Poverty: facts and figures
Child poverty is high in the UK, and is projected to rise further.
4.3 million
children are growing up in poverty in the UK
9
children in an average classroom of 30 (30%) are living in poverty
7 out of 10
children living in poverty have at least one parent in paid work
47%
of children from Black and minority ethnic groups are in poverty, compared to 24 per cent of white children
44%
of children living in lone-parent families are in poverty
900,000
children in poverty in England alone miss out on free school meals
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There are very high poverty rates for some groups in the UK: 67 per cent of Bangladeshi and 58 per cent of Pakistani children live below the poverty line, as do 51 per cent of Black children.
Poverty risk also varies across UK nations and regions, with the highest rates in the West Midlands, inner London and North West 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: 46 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 2022/23, with the exception of the free school meals statistic which is CPAG analysis.
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 (240,000) of Scotland's children are living in poverty.
The figures below come from the Scottish government's child poverty statistics
24%
of children in Scotland are in poverty
70%
of children in poverty in Scotland are in a household where someone works
38%
of children in lone parent families in Scotland are in poverty
27%
of children with a disabled family member in Scotland are in poverty