UK Poverty: The 2026 Picture

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s UK Poverty 2026 report shows that poverty remains a persistent feature of life for millions of people across the UK, with little overall change in headline rates but a clear shift towards more severe hardship.

In 2023/24, around one in five people in the UK were living in poverty, a proportion that has remained broadly unchanged for almost two decades. This stability, however, masks a significant change in the nature of poverty itself. The report finds that many people are now living much further below the poverty line than in the past, with almost half of those in poverty experiencing very deep poverty.

Children continue to be disproportionately affected. Nearly a third of all children were living in poverty, with much higher rates among those in lone-parent families and larger households. Poverty was also more common among disabled people, unpaid carers, renters, people from some ethnic minority backgrounds, and households where work is insecure or part-time.

The report highlights that work does not guarantee protection from poverty. A majority of working-age adults in poverty lived in households where at least one person was employed, reflecting ongoing levels of in-work poverty, particularly in lower-paid sectors.

Housing costs play a major role in shaping poverty outcomes. Many households are pushed into poverty only once rent or mortgage costs are taken into account, with particularly high poverty rates among private and social renters. Poverty levels also vary by place, with higher rates in London and parts of the Midlands and North of England, while rates are lower on average in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Alongside income measures, the report documents rising hardship. Increasing numbers of people are struggling to afford essentials such as food, heating and household bills. Recent data cited in the report shows substantial growth in food insecurity and continued high levels of destitution.

Overall, UK Poverty 2026 concludes that while the proportion of people in poverty has not changed significantly, the depth and intensity of poverty have increased, leaving more people further from a standard of living that meets basic needs.

Read the full report here