Public Health Wales survey reveals scale of child poverty across Wales
Nearly one in three children in Wales were living in poverty in 2023-24, according to Department for Work and Pensions figures cited in research published by Public Health Wales.
Around one in ten children were experiencing deep material deprivation, meaning they lacked basic necessities rather than simply falling below an income threshold.
The figures come from a Time to Talk Public Health survey carried out by Public Health Wales, which also asked people across Wales what they thought should be done.
Housing affordability and quality was rated the most effective action, with 75 per cent of those surveyed saying it would be very effective.
Improving access to secure jobs came second, at 73 per cent, followed by making childcare more affordable and accessible and government action to reduce gas and electricity costs, both at 70 per cent.
The survey found that most people in Wales already understand the damage poverty does to children.
Around 78 per cent said living in poverty was very harmful to a child’s ability to eat healthy food, and 77 per cent said the same about a child’s ability to live in a warm, safe home.
Two thirds said it was very harmful to a child’s physical health, and 67 per cent said the same for mental health.
Seven in ten people said they thought child poverty was a big problem in Wales, though fewer, 42 per cent, said they considered it a big problem in their local area.
The survey also found gaps in awareness of which families are most at risk.
A third or more of respondents did not know that families with three or more children, families where the mother is under 25, families from an ethnic minority background, or families with a child under one year old are among those more likely to experience poverty.
Deb Austin, Senior Policy Officer at Public Health Wales, said: “It’s clear that people in Wales see child poverty as an important issue that needs addressing, and that it is about more than income alone, it affects children’s health, development and well-being from the very start.
“To make progress, we need to work together across services and sectors to support families in a joined-up, preventative way.
“This includes the introduction of the Cynnal child payment pilot which aims to increase the money going into low-income families, and planned expansion of access to affordable, high-quality childcare so parents and carers can work.
“Alongside this, secure, good quality and affordable housing, good work and lowering the costs of essentials all play vital roles in reducing child poverty and its health harms.
“Giving every child the best start in life will help build a healthier, fairer Wales.”
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