Children in low income families: local area statistics
Annual Official Statistics on the number and proportion of children living in low income families.
For the latest release on 26 March 2026, there are revisions to the Before Housing Costs time-series at UK, regional and local area level. Data prior to 2022 is not available and there is no scheduled additional release later in the year.
Following the successful completion of discovery work and a public consultation, see Children in low income families - After Housing Costs Consultation Note, After Housing Costs local area child poverty statistics are also published in the latest release for financial year ending 2024 and 2025.
For both Before and After Housing Costs, these annual statistics include counts of children by:
- geography, including by:
- local authority
- Westminster parliamentary constituency
- Ward
- Middle Super Output Area
- year
- age of child
- gender of child
- family type
- work status of the family
We invite comments on the value of the proposed statistics and on the methodology and scope for any future release. Email stats.consultation-2018@dwp.gov.uk with feedback and queries about the statistics.
Explore the statistics with our interactive tool
Find further breakdowns of these statistics on Stat-Xplore, an online tool for exploring some of DWP’s main statistics.
Future releases and developments
Find future release dates in the statistics release calendar and more about DWP statistics on the Statistics at DWP page.
Future developments to DWP official statistics and any changes to statistical methodology are outlined in the statistical work programme.
Tell us what you think
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards.
Email stats.consultation-2018@dwp.gov.uk with feedback and queries about the statistics.
Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.
Latest release
Previous release
Background information and methodology
We’ve published our policies and procedures for DWP statistics in the interests of transparency and to comply with the UK Statistics Authority code of practice.
Consultation
A consultation on proposals for a new statistical series on After Housing Costs counts and proportions of children in low-income families was conducted in 2025. The consultation note was published with the local area statistics for 2014 to 2024.
Related publications
Estimates of numbers in low income in a single year from Households Below Average Income are available.
Other related DWP statistics include:
Indices of multiple deprivation by country are available:
Details of other National and Official Statistics produced by the Department for Work and Pensions can be found on the DWP statistics homepage with a schedule of statistical releases over the next 12 months and a list of the most recent releases.
In accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics, all DWP National Statistics are announced in the government statistics calendar.
Updates to this page
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Added latest statistics release for 'Children in low income families: local area statistics 2022 to 2025' . A link to the existing 'Children in low income families - After Housing Costs Consultation Note' has also been added under the heading 'Consultation'.
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Details added about revisions to the 26 March 2026 release.
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The 'call to action' box has been updated.
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Added a link to the annual release of Children in low income families: local area statistics (data for 2014 to 2024), updated 'Children in low income families: local area statistics: background information and methodology' and also added a link to the consultation 'Children in low income families – After Housing Costs Consultation Note' .
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Update on methodology for these Official Statistics.
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The 'call to action' box has been updated to reflect the review of the methodology underpinning the Official Statistics.
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Added a link to the annual release of Children in low income families: local area statistics (data for 2014 to 2023).
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Added a link to the annual release of Children in low income families: local area statistics (data for 2014 to 2022).
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Added a link to the annual release of Children in low income families: local area statistics (data for 2014 to 2021).
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Added a link to the annual release of Children in low income families: local area statistics (data for 2014 to 2020).
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First published.