inequality
population
Child poverty after housing costs in the West of England area, 2023/24
This data insight explores child poverty after housing costs (AHC), revealing differences in how children experience economic hardship across regions. The AHC measure accounts for housing costs, providing a clearer indication of disposable household income and relative living standards.
The data covers the most recent period (2023/24) alongside trends from 2014/15, and include comparisons across the Greater West of England, its local authorities, constituencies, combined authority areas and the UK to provide a comprehensive regional perspective.
The Greater West of England is a bespoke geography defined here as Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire.
Together, these indicators show that child poverty in the Greater West of England is not evenly distributed, with variations across different geographies.
The analysis draws on data from the End Child Poverty Coalition, based on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Households Below Average Income (HBAI) dataset. Poverty is measured after housing costs, defined as the proportion of children living in households with income below 60% of the contemporary median income. Estimates are derived from administrative tax and benefit records and are presented as percentages of dependent children aged 0-15 (and 16-19 in full-time education).
35.4%
Bristol has the highest child poverty rate in the Greater West of England
14.3 pp
Child poverty rate difference between highest and lowest local authorities in the Greater West of England
29.9%
The UK’s average child poverty rate peaked in 2019/20 and in 2022/23
34.8%
Bristol East’s child poverty rate exceeds the UK average (30.5%)
Child poverty after housing costs by local authority area in the Greater West of England, 2023/24
This visualisation shows the percentage of dependent children (aged 0-19) living below 60% of the contemporary median income after housing costs (AHC) in the UK, Greater West of England and its constituent local authority areas for 2023/24.
The UK average rate is 30.5%, compared with 25.8% in the Greater West of England. This means nationally, 1 in 3 children in the UK fall below the income threshold.
Within the Greater West of England local authority areas, there is a substantial variation. Bristol records the highest rate at 35.4%, exceeding both the UK and regional averages, while Bath and North East Somerset records the lowest at 21.1%.
Wilshire (22.2%), South Gloucestershire (22.4%) and North Somerset (23.1%) all cluster below the regional average, while Swindon (26.8%) is above.
Overall, the chart shows that while the Greater West of England has a lower rate of child poverty than the UK average, inequality within the region is significant, with some local authorities experiencing higher rates than others.
Trends in child poverty after housing costs (AHC) in the Greater West of England, UK
This visualisation shows the trends in child poverty rates after housing costs (AHC) for the Greater West of England compared with the UK, 2014/15-2023/24. It indicates that child poverty rates AHC have broadly remained high and slightly increased over the period, with the UK recording higher rates than the Greater West of England.
The UK trend rises from 27.7% in 2014/15 to 29.7% in 2023/24. In between, the rate fluctuated, including a dip in 2020/21. This shows that a larger proportion of children nationally have been living below the income threshold AHC in recent years.
In the Greater West of England, the rates initially declined from 24.11% in 2014/15 to 22.91 in 2016/17, but then followed an upward trajectory, reaching 25.76% in 2023/24. Although the Greater West of England consistently performs better than the UK average, the increase in recent years indicates growing pressures similar to national trends.
Overall, the chart suggests that child poverty remains a sustained issue across both regions, with an upward trend evident in recent years.
Child poverty within the Greater West of England constituencies AHC (dependent children), 2023/24
This visualisation shows child poverty after housing costs (AHC) across constituencies within the Greater West of England, 2023/24. The UK (30.5%) and Greater West of England averages (25.8%) are given for context.
Although the Greater West of England average is lower than the UK rate by about 4.7%, several constituencies exceed both benchmarks.
Bristol East records the highest rate at approximately 35%, followed by Gloucester and Bristol South at around 33-34%, meaning about 1 in 3 children in each of these regions is living in poverty.
In contrast, North Somerset (15.8%) and Bath (18.2%) have the lowest rates, below the regional and national averages.
The spread between the highest and lowest areas (nearly 20 percentage points; pp) shows that child poverty is not evenly distributed across the region.
Child poverty geographic comparisons AHC (dependent children)
This visualisation shows child poverty rates after housing costs (AHC) across combined authority areas in England, 2023/24. The UK (30.5%) and Greater West of England (25.8%) averages are given for context.
The data indicate that child poverty rates AHC vary substantially across combined authority areas, showing geographic inequality rather than a uniform national pattern.
Several combined authority areas, such as the West Midlands (40.9%), Greater Manchester (38.1%) and Lancashire (35.1%), have high rates, above both the UK and Greater West of England averages.
In contrast, areas such as York and North Yorkshire (23.0%), and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough (23.5%) record lower rates. There is a 17.9 percentage points (pp) gap (40.9% and 23.0%) between the highest and lowest combined authority areas, highlighting marked regional inequality.
