Evidence library

This JRF report sets out the nature of poverty in the UK in the run-up to 2024's General Election. It also sets out the scale of action necessary for the Government to deliver the change it has promised.

Key points:

• More than 1 in 5 people in the UK (21%) were in poverty in 2022/23 – 14.3 million people.
• 2 in every 10 adults are in poverty in the UK, with about 3 in every 10 children being in poverty.
• The picture compared to 2021/22 is one of stability: child poverty rose slightly, pensioner poverty fell slightly, and working-age adult poverty stayed the same. Poverty for all 3 groups has returned to around pre-pandemic levels.
• Poverty has deepened - in 2022/23, 6 million people – or 4 in 10 of those in poverty – were in very deep poverty
• Poverty levels have barely changed in the last 20 years - in part this reflects a series of hits to living standards that have affected the whole population.
• "Child poverty rates in Scotland (24%) remain much lower than those in England (30%) and Wales (29%) and are similar (if slightly higher) than in Northern Ireland (23%). This is likely to be due, at least in part, to the Scottish Child Payment. This highlights the effect benefits can have in reducing poverty."