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The circumstances of persistently poor children

Analysis of Growing Up in Scotland

About this study

This study reports on the characteristics and outcomes of young children living in persistent poverty in Scotland.  

Some important findings are that:

• One in four (24%) of all 3-4 year-olds and one in five (21%) of all 5-6 year-olds are  persistently poor.

You can read more findings like these here, or download a four page pdf document here.

The findings are based on analysis of the first four sweeps of the Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) longitudinal survey.  GUS tracks the lives of cohorts of Scottish children from the early years, through childhood and beyond, with the principal aim of providing information to support policy-making.

Potential policy impact

To tackle child poverty, particularly persistent poverty, policies need to recognise the complexity of disadvantages faced by many workless parents, including low education and skills, disability or complex childcare requirements.

Method

The analysis defined children as income poor if the annual income of their household was below 60% of the median population household income, adjusted for household size and composition. Persistent poverty was defined as having experienced poverty in at least 3 of the past 4 years.

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