[UK] Child poverty levels highest of world’s richest countries

A UNICEF report has revealed that child income poverty rates in the UK are the highest among the world's richest nations. It also came bottom of the table for changes in those rates in the past decade, Reuters reports.

The report from the U.N. children's agency was published on December 6. It looked at relatively well-off countries to assess the rate of child income poverty combined with child poverty reduction rates.

The UK reportedly ranked 37th out of the 39 nations in the European Union (EU) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) based on income poverty rates for children and their success in reducing child poverty in a time of prosperity.

Turkey and Colombia were the only countries to rank below the UK, based on a statistical average of the two indicators.

When measuring percentage changes in child income poverty rates in 2012-14 and 2019-21, the UK came bottom of the table of 39 high- and upper-middle-income countries, with a 20 per cent rise in child poverty rates.

Poland, Slovenia and Latvia led the rankings with reductions in child poverty rates of more than 30 per cent.

In addition, the UK reportedly ranked 28th out of 39 countries on the most recent relative child income poverty levels in 2019-21.

Jon Sparkes - Chief Executive of UNICEF UK - said, “While some countries in this group have taken steps to increase support, in the UK we have seen a reduction in spending on child and family benefits and more children growing up in poverty as a result."

In response to the report, a spokesperson for the Department of Work and Pensions said it had worked hard to halve inflation and is providing households help with the cost of living, "including increasing benefits by over 10% this year.”

"There are 400,000 fewer children and 1.7 million fewer people in absolute poverty when compared to 2010. But we understand some families are still struggling," the department said.

Source: Reuters

(Quotes via original reporting)

A UNICEF report has revealed that child income poverty rates in the UK are the highest among the world's richest nations. It also came bottom of the table for changes in those rates in the past decade, Reuters reports.

The report from the U.N. children's agency was published on December 6. It looked at relatively well-off countries to assess the rate of child income poverty combined with child poverty reduction rates.

The UK reportedly ranked 37th out of the 39 nations in the European Union (EU) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) based on income poverty rates for children and their success in reducing child poverty in a time of prosperity.

Turkey and Colombia were the only countries to rank below the UK, based on a statistical average of the two indicators.

When measuring percentage changes in child income poverty rates in 2012-14 and 2019-21, the UK came bottom of the table of 39 high- and upper-middle-income countries, with a 20 per cent rise in child poverty rates.

Poland, Slovenia and Latvia led the rankings with reductions in child poverty rates of more than 30 per cent.

In addition, the UK reportedly ranked 28th out of 39 countries on the most recent relative child income poverty levels in 2019-21.

Jon Sparkes - Chief Executive of UNICEF UK - said, “While some countries in this group have taken steps to increase support, in the UK we have seen a reduction in spending on child and family benefits and more children growing up in poverty as a result."

In response to the report, a spokesperson for the Department of Work and Pensions said it had worked hard to halve inflation and is providing households help with the cost of living, "including increasing benefits by over 10% this year.”

"There are 400,000 fewer children and 1.7 million fewer people in absolute poverty when compared to 2010. But we understand some families are still struggling," the department said.

Source: Reuters

(Quotes via original reporting)