Photograph: iStockOnly the top 20 per cent of earners can afford to rent an average apartment built in Ireland in 2025, while just the top 40 per cent of earners can afford to buy one, according to a new analysis of their building costs and impact on affordability. To afford these apartments, a first-time buyer couple would require a combined salary of between €108,000 to €146,000, based on a 4:1 loan-to-income ratio. It comes as a CSO report on Monday found that 14.8 per cent of the population were deprived of basic needs this year. Deprivation is defined as living in a household that cannot afford two or more of the 11 basic deprivation items considered to be the norm. “The recent reform of the rent pressure zones will help but it will still take time for international investors to return.”

Source: The Irish Times December 09, 2025 15:33 UTC