HOUSEHOLDS IN Dublin and Cork have the highest disposable income in the country but the Midlands has the least, according to new figures.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) looked at how much money people have left in their pocket after receiving social benefits and paying tax and social charges.

It said that Dublin and Cork and each’s surrounding counties benefit largely from the presence of key economic sectors, such as the capital’s information and communication sector and the manufacturing sector in Cork.

Dublin’s disposable income per person was 14 percent higher than the national average of €28,370.

The CSO noted that it was the “only region where disposable income per person is significantly above the state average”, amounting to €32,393 per person.

This was followed by Cork at 5.3 percent higher than the national average and Limerick at 3.9 percent.

For counties which have less disposable income than the national average, it ranges from Waterford (3.7 percent less) to Laois and Longford – both of which see their residents have 20 percent less disposable income than Ireland’s average.

For Longford, it recorded the lowest disposable income per person nationally in 2023 – amounting to €22,251.

Where the jobs are

Dublin had a significant portion of employment, with 35% of all employed persons in the state working in the Dublin area in 2023.

Cork city and county was next highest with 12% of all employed persons in the country working there.

“Both counties are outliers with respect to the rest of the country,” the CSO said.

“In comparison, Galway City and County accounted for 6% of all employed persons nationally, followed by Limerick at 5% and Waterford at 2%.”

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Dublin and the South-West (Cork and Kerry) continued to rise compared with other regions. Dublin City and County recorded the highest GDP in the state at €248.3 billion, followed by the South-West region at €123.3 billion.

Commenting on the release, Aoife Crowe, Statistician in the National Accounts Analysis and Globalisation Division of the CSO, said that disposable income in Dublin city and county accounted for €49 billion of the state total – up 12.6% from 2022.