What this chart shows

↑ The takeaway

No region in the UK has a child poverty rate below one in five. In the North East, it is closer to two in five. These are not edge cases — they are millions of children.

The percentage of children living in relative low income after housing costs (AHC) by UK region. Relative low income means a household income below 60% of the median. After-housing-costs is the more policy-relevant measure because housing costs vary enormously by region and consume a large share of low-income families' budgets.

The North East has the highest rate at 38%, closely followed by London (36%) and the West Midlands (35%). London's high rate may seem paradoxical given high average incomes — but extreme housing costs push many families below the poverty line after rent is paid. The South East and East of England have the lowest rates, but even these exceed 20%. No region in the UK has a child poverty rate below one in five.

Why it matters

Child poverty is the single strongest predictor of poor outcomes in education, health, and lifetime earnings. It is also the most tractable form of inequality — targeted benefit increases (e.g. child benefit, universal credit child elements) have historically reduced child poverty rates rapidly. The regional variation shows that poverty is not evenly distributed: it clusters in areas already affected by deindustrialisation, low GDHI, and poor housing.

Methodology & data quality
Data is from the DWP/HMRC "Children in Low Income Families" local area statistics, which combine HMRC administrative data on family incomes with DWP benefit records. Measure: Relative low income after housing costs (below 60% of national median equivalised household income, AHC). Unit: Percentage of dependent children in each region. Year: 2022-23 financial year (the most recent available). "Children in poverty" counts are rounded to nearest thousand. Known caveats: The measure is "relative" — if median income falls, the poverty line falls too, potentially reducing measured poverty even if living standards worsen. Regional averages mask significant local variation (e.g. within London, rates range from under 20% in Richmond to over 50% in Tower Hamlets). Self-employed income is modelled, not directly measured.