Report shows that the number of people in "extreme poverty" in the UK has reached a 30-year high.

According to a report released on January 27th by Reuters, poverty in the UK is worsening, with around 6.8 million people now living in "extreme poverty," the highest level in 30 years. "Extreme poverty" refers to households whose income, after deducting housing costs, is less than 40% of the median income in the UK. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is dedicated to researching and addressing poverty in the UK. Their report states that while overall poverty rates in the UK have slightly decreased from 24% in the 1994/95 fiscal year to 21% in the 2023/24 fiscal year, the rate of "extreme poverty" has increased from 8% to 10%, accounting for almost half of the current population living in poverty. The report also highlights an increase in child poverty, with 4.5 million children living in poverty, a number that has been continually rising for the past three years.