children below the relative poverty line in japan latvia bulgaria denmark spain and romania are seen to be at average income levels that are below the poverty line by or more figure also throws up some surprises sweden and denmark are rightly proud of their traditionally low rates of child poverty but both find themselves in the bottom half of the league table when judged by the depth of relative poverty into which poor children are allowed to fall the relative poverty gap for children is greater in denmark than in sweden greater in sweden than in the united kingdom greater in the united kingdom than in france and greater in france than in finland