 Personal goods | € 20 | € 256 | 1% |
| 09.16 Baby equipment | € 2 | € 32 | 0% |
| 09.17 Care, domestic and household services | € 68 | € 883 | 2% |
| 09.18 Money given to other persons | € 77 | € 1,006 | 2% |
| 09.19 Other Miscellaneous | € 23 | € 296 | 1% |
How our expenses compared
A year or so ago I tried to fit my expense categories into these to see how my household spending compared and I wasn’t far off the total. We spent 37,000€ that year.
We spent more on some categories:
- 6,200€ more on mortgage as we just bought
- 2,400€ more on food/toiletries/pet food
- 1,100€ more on gifts
- 1,000€ more on petrol
- 1,000€ more on holidays
- 900€ more on medical
and less on others:
- 2,100 less on car payment
- 1,000€ less on clothing and footwear
- 300€ less on electricity
and smaller differences on a number of other categories.
Once I’ve been on maternity leave for a year I will do this exercise again and see how we’ve managed to cut back and where.
How do your expenses compare?
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