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Child poverty statistics and facts

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There are currently 3.6 million children living in poverty in the UK . That’s almost a third of all children. 1.6 million of these children live in severe poverty . In the UK 58% of children living in poverty are in a family where someone works .

These child poverty statistics and facts will help to give you an idea of the scale of child poverty in the UK and the affect it can have on:

  • a child's education
  • a child's health
  • the day to day lives of families.

Does child poverty affect children's health?

  • Three-year-olds in households with incomes below about £10,000 are 2.5 times more likely to suffer chronic illness than children in households with incomes above £52,000 .
  • Infant mortality is 10% higher for infants in the lower social group than the average.

Does poverty affect a child's education?

  • Only half as many poor children who are eligible for Free School Meals achieved 5 or more A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent compared to pupils not eligible.
  • Only 73 per cent of 5 to 6 year olds from the most deprived areas achieved the expected level of writing, compared to 90 per cent of those in the least deprived.

How much money do families living in poverty have?

  • Families living in poverty have just £12 per day per person to buy everything they need such as food, heating, toys, clothes, electricity and transport.

How does poverty affect families?

  • 24% of children in the poorest fifth of households are in families who can’t afford to keep their house warm, compared to just 1% in the richest fifth.
  • Nearly half of all children in the poorest fifth of households are in families who can’t afford to replace broken electrical goods, compared with just 3% of children in the richest households.
  • 62% of children in the poorest fifth of households have parents who would like to, but cannot afford to take their children for a holiday away from home for one week a year. This only applies to 6% of children in the richest fifth.

The Government has a statutory requirement, enshrined in the Child Poverty Act 2010 , to end child poverty by 2020. However, it is predicated that by 2020/21  another 1 million children will be pushed into poverty as a result of the Coalition Government’s policies.

Find out more about Barnardo's child poverty research and publications or search Barnardo's database of child poverty publications and research »