Westmeath in top ten of counties for disposable income
Westmeath has entered the top ten of wealthiest counties in the country.
New figures from the Central Statistics Office last week revealed that the disposable income per person in the county in 2023 was the tenth highest in the State.
However, such is the imbalance in the State, the disposable income per person in Westmeath, despite being tenth highest nationally, is still significantly below the national average.
The disposable income per person in Westmeath in 2023 was €26,538, representing just 93.5% of the State average of €28,370.
Only six counties recorded a disposable income per person above the State average.
Westmeath's tenth position is an improvement of two places on the situation in 2022.
In that year, the county had 94.1% of the State average.
Dublin remains the county with the highest disposable income per person at €32,393.
Roscommon was in 21st position of the 26 counties measured, at €24,623, or 85.5% of the State average. The county occupied the same position in 2022. However, it had 87.1% of the State average in that year.
Westmeath was by far the wealthiest in the midlands, with the other three counties in the region, Laois, Longford, and Offaly, all featuring the bottom four.
Longford is the State's poorest county, followed by Laois, Donegal and Offaly.
The figure for Longford ((€22,251 per person) is only 78.4% of the State average disposable income per person
As a region, the Midlands has the lowest total income in 2023 and has consistently remained the poorest region in the state, followed by the Border region.
After Dublin, Cork is the second wealthiest county with an index of 105.3 (€29,876 per person); ahead of Limerick (index: 104, income: €29,491 per person). Income in Carlow is closest to the state average with an index of 101.4 (€28,776 per person).
While the figures involve a degree of uncertainty, the gap between the lowest and highest county income per capita has widened considerably and is now at €10,136, a jump of €1,597 from 2022.
The CSO says county calculations for disposable income are estimates and involve a certain degree of uncertainty. However, it said they are a useful way of visualising discrepancies in income between regions and counties.