MESL 2026 - Report

The Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) 2026 report provides a robust, evidence based benchmark of the minimum income required to live with dignity in Ireland. The MESL is grounded in a consensual lived‑experience methodology, drawing on deliberations with members of the public to identify the goods and services people need, not want, for an acceptable minimum standard of living.

In 2026, the MESL analysis shows the impact of rising living costs on the cost of minimum needs, and assesses the degree to which income supports meet these costs.