The Northern Ireland Poverty Bulletin 2015/16 is released

A publication entitled “The Northern Ireland Poverty Bulletin 2015/16” was published today by the Department for Communities (DfC).

The Northern Ireland Poverty Bulletin is produced annually by DfC and contains statistics on income and poverty for various population groups.

The bulletin provides analysis on two measures of poverty:

1. Relative Poverty - the proportion of individuals who have incomes below 60% of the UK median.
2. Absolute Poverty - the proportion of individuals who have incomes below 60% of the UK (inflation adjusted) median income in 2010/11.

A more detailed report ‘The Households Below Average Income’, which is due to be published in June/July 2017.

Key findings with regard to Relative Poverty are summarised below:

• In 2015/16 the average (median) income before housing costs in Northern Ireland increased by 4% from £420 in 2014/15 to £436 in 2015/16.
• 17% of individuals were in poverty, approximately 318,000 individuals.  This compares to 22% in 2014/15. This is statistically significant.
• 21% of children were in poverty, approximately 93,000 children.  This compares to 25% in 2014/15.
• 16% of working-age adults were in poverty, approximately 173,000 working-age adults compared to 21% in 2014/15. This is statistically significant.
• 17% of pensioners were in poverty, approximately 52,000 pensioners.  This compares to 20% in 2014/15.

The figures noted above are presented on a Before Housing Costs (BHC) basis. The analysis has also been produced on an After Housing Costs (AHC) basis and is detailed within the bulletin.  Similar analysis is also provided within the bulletin on Absolute Poverty.

Notes to editors: 

1. This is the fifth publication of the Northern Ireland Poverty Bulletin and the data published in this bulletin are for the financial year April 2015 to March 2016. The estimates are used to monitor poverty levels in Northern Ireland. 
2. Figures presented in this bulletin are taken from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) dataset, which is based on the Family Resources Survey (FRS). The FRS has been running in Great Britain since 1992 and was subsequently introduced to Northern Ireland in April 2002.
3. An infographic on how low income is measured in HBAI is available at the .gov website. 
4. Poverty figures quoted in this submission are for relative poverty. 
5. An individual is considered to be in relative poverty if they are living in a household with an income below 60% of UK median income in the year in question. In 2015/16 the threshold was £288 per week (BHC) for a couple with no children (the benchmark for HBAI). Therefore, a couple with no children that have a combined income below £288 per week would be considered to be in relative poverty.
6. All monetary amounts quoted in the key findings are in 2015/16 prices and any changes presented are in real terms, i.e. after adjusting for inflation.
7. Unless specifically stated, annual changes in the numbers and percentages of individuals in poverty presented in the body of this report are not statistically significant. Caution should be exercised when looking at year on year comparisons, with longer term trends often giving a clearer picture.
8. This publication will be available on the DfC website. 
9. All media queries should be directed to the Department for Communities Press Office on 028 9082 3503 or email press.office@communities-ni.gov.uk. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 07623 974 383 and your call will be returned.

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