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Scotland child poverty rates threaten 2030 legal targets
A new report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation indicates that Scotland is unlikely to meet its legal target of reducing relative child poverty to 10% by 2030/31. Data from 2022 to 2025 shows that relative child poverty remains at 21%, and 9 in 10 children in poverty belong to the Scottish Government’s priority family groups.
Regarding the broader population, the report states that 17% of people in Scotland were in poverty during this period, with 11% in deep poverty and 7% in very deep poverty. The Foundation noted a disconnect between government rhetoric and the lived reality of families, suggesting that current plans lack the scale required to achieve significant change.
In Edinburgh, Council Leader Jane Meagher joined campaigners at the End Poverty Edinburgh Annual Conference to call for urgent action. Meagher highlighted that approximately 80,000 residents in the capital are struggling financially and noted that one in five children in Edinburgh lives in relative poverty.
Entities
Edinburgh · Jane Meagher · Joseph Rowntree Foundation · Scottish Government · The Poverty Alliance
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Between 2022 and 2025, 17% of people in Scotland lived in poverty, with 11% in deep poverty and 7% in very deep poverty.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Approximately 80,000 residents in Edinburgh are struggling financially. www.edinburgh.gov.uk
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Scotland is projected to miss its legal target of reducing relative child poverty to 10% by 2030/31.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Relative child poverty in Scotland is at 21%. www.edinburgh.gov.uk