For a person to be in relative income poverty it means they are living in a household where the total household income from all sources is less than 60 per cent of the average UK household income (as given by the median).

1. Relative income poverty
Housing tenure, economic status
and type of employment
Financial year ending 2018

2. Housing tenure

3. People in social rented housing were more likely
to be in relative income poverty (after housing costs)
• 51 per cent of those living in social rented housing in Wales were in
relative income poverty between 2015-16 and 2017-18 (an average over
three financial years), after their housing costs such as mortgage interest
payments/rent and water rates were paid.
• This means they were living in a household where the total household
income was less than 60 per cent of the average UK household income (as
given by the median).
• In comparison, 43 per cent of people in privately rented housing and 13
per cent of people in owner occupied housing were in relative income
poverty after housing costs.

4. Percentage of people in each type of housing tenure in Wales,
who were living in relative income poverty (after housing
costs), 2015-16 to 2017-18
Source: Welsh Government Analysis of HBAI, Family Resources Survey, DWP
51
43
13
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Social Rented Private Rented Owner Occupied

5. • When considering all the people in Wales in relative income poverty
(730,000), around the same proportion of people lived in social rented
housing (37 per cent) and owner occupied housing (36 per cent).
The people in Wales who were living in relative income poverty
(after housing costs), by housing tenure, 2015-16 to 2017-18
Source: Welsh Government Analysis of HBAI, Family Resources Survey, DWP
Thousands
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
2007-08 to
2009-10
2008-09 to
2010-11
2009-10 to
2011-12
2010-11 to
2012-13
2011-12 to
2013-14
2012-13 to
2014-15
2013-14 to
2015-16
2014-15 to
2016-17
2015-16 to
2017-18
Owner Occupied
Social Rented
Private Rented

6. Economic status and
type of employment

7. Most children living in relative income poverty
were living in working households
• In the latest period (2015-16 to 2017-18), 67 per cent of children who were
living in relative income poverty lived in households where at least one
person was in work. This has increased for the last three periods from 60
per cent in the period 2012-13 to 2014-15.

8. The children in Wales who were living in relative income poverty
(after housing costs), by economic status of household,
three-financial-year averages
Source: Welsh Government Analysis of HBAI, Family Resources Survey, DWP
21 23 19 21 24
30 33 31 32
29
31 39
42 37 30 28 33 35
50 46 42 37 40 40 39 36 33
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2007 to
2010
2008 to
2011
2009 to
2012
2010 to
2013
2011 to
2014
2012 to
2015
2013 to
2016
2014 to
2017
2015 to
2018
Workless
households
At least one
adult in work,
but not all
All adults in
work
Percentage

9. • When considering all children in Wales, the likelihood of being in relative
income poverty is much greater, and the gap is increasing for those living in
a workless household compared to living in a working household (where at
least one of the adults was in work).
• 75 per cent of children living in a workless household were in relative
income poverty compared to 23 per cent living in a working household in
2015-16 to 2017-18.
• Within working households, there is also a marked difference between the
likelihood of poverty for children in households where all adults work (15 per
cent) compared to households where some (but not all) adults work (41 per
cent), in 2015-16 to 2017-18
Three quarters of children in workless households were
living in relative income poverty

10. For working-age adults, living with people who work
reduces the likelihood of living in relative income
poverty
• Between 2015-16 and 2017-18, working-age adults who lived in households
where no-one worked were over 6 times more likely to live in relative
income poverty than those who lived in households where everyone
worked full-time.
• However there were still an estimated 50,000 working-age adults in
relative income poverty despite living in households where everyone
worked full-time.
• Living in a household where there is a second earner reduces the likelihood of
being in relative income poverty whether that earner works part time or full time.
• In households where at least one working-age adult works full time, the likelihood
of being in relative income poverty is similar for households where the second
earner is full time (8 per cent ) compared to those where the second earner is part
time (9 per cent).

11. Percentage of working-age adults in each household employment
type in Wales, who were living in relative income poverty (after
housing costs), 2015-16 to 2017-18
Source: Welsh Government Analysis of HBAI, Family Resources Survey, DWP
Percentage
89
29
30
33
52
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
All full timeCouple - one full
time, one part time
Couple - one full
time, one not
working
One or more self
employed
No full time, one or
more part time
All workless