  Defining Child Poverty The data in this report relate to the number and proportion of children (aged 0-15 years old) living in low income families before housing costs (bhc) by local area across the United Kingdom. Children living in poverty relates to the income of the household in which they live. Children in Relative PovertyThe first chart shows the proportion of children in relative poverty in the North East LEP area compared to England excluding London. In 2015, the North East LEP and England excluding London had a similar proportion of children in poverty at 17.0% and 15.5% respectively. This proportion increased, and the gap to England excluding London widened year on year to 2021 when 28.8% of children in North East LEP and 18.9% in England excluding London were living in relative poverty. There was then a notable reduction in the proportion of children in relative poverty in North East LEP, whereas there was an increase in England excluding London. This led to a narrowing in the gap between the two areas to less than 5pp; in 2022 in North East LEP, 24.9% of children lived in relative poverty and 20.6% of children across England excl. London were in relative poverty. In North East LEP, this relates to more than 84,000 children living in relative poverty. The short-term changes give above could relate to impacts resulting from Covid. Across the North East LEP area in 2022 there was significant variation in the levels of relative child poverty. North Tyneside had the lowest levels of child poverty at 19.9% and Newcastle had the highest at 28.8%. Examining children in relative poverty across comparator LEPs shows an upwards trend. In 2022, Greater Birmingham and Solihull had the highest levels of children in relative poverty at 30.7%; the lowest was the West of England with 15.9%. North East LEP was in the middle with a proportion of 24.9%. Children in Absolute PovertyThe proportion of children in absolute poverty in North East LEP, and England excl. London is given in the first chart. North East LEP, has had higher proportional levels of absolute child poverty across 2015 to 2022. In 2015 in the North East LEP, area 18.3% of children were in poverty. This was 2.7pp higher than England excl. London. This gap increased to a maximum of 10.9pp in 2021 but dramatically reduced in 2022 to 4.6%. In 2022, 20.5% of children in North East LEP, lived in absolute poverty. This equates to c.69,000 children living in absolute poverty in North East LEP, in 2022. As was highlighted the relative poverty statistics given above, this could relate to impacts resulting from Covid. Newcastle Upon Tyne had the highest levels of children in absolute poverty in 2022 at 24.1%; the lowest was North Tyneside at 16.4%. The North East LEP average was 20.5%, 4.6pp higher than England excl. London. The proportion of children in absolute poverty remained stable across comparator LEP areas between 2015 to 2022. There was significant variation in 2021; Tees Valley and North East LEP, had substantial increases in absolute child poverty which then fell in 2022. Reverse trends occurred in D2N2 and West of England which had drops in absolute child poverty in 2021 and increases in 2022. |
