Family composition, age and sex
The drivers of poverty affect people differently depending on their family type, age and sex. These factors also intersect, with important implications for policy.
Children aged 0–4 remain at a higher risk of poverty than older children. Younger children have historically faced higher poverty rates, and the data suggests a return to this pattern following the pandemic. Temporary policy measures, such as the £20 weekly uplift to Universal Credit, reduced poverty rates during this period, but these effects have not been sustained.
The number of children in poverty in large families (3 or more children) and families with young children (under 5) is the highest on record, at 2.2 million children across the two groups. Although poverty rates for these families were higher in the late 1990s, they have risen steadily since the early 2010s.
Poverty among lone-parent families has fallen substantially since the mid-1990s, from a peak of 66% in 1996/97 to a low of 40% in 2013/14. However, rates have increased again in recent years, reaching 43% in the latest data.
| Group | Number in poverty | Poverty rate |
|---|---|---|
| Children in poverty in 1-child families | 700,000 | 21% |
| Children in poverty in 2-child families | 1,600,000 | 25% |
| Children in poverty in large families (3+ children) | 2,200,000 | 44% |
| Children in couple families | 2,900,000 | 26% |
| Children in lone-parent families | 1,500,000 | 43% |
| Children in families where the youngest child is 0 to 4 years old | 2,200,000 | 36% |
| Children in families where the youngest child is 5 to 10 years old | 1,400,000 | 28% |
| Children in families where the youngest child is 11 to 15 years old | 800,000 | 26% |
| Children in families where the youngest child is 16 to 19* years old | 150,000 | 20% |
| 0 to 4 year-old children | 1,200,000 | 32% |
| 5 to 10 year-old children | 1,500,000 | 30% |
| 11 to 15 year-old children | 1,300,000 | 31% |
| 16 to 19* year-old children | 500,000 | 27% |
Source: Households Below Average Income, 2023/24, DWP
Notes: A person is defined as a child if they are 16-19 years old and they are: not married nor in a civil partnership nor living with a partner; living with parents/a responsible adult and in full-time non-advanced education or in unwaged government training.
Child poverty rates vary sharply by family type. Lone-parent families face the highest risk, with over 2 in 5 children (43%) living in poverty in 2023/24, compared with 26% of children in couple families.
Family size is also strongly associated with poverty risk. The poverty rate for children in families with three or more children is 44%, more than double the rate for one-child families (21%) and substantially higher than for two-child families (25%). Around 1 in 3 children in families where the youngest child is under 5 (36%) were living in poverty.
| Group | Number in poverty | Poverty rate |
|---|---|---|
| Working-age males in poverty | 3,800,000 | 19% |
| Working-age females in poverty | 4,100,000 | 20% |
| Pension-age males in poverty | 800,000 | 15% |
| Pension-age females in poverty | 1,100,000 | 16% |
| 16 to 24 year-old working-age adults | 1,200,000 | 24% |
| 25 to 29 year-old working-age adults | 700,000 | 16% |
| 30 to 34 year-old working-age adults | 900,000 | 19% |
| 35 to 39 year-old working-age adults | 1,000,000 | 21% |
| 40 to 44 year-old working-age adults | 900,000 | 21% |
| 45 to 49 year-old working-age adults | 800,000 | 19% |
| 50 to 54 year-old working-age adults | 700,000 | 16% |
| 55 to 59 year-old working-age adults | 700,000 | 16% |
| 60+ year-old working-age adults | 1,000,000 | 22% |
| 65 to 69 year-old pension-age adults | 400,000 | 14% |
| 70 to 74 year-old pension-age adults | 400,000 | 14% |
| 75 to 79 year-old pension-age adults | 400,000 | 16% |
| 80+ year-old pension-age adults | 600,000 | 18% |
Source: Households Below Average Income, 2023/24, DWP
Around 1 in 5 working-age men and women were living in poverty in 2023/24 (19% and 20% respectively). Poverty rates were lower among pensioners, at 15% for men and 16% for women.
Among working-age adults, the highest poverty rates were observed among those aged 16–24 (24%) and 60+ (22%). Poverty rates were also elevated among those aged 35–39 and 40–44 (both 21%), reflecting higher rates of child-rearing in these age groups.
Among working-age adults, overall poverty rates have declined modestly over time, falling from a peak of 22% in 2009/10 to 19% in 2023/24. However, poverty remains unevenly distributed by age. The youngest (16–24) and oldest (60+) working-age adults consistently experience higher poverty rates than the working-age population, with poverty among 16–24-year-olds peaking at 31% in 2011/12.
Pensioner poverty has been rising since around 2013/14, following nearly two decades of decline. Since 2019/20, poverty rates among pensioners have fluctuated, with levels remaining broadly stable in 2023/24.
Female pensioners continue to experience higher poverty rates than male pensioners. The narrowing of the gap seen in the previous year has been sustained, as poverty rates for female pensioners have remained steady.
Data source
The data on this page is part of the UK poverty statistics dashboard. The data is initially derived from our UK Poverty 2026 report, which includes an Excel download in the appendix.