The real income of households rose by 3.5% last year, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office.
The latest data also shows a slight decrease in overall poverty and deprivation rates.
However, it does show that households headed by retired people, housekeepers and unemployed disabled people experienced significantly more consistent poverty than in 2013.
The trends are contained in the CSO's latest Survey of Income and Living Conditions.
Researchers gather income statistics form households and official agencies for a representative sample of the population and then weight them in accordance with the number of dependents in the households to get what's called an equivalised disposable income.
Last year saw an increase of 3.5% in the median net annual income to stand at €17,977 in nominal terms.
The overall rate of consistent poverty was down from 8.2% in 2013 to 8% last year.
Lone parent households are twice as likely to be at risk of poverty than the general population, with 33% of them falling into that category.
Reaction to CSO figures
Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Social Protection Willie O’Dea expressed concern about "continued high rates of poverty and deprivation".
He said: "the headline rates are still very high and in fact the at-risk of poverty rate has increased from 15% in 2013 to 16% in 2014.
"Children, lone parents and the unemployed still have unacceptably high levels of poverty and deprivation, and while there has been a very small decrease in consistent poverty and deprivation, the figures are still appalling."
Social Justice Ireland has said the CSO figures show that 1.3 million people are experiencing deprivation here - an increase of 650,000 since the current Government came to office.
The CSO measures deprivation by asking its survey sample if they are having to do without two or more from a list of eleven "normal" goods or services.
Examples include: possessing two pairs of strong shoes, a warm waterproof overcoat, being able to buy new clothes and eat meat, chicken, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every second day.
In a statement, SJI's CEO Fr Sean Healy said the ruling coalition has produced five regressive budgets that have resulted in 750,000 people living in poverty, an increase of 55,000 since it was elected.
Meanwhile, the children's charity Barnardos described the failure to reduce child poverty rates a national scandal.
CEO Fergus Finlay said Barnardos would have expected to see the beginnings of a reduction last year as the country emerged from the worst of the recession.
The Simon Communities in Ireland expressed concern, saying that 29% of people are experiencing enforced deprivation, representing a rise of 2% since 2012.
Simon spokesperson Niamh Randall conceded that the consistent poverty rate has remained almost static at 8%, but underlined that the 2014 score is up 2.5% on 2009, the first full year of the recession.
The Society of St Vincent de Paul said the high rates of poverty revealed by the CSO came as no surprise because very little has improved for the people it assists, in spite of the economic upturn.
