Tackling child poverty priority families overview

The priority family types identified continue to be at highest risk of child poverty, whichever measure of poverty is used

24% of all children in Scotland are in relative poverty. Children in the priority groups are more likely than average to be in relative poverty – 38% children in lone parent families, 39% children in minority ethnic families, 28% children in families with a disabled person, 55% children in families with younger mothers, 34% children in families with a child under one, and 34% children in families with three or more children are in relative poverty. 11% of children who are in none of the priority groups are in relative poverty.

21% of all children in Scotland are in absolute poverty. Children in the priority groups are more likely than average to be in absolute poverty – 36% children in lone parent families, 34% children in minority ethnic families, 24% children in families with a disabled person, 49% children in families with younger mothers, 30% children in families with a child under one, and 32% children in families with three or more children are in absolute poverty. 8% of children who are in none of the priority groups are in absolute poverty.

11% of all children in Scotland have low income and material deprivation combined. Children in the priority groups are more likely than average to be in this situation – 23% children in lone parent families, 16% children in minority ethnic families, 18% children in families with a disabled person, 26% children in families with younger mothers, 13% children in families with a child under one, and 18% children in families with three or more children have a low income and material deprivation.

18% of all children in Scotland are in persistent poverty. Children in the priority groups are more likely than average to be in persistent poverty –28% of children in families with a disabled person, 22% of children in families with a child under one. Sample size is too small for robust estimates of the other groups for persistent poverty.

Source: Relative, absolute and CMD: Family Resources Survey 2019-22 , except for young mothers figure which is based on 2015-18 and for families with a child under one which is based on 2017-20. Persistent poverty: Understanding Society survey 2017-21.