Irish citizens earned nearly €90 more than non-Irish nationals on a weekly basis in 2023, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The median weekly earnings for Irish nationals stood at €728.05, compared to €641.36 for non-Irish nationals in 2023.
The CSO data also highlighted that Irish nationals made up the majority of employments in Ireland, accounting for 73.8 per cent of the workforce. Non-Irish nationals represented 26.2 per cent, with Polish (3.4 per cent), United Kingdom (2.8 per cent), and Indian (2.6 per cent) nationals forming the largest groups among foreign workers.
Interestingly, the distribution of employments across age groups varied between the two demographics. For Irish nationals, 25.7 per cent of workers fell into the youngest (15-24 years) and oldest (60 years and over) age brackets. Among non-Irish nationals, only 13 per cent of employments were in these age groups, indicating a younger overall workforce.
Indian nationals emerged as the top earners in Ireland, with a median weekly income of €883.74. This was followed by workers from the United Kingdom (€745.78), Irish nationals (€728.05), and Italians (€701.78), all surpassing the national median weekly earnings of €699.28.
In contrast, Ukrainian nationals reported the lowest median weekly earnings, at just €450.29.