Tackling child poverty priority families overview
An overview of evidence on the six priority family types identified as being at higher risk of child poverty. Slide deck can be found in the supporting documents.
The priority family types identified continue to be at highest risk of child poverty
21% of all children in Scotland are in relative poverty. Children in the priority groups are more likely than average to be in relative poverty – 30% of children in lone parent families, 40% of children in minority ethnic families and 23% of children in families with a disabled person, 39% of children in families with a child under one, and 38% of children in families with three or more children are in relative poverty. Five per cent of children who are in none of the priority groups are in relative poverty.
16% of all children in Scotland are in absolute poverty (2010-11 base year). Children in the priority groups are more likely than average to be in absolute poverty – 25% of children in lone parent families, 32% children in minority ethnic families, 16% children in families with a disabled person, 32% of children in families with a child under one, and 28% of children in families with three or more children are in absolute poverty. Three per cent of children who are in none of the priority groups are in absolute poverty.
Source: Relative, absolute and CMD: Family Resources Survey 2022-25. Due to recent data developments in linking of social security benefits data to the Family Resources Survey, information on the same basis is only available back to 2021-22. Data is available across most priority groups, but because the “younger mothers” represents the smallest population, the estimate will be updated when more years of linked data are available.