For the first time in at least 20 years, the number of children living in poverty in the United Kingdom has reached a critical level due to the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Official data released by the Ministry of Labour reveals that 4.3 million children are living in low-income households. This surpasses the previous record set in 2020 when 4.28 million children lived in households with an income below 60% of the median. In 2023, this income threshold was 545 pounds (approximately 635 euros) per week.

Overall, 21% of the UK population, or 14.3 million people, are in poverty. This percentage represents a one-point decrease compared to the previous year.

Between 2022 and 2023, the country experienced unprecedented inflation levels, exceeding 10%, primarily due to the rise in energy and food prices, largely as a result of the war in Ukraine. Despite state benefits provided to support households (an average of 3,800 pounds or 4,430 euros per household), the crisis severely impacted British citizens.

"These numbers indicate that the government failed to protect the most vulnerable," emphasized Peter Matejic, an analyst at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, an organization fighting against poverty in the UK.

The government believes that with the recent decline in inflation, which fell to 3.4% in February, the pressure on families has now eased.