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Numbers of People in Poverty in Scotland Today
40. There are 880,000 individuals living in relative poverty in Scotland. This represents 18 per cent of the population.
41. Children and working-age adults living in working families form a large proportion (38 per cent) of the poorest in Scotland, even though the risk of poverty is far higher for those in workless families (35 per cent of people in workless families are poor compared to 10 per cent of people in working families.)
Chart: Number of children, working age adults and pensioners in the lowest 3 deciles, in poverty and in severe poverty in Scotland 2005/06
| In Lowest 3 Deciles | In Poverty | In Severe Poverty |
|---|
Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent |
|---|
Children | in working households | 220,000 | 26% | 110,000 | 13% | 30,000 | 4% |
|---|
in workless households | 130,000 | 83% | 100,000 | 64% | 20,000 | 10% |
|---|
Working-age adults | in working households | 400,000 | 16% | 210,000 | 8% | 70,000 | 3% |
|---|
in workless households | 360,000 | 62% | 260,000 | 46% | 100,000 | 17% |
|---|
Pensioners | 390,000 | 42% | 190,000 | 20% | 30,000 | 3% |
|---|
All individuals | 1,500,000 | 30% | 880,000 | 18% | 240,000 | 5% |
|---|
Source: Family Resources Survey, Households Below Average Income Dataset 2005/06
Poverty is defined as having an equivalised net income of less than 60% of the UK median, before housing costs.
Severe poverty is defined as having an equivalised net income of less than 40% of the UK median, before housing costs.
Percentages are per group, e.g. 13% of children in working households are living in poverty.
42. Further statistical information and recent trends can be found at Annex A, which provides an overview of the evidence base.
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