Signal 14.3 million people in relative poverty after housing costs

Summary

Placing UK poverty in the context of income inequality, the report gives the scale of relative poverty once housing costs are deducted. In 2022/23, 14.3 million people in the UK were in relative poverty after housing costs, equal to 21% of the population. That figure was 0.1 million lower than in the previous year. The report explains that growing up in poverty is associated with poorer health, weaker educational attainment and worse job prospects. It adds that groups such as ethnic minorities and disabled people are particularly exposed economically and are more likely to face financial hardship when risks materialise. It also records that during the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis, vulnerable groups such as single parents, young people and disabled people suffered the worst financial impacts.