Where is child poverty increasing in the UK?
Child poverty is increasing across the UK. In 2024/25, 4 million children were living in poverty, with the highest rates in London, the North West and the South East.
This blog was last updated on 15 April 2026.
A child is considered to be growing up in poverty if they live in a household whose income is below 60% of the average (median) income for that year.
This is called 'relative poverty'. Data on relative child poverty is available both before and after housing costs are taken into account.
72% of the children in poverty are in working families, with at least one adult in work.
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The official UK poverty figures are updated each March through the Households Below Average Income publication, produced by the Department for Work and Pensions.
These estimates are based on the Family Resources Survey, an annual survey of around 16,000 households that collects information about families income, savings, and living circumstances.
However, these figures do not take into account of the two-child limit policy, which has come into effect from April 6 2026.
The North West and the South East now have the highest rate of child poverty across regions, alongside many parts of London. This is driven by the very hight cost of housing in the capital.
Meanwhile, Scotland is the only UK nation where child poverty appears to be falling, with rates decreasing from around 25% to 21%. This improvement is mostly likely because of the Scottish Child Payment.
41% of children in single-parent families are in poverty, compared to 23% in couple families.
Material deprivation is when families are unable to afford basic or essential items, such as clothing, a warm home or leisure activities.
In 2024/25, 3.5 million children across the UK were living in material deprivation, while 1.9 million were living in deep material poverty.
62% of children living in deep material poverty live in working families.
51% of the children in poverty are in families where the youngest is under 5.
In 2024/25, 2 million children were living in food‑insecure households,
Over the years this figure has fluctuated, rising from 13% in 2020/21 and 18% in 2023/24, before falling back to 14% in the latest data.
Alongside this, 1 million children were living in households that had used a food bank in the last 12 months.
40% of the children in poverty are in families where someone is disabled.
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