Over one million under 5s living in poverty in the UK, a new report by Little Village finds

1.3 million of the 4.2 million children in poverty in the UK are babies and children under the age of 5. That’s according to new research from Little Village, supported by analysis from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

The report explores the rates, persistence and depth of poverty in families with young children. It also highlights the impact of the Covid pandemic on low-income families with young children.

Key findings about children living in families with at least one child under 5:

• A third (34%) of children in these families live in poverty.

• Households where there is a child under the age of 3 face the highest risk of poverty.

• Poverty has risen faster in the last decade for children in these families than for families with older children.

• Children in these families are at greater risk of persistent poverty than families with older children.

• Two in five of these families (38%) have seen a reduction in their earnings as a result of the Covid crisis (July 2020).

• In addition, a quarter of all babies and toddlers currently experiencing poverty are deep in poverty (in other words living below 50% of the poverty line). In real terms this means families are facing impossible choices between heating, food and rent.

You can read Sophia’s blog about the report here.