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There are very high poverty rates for some groups in the UK: 62 per cent of Bangladeshi and 59 per cent of Pakistani children live below the poverty line, as do 53 per cent of Black children.
Poverty risk also varies across UK nations and regions, with the highest rates in the West Midlands and North East England, and considerably lower rates in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Eastern England.
Child poverty is higher in households where someone is disabled, and in households with younger children.
And child poverty is higher in larger families: 42 per cent of children living in families with 3 or more children live in poverty.
All of the statistics above are relative child poverty, after housing costs, and are taken from the most recent government data set: Households Below Average Income 2021/22, with the exception of the free school meals statistic which is CPAG analysis.
From the latest figures (2019-22) a family is considered in poverty, if after housing costs, they are living on:
- less than £360 a week or £18,700 for a lone parent with children age five and 14
- less than £485 a week or £25,300 a year for a couple with children age five and 14 (seek UK wide reference)
Child poverty in Scotland
In Scotland child poverty remains high, but is expected to start falling significantly as a result of recent policy interventions, in particular the Scottish child payment.
Almost one in four (250,000) of Scotland's children are living in poverty.
The figures below come from the Scottish government's child poverty statistics