Analysis: LGBTQ+ people have long been associated with economic affluence, but a new report challenges some of the financial perceptions of this group
By Emma Howard, TU Dublin and Oisín O'Reilly, Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre
Despite global economic challenges and geopolitical tensions in 2025, the Irish economy remained remarkably resilient. As inflation slowed to 2.8% last year, average wages increased by 6.1% per employee. Therefore, for many households, their purchasing power increased, allowing savings of €1 of every €7 of disposable income.
These headline figures mask the fact that a significant minority of households are struggling. Last year, one in three households were unable to save anything from their income in a typical month and almost 1 in 7 adults experienced enforced deprivation- a measure of poverty meaning they could not afford two or more items from a list of purchases that are the norm in Ireland, for example, two pairs of shoes or a waterproof coat. From official statistics, we can identify some of the groups most at risk of poverty: renters, lone parents, the unemployed, and people with disabilities.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, challenges for LGBTQ+ community 10 years after marriage equality referendum
But until now, there has been little research on poverty within the LGBTQ+ community. That absence matters. If a group is not visible in the data, it is unlikely to be visible in policy design. Variables such as income, tenure, labour market status, and deprivation are tracked, but the data don't allow us to explore how they intersect with sexual orientation or gender identity. As a result, LGBTQ+ people have been largely invisible in poverty statistics.
A new report, one of the first national studies of economic life within Ireland's LGBTQ+ community, provides insights that challenge some of the public perceptions of this group. In a quantitative survey of 373 respondents, almost half of the respondents are experiencing enforced deprivation (nearly three times the national rate) and report difficulty making ends meet. Around three out of five went without at least one basic item in the past year. Close to a third have no savings, and one in seven could not raise €500 in an emergency. Over a third have experienced housing problems. One in three lives on less than €1,500 per month.
These findings point to a structural vulnerability masked by aggregate figures and by a persistent cultural narrative: the so-called "pink euro". LGBTQ+ people have long been associated with urban affluence, dual incomes and high levels of disposable income. Although some of the community have significant cultural and economic influence, cultural capital is not the same as economic security. LGBTQ+ consumers shape trends, support arts and nightlife, and have been an important market segment for many firms. However, aggregate spending power does not cancel out poverty within a community.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, why does €50 feel like €20 when you do your shopping?
The report’s findings underline how economic strain intersects with discrimination. More than half of respondents say they hide their LGBTQ+ identity at work, at least some of the time. Nearly four in ten report workplace discrimination. Some describe being misgendered by colleagues or feeling dismissed in job interviews because they are visibly trans. Others recount homophobic bullying at school that disrupted their education and shaped their earnings trajectory years later.
International evidence suggests that discrimination, whether conscious or unconscious, can affect hiring decisions, promotion opportunities and workplace retention. The current political climate in the United States has resulted in pushbackagainst equality, diversity, and inclusion initiatives and rates of hate crime are increasing in Ireland. Together with growing online hostility towards LGBTQ+ people, this suggests a climate undermining wellbeing and reducing labour market participation.
The economic costs are not confined to those directly affected. When minority communities are excluded, underemployed, or pushed out of education and employment, talent does not flow to where it is most productive. That represents a loss not only for individuals but also to the wider economy and society.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
From RTÉ Radio1's Morning Ireland, ESRI report finds households with a disabled member at high risk of poverty
Moreover, maximising workforce participation is central to reducing the cost burdens associated with an ageing population. Currently, there are four people working in Ireland for every one retired person. Demographic trends suggest that this ratio will be two to one by 2065. To sustain growth and fund public services, we need to remove the structural barriers and allow LGBTQ+ workers to fully participate in the labour market.
Concentrated pockets of acute insecurity within identifiable communities alongside affluent households is also a threat to social cohesion. Where inequality exists, polarisation and social fracture can follow. Community organisations are often left plugging the gaps. Outhouse and other charities report increasing demand for support related to housing insecurity, financial stress, workplace discrimination, and mental health. Yet the charitable sector cannot substitute for comprehensive public policy. Funding remains precarious, even as needs grow in scale and complexity.
If we want Ireland's macroeconomic success to be sustainable, it must be felt in every household, including those whose experiences have, until now, gone largely uncounted.
Policy responses need to be evidence-based to be effective. First, including questions on sexual orientation and gender identity in the Survey on Income and Living Conditions would allow policymakers to identify disparities and track progress. Second, the national poverty reduction strategy must explicitly target LGBTQ+ people, particularly those who are renters, disabled, young, or trans. Third, ensuring that core social welfare supports are indexed to inflation and set at a level that lifts people out of poverty is essential if safety nets are to provide real protection for all.
Ireland has demonstrated an ability to adapt and modernise at speed. The question now is whether we are willing to apply that same focus to economic inclusion. This is not only a moral prerogative, it is an economic imperative. A resilient economy depends not just on strong headline figures, but on broad participation and shared security. If we want our macroeconomic success to be sustainable, it must be felt in every household, including those whose experiences have, until now, gone largely uncounted.
The Pride and Poverty report has been published by Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre, alongside European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland and TASC
Follow RTÉ Brainstorm on WhatsApp and Instagram for more stories and updates
Dr Emma Howard is an Economics Lecturer at TU Dublin. She is a Research Ireland awardee and Chair of the Irish Society for Women in Economics. Oisín O'Reilly is CEO of the Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
