This study examines how the pattern of child poverty has changed since the Prime Minister’s pledge to reduce child poverty in 1999.

The paper summarises which groups have benefited most from the changes in demography, labour market and policy that have influenced trends in child poverty. In particular, it compares changes in the percentage of children in different circumstances (age, geographic location, tenure, income among others) living in households:

• with income below 60 per cent of the median after housing costs; 
• with equivalent income less than 60 per cent of the median after housing costs;
• with income below 60 per cent of the median before housing costs;
• with equivalent income less than 60 per cent of the median before housing costs.