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FERMANAGH and Omagh district has the third-highest rate of relative poverty of any council area in the North, prompting fresh concern among councillors about deepening rural inequality.
The figures, presented to the local council’s regeneration and community committee, show the district’s relative poverty rate has risen to 22 per-cent – up from 20 per-cent over the previous three-year period.
Only Derry and Strabane, and Causeway Coast and Glens, record higher levels.
Relative poverty refers to households living on less than 60 per-cent of the UK median income.
It measures whether the lowest-income families are keeping pace with the wider population.
Absolute poverty, by contrast, looks at whether incomes are rising in real terms.
Director of community and wellbeing, John Boyle, said the latest data underlined the scale of hardship across the region.
In 2023/24, 17 per-cent of Northern Ireland’s population (331,000 people) were living in relative poverty, down slightly from the previous year.
However, child poverty remained far higher, with 23 per-cent of children affected – or 25 per-cent once housing costs are included.
Although child-specific figures are not available at council level, applying the regional uplift suggests that between 28 and 29 per-cent of children in Fermanagh and Omagh are likely living in relative poverty.
“We are in stark contrast to the rest of the region,” Mr Boyle said.
“Our level of income is much lower, and we are the third worst-off council area. These figures really emphasise the need for support.”
Alliance councillor Stephen Donnelly said the data was ‘disturbing’, adding. “The situation around child poverty in this district is an absolute scandal.
“This is further evidence of ongoing rural inequality that doesn’t make the headlines but is the daily reality for too many of our constituents.”
Sinn Féin councillor Sheamus Greene said the poverty levels reflected wider patterns of underinvestment across housing, infrastructure and public services.
