Households below average income statistics on Stat-Xplore: user guide
A user guide to the Households below average income statistics on Stat-Xplore.
Documents
Details
HBAI data is available from financial year ending (FYE) 1995 to FYE 2025 on Stat-Xplore online tool.
You can use Stat-Xplore to create your own HBAI analysis.
The FYE 2025 HBAI publication features an improved approach to using administrative data in place of FRS survey responses both for FYE 2025 and some back-series years. Information on the major state benefits and tax credits is now based on administrative data (admin-linked) rather than survey responses. Revisions to the back-series will take place in two stages - in March 2026 (back to FYE 2022) and summer 2026 (back to FYE 2019).
For March 2026, the FYE 2025 HBAI Stat-Xplore dataset is split into:
- HBAI – Data from 2021/22 (admin-linked) – containing admin-linked data from FYE 2022 to FYE 2025
- HBAI – Data to 2021/22 (unlinked) – containing unlinked data from FYE 1995 to FYE 2022
Please note:
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the improvement for the FYE 2025 HBAI publication means key low-income measures, including number/proportion of people identified as being in low income for all groups and in all years from FYE 2022 (in March 2026) and from FYE 2019 (in summer 2026) have changed. It also means there will be a break in the HBAI series at these points. We advise users that income data before and after the break are not directly comparable and if comparisons across the break point are required users should follow the advice set out in section 3.2 of the HBAI Background, Information and Methodology report. Some measures of poverty, such as material deprivation statistics, are unaffected by the improvement of using administrative-linked data
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statistics published by Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have been classified as Official Statistics in Development to signal that the changes introduce uncertainty that is acute for estimates below UK level which needs to be reflected in their Official Statistics reporting
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from the FYE 2025 HBAI publication, the fixed reference year for absolute low income has been updated from FYE 2011 to FYE 2025 for 4 years (FYE 2022 to FYE 2025). Data for years prior to FYE 2022 continue to use FYE 2011 as the fixed reference year. From summer 2026, the fixed reference year will be FYE 2025 for FYE 2019 to FYE 2021. See the HBAI Background, Information and Methodology report for more information
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please see the Data Quality section of each of dataset information page for further data changes
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data for FYE 2021 is not available on Stat-Xplore
Given the changes to the structure of the HBAI Stat-Xplore dataset from FYE 2025 users are advised to read the user guide, notes and guidance and ensure data are used appropriately. Further detail is available in the HBAI Background, Information and Methodology report.
The HBAI dataset and published estimates of low income are on an individual level, and use the net, weekly income of their household. Breakdowns allow analysis of individual, family (benefit unit) and household characteristics of the individual. Measures allow analysis of net, weekly household incomes and net, weekly household housing costs of the individual.
Further information and worked examples are available in the user guide.
Updates to this page
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Links and information updated within HTML document to correspond to latest HBAI survey release and changes within StatXplore. Details section on landing page has been updated with new commentary to reflect changes for FYE 2025 release.
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Updated figures 1 to 32 and references to financial year to 2023 to 2024 of the 'Households below average income statistics on Stat-Xplore: user guide'.
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Published an updated version of the "Households below average income statistics on Stat-Xplore user guide".
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Updated user guide. The latest release of the Households below average income statistics has been published today (21 March 2024).
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Updated user guide. The latest release of the Households below average income statistics has been published today (23 March 2023).
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First published.