The latest data on London borough-level poverty (2024)

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The latest data on London borough-level poverty? ›

London has one of the highest poverty rates in the country - with one in four Londoners living in poverty. Although poverty varies across the city, a majority of boroughs also have higher levels of poverty than England as a whole. In total, 19 out of 33 have higher levels of poverty than the England average.

Research by Loughborough University using a different methodology to us has produced statistics for 2020/21 and finds, after accounting for housing costs, over half of children (51%) are in poverty in Tower Hamlets – the highest of the boroughs.

A quarter (24%) of Londoners live in households that are in poverty (after housing costs - AHC), meaning that 2.2 million Londoners lived in poverty in 2022/23. The poverty rate (AHC) in London is 3 percentage points higher than in the rest of England.

The East End has always contained some of London's poorest areas. The main reasons for this include: The medieval system of copyhold, which prevailed throughout the Manor of Stepney into the 19th century. There was little point in developing land that was held on short leases.

In 2010, Jaywick was assessed as the most deprived area in England. In September 2015, it was again named as the most deprived, according to the indices of deprivation based on several factors including: poverty, crime, education and skill levels, unemployment and housing, after being assessed in 2012–13.

Kensington. It is the richest borough in London, a Royal part of Kensington and Chelsea. The area is home to royalties and residents who are lease downers to the royal family.

The inequality in the US is higher than that in the UK, which offsets the contribution of the higher income and renders the higher poverty level in the US as the dominant factor.

In London, the 20% highest paid earn at least 2.5x more per hour than the 20% lowest paid. In England, the figure is 1.72. Since before the pandemic, wage inequality has decreased in every borough where data are available, except Wandsworth. Every borough has a higher level of pay inequality than the England average.

Although poverty varies across the city, a majority of boroughs also have higher levels of poverty than England as a whole. In total, 19 out of 33 have higher levels of poverty than the England average. Only four have lower – Bromley, Havering, Merton and Richmond.

Covering much of London's traditional East End, Tower Hamlets is known for its rich diversity, international cuisine, and melding of cultures. However, as one of the most deprived areas of the capital, it experiences a crime rate that is all too often associated with poverty – 128.9 crimes per 1000 residents.

What is the poor part of London called? ›

The East End has long been known for its immigrant populations and its poverty, and in 1888 it gained notoriety for the Whitechapel Murders attributed to Jack the Ripper.

The report found the worst London boroughs for racial inequality were Lambeth, Haringey, Tower Hamlets, Brent and Hammersmith & Fulham. The boroughs with the least inequality between BME and White citizens were Barking & Dagenham, Sutton, Newham, Havering and Greenwich.

Kensington and Chelsea is still the capital's most expensive borough for home hunters. Despite annual growth of just 3.6 per cent, the average cost of buying a home in the district is 1.37 million, according to the latest Land Registry figures.

Bronx has highest poverty rate in NY; rate across state higher than national average.

The table below lists the 10 local authorities in London with the highest proportion of overcrowded households. Newham has the highest proportion of overcrowding (25.33%), followed by Tower Hamlets (22.68%) and Brent (22.57%).

Poverty risk also varies across UK nations and regions, with the highest rates in the West Midlands, inner London and North West England, and considerably lower rates in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Eastern England.

Bethnal Green. Earning a mention in George Sims's book How The Poor Live and Horrible London, Bethnal Green was the poorest area of London in Victorian times and a known rookery. Old Nichol Street was particularly squalid, with the lowest class housing consisting of tenements with walls running with damp.