Analysis and action on living standards
Household incomes and consumption patterns provide a lens on day-to-day living standards. We explore these measures here, with a specific focus on how changes to the tax and benefit system are affecting them, and the experience of poverty for different generations over the life course.
Relative poverty rates measure the proportion of people living in households with incomes (our focus here is after-housing-costs incomes) below 60 per cent of the median income in each year. This is the most appropriate metric for considering poverty experiences over long periods of time, as a growing economy means we would expect declines in ‘absolute’ poverty. The data in this section tracks poverty rates over time and over the life course, comparing different cohorts at the same age.
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Financial years after 1993 (so 1994 refers to 1994-95). Data for 1992 and 1993 have been interpolated. Northern Ireland data is missing prior to 2002. People are in relative poverty if they live in households with equivalised incomes below 60 per cent of the median in each year.
RF analysis of IFS, Households Below Average Income (1961-91); DWP, Family Resources Survey (1994-latest)
Data for 1992 and 1993 have been interpolated. Northern Ireland data is missing prior to 2002. People are in relative poverty if they live in households with equivalised incomes below 60 per cent of the median in each year.
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