Child poverty in the North East

In this new paper, Professor Jonathan Bradshaw of the Social Policy Research Unity at the University of York takes a look at child poverty in the North East, finding that: 

  • The North East (NE) has the second highest low income and deprivation rate after inner London.
  • The NE child income poverty rate (before housing costs) at the 50% threshold was the same as the average for England but at the 60% threshold the NE had the equal second highest rate after the West Midlands and at the 70% threshold the NE had the equal highest child income poverty rate with the West Midlands.
  • After housing costs inner London has the highest child income poverty rate on all thresholds but the NE had the second highest child poverty rate at 60% and 70% thresholds.
  • The NE is the region with the highest proportion of households with children lacking on 8 out of the 20 deprivation items.
  • The material deprivation and low-income rate in the NE has risen and fallen since the mid-2000s. But the NE had the highest rate in the most recent period.
  • Child poverty both before and after housing costs fell in the NE after the mid-2000s but have been rising again since 2012/13-2014/15. In the period 2005/6-2007/8 the NE had the highest child poverty rate BHC and second equal highest AHC after London. By the most recent period the NE had the equal second highest child income poverty rate BHC and the second highest AHC at the 60% threshold.
  • Newcastle central constituency has the highest child poverty rates in the NE both before and after housing costs. It is notable that a number of constituencies that changed from Labour to Conservative in the 2019 election have quite high rates.
  • Middlesbrough local authority has the highest child poverty rate in the NE BHC and Middlesbrough and Newcastle-upon-Tyne have the highest child poverty rate AHC.
  • Before housing costs four wards in Middlesbrough and four wards in Newcastle are in the top 20 wards in the NE. After housing costs Newcastle has the highest four wards and seven wards in the highest 20.

Read the report