Poverty stats 2022-23 show rising number of children living in poverty
Recently released UK figures show 100,000 more children are growing up in poverty since 2022/23.
Read updated statistics today.
That means 4.5 million children, or 31% of all children in the UK, are going without the safe and happy childhoods they deserve. Here’s what the latest data shows and what it means for children and families.
Whether a family is considered to be in poverty depends on their household income, which is measured in both ‘relative’ and ‘absolute’ terms.
Each year, we support thousands of families and children. With your help, we could do more.
Both the relative and absolute poverty measures are calculated before and after housing costs are included. When discussing poverty at Action for Children, we use the relative poverty measure after housing costs. This is because it best reflects the financial resources required to participate in society as it is today.
These latest stats show that in the UK right now, 4.5 million children are living in poverty. That’s 31% of all children and an increase of 100,000 since 2022/23.
4 million children, or 28%, are growing up in material deprivation. This means their families can’t afford essentials like fruit and vegetables, a warm home, or social activities and hobbies.
27% of children
Unlike the rest of the UK, Scotland has seen a positive shift, with child poverty dropping from 24% to 23% in 2023/24. This progress is likely thanks to the significant impact of the Scottish Child Payment.
There was also an increase in poverty measured in 'absolute' terms. Between 2022/23 and 2023/24, the number of children living in absolute poverty increased from 3.6 to 3.9 million (or from 25% to 26% of children).
This is the second year in a row that absolute poverty has risen. And we know that children are also the hardest hit by poverty.
According to the new poverty stats, children are the most at risk of poverty, with three in ten children being in poverty in the UK.
It means more families than ever struggling to afford the basics. Things like food, heating, a roof over their head. We’ve seen parents going without dinner to feed their children. Children sleeping on the floor because their parents can’t afford to buy them a bed. Or going to school with holes in their shoes.
Whichever way you measure it, children fare the worst.
The UK government has announced that the two-child limit will be scrapped in full as part of its upcoming Child Poverty Strategy.
This will lift 350,000 children out of poverty overnight, and keep half a million free from poverty by the end of the decade.
Nearly half (49%) of children living in poverty are in families with more than two children.
We have been campaigning for the Labour government to remove the two-child limit and benefit cap as part of our Paying the Price campaign.
Scrapping the two-child limit will mean fewer children growing up in cold homes without enough food to eat, warm clothes to wear or a bed to sleep in.
It doesn’t have to be this way. The government has the power to tackle poverty and reduce the impact of the cost of living crisis on the most vulnerable families.
Thankfully, we have hundreds of frontline workers helping families every day. Topping up the meter, putting food on the table, offering support when they have nowhere else to turn.
We’ve been a vital lifeline for vulnerable families and young people across the UK. And with your help, we can continue to reach those who need us most.
Frequently asked questions about child poverty in the UK
Each year, we support thousands of families and children. With your help, we could do more.
Keep up to date with Action for Children!
Sign up to our newsletter