Poverty+In+The+UK+G16

The United Kingdom is a developed country and, as such, the population suffers the severe privations of those in the developing world to a far, far lesser extent and arguably - due to the significantly more advanced social infrastructure (health services, welfare and so on) - hardly at all. As such, discussions surrounding poverty in the United Kingdom tend to be of relative poverty rather than absolute poverty.


 * Absolute poverty** is defined as the lack of sufficient resources with which to keep body and soul together.
 * Relative poverty** defines income or resources in relation to the average. It is concerned with the absence of the material needs to participate fully in accepted daily life.

Current/recent figures

 * **17-18%** of the population are found to be in poverty at any one time consistently, from 1994-2004. //Source: [|BBC News]//
 * **21%** of children live in a poverty stricken household before housing costs are taken into account, **28%** after housing costs are included.
 * **3.9 million** number of single people in the UK living below the poverty line in 2005. Many of these people are divorced women. (Poverty among single people is not as high profile as that suffered by families and pensioners). //Source: [|BBC News]//
 * **Nearly 60%** of those in poverty are homeowners. //Source: [|BBC News]//

code Sweden          12.3% Germany         13.1% France          14.1% United Kingdom  21.8% United States   23.8% code