Poverty

Poverty (where a person’s resources are insufficient to meet their basic living needs) is a risk to health. And the extent of time a person lives in poverty matters – persistent poverty is more strongly associated with worse health than shorter exposures to poverty

Poverty is where a person’s resources are insufficient to meet their basic living needs. The cost of living crisis poses a threat to people’s health because of the pressure it is creating on household budgets. Poverty – and child poverty in particular – was highlighted as a risk to health in The Marmot Review 10 Years On. Being unable to meet their needs puts people under additional stresses, including being unable to participate fully in society. Poverty may mean people lack access to basic goods or services in ways that can damage health, such as being unable to consistently heat their home or experiencing food insecurity.

Persistent poverty is associated with worse outcomes still. Both the length of time someone is in poverty and the number of episodes of poverty they experience are associated with worse health.

These charts explore the relationship between poverty and health, as well as trends and inequalities in poverty.