One in four households, consisting of one adult with children, were in arrears with utility bills last year.
That's according to the Survey on Income and Living Conditions by the CSO.
It also found four in ten households experienced some difficulty making ends meet, with 5.6% of households saying they experienced 'great difficulty'.
The CSO study shows the at-risk poverty rate last year was 11.6%, a drop from 13.2% in 2020.
However, the Survey on Income and Living Conditions also shows that without Covid 19 income supports, the 2021 poverty rate would have been 19.9%.
Those who were most at risk of poverty were people who described themselves as 'unable to work due to long-standing health problems' at 39.1%, and the comparable rate for those in employment is 4.4%.
The median household disposable income in 2021 was €46,471, compared with €43,915 in 2020.
Four in ten households said they had some difficulty in making ends meet in 2021 while 5.6% of households said they had great difficulty.
