Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2023
Source: gov.uk (2025-03-27)

Statistics on the number and percentage of people living in low income households for the financial years ending 1995 to 2023.

Cite this statistical release

Add the following citation to any analysis shared or published:

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), released 21 March 2024, GOV.UK website, statistical release, Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2023 (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-for-financial-years-ending-1995-to-2023).

This Households Below Average Income (HBAI) report presents information on living standards in the United Kingdom year on year from financial year ending (FYE) 1995 to FYE 2023.

It provides estimates on the number and percentage of people living in low-income households based on their household disposable income. Figures are also provided for children, pensioners, working-age adults and individuals living in a family where someone is disabled.

Use our infographic to find out how low income is measured in HBAI (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-low-income-is-measured).

The statistics in this report come from the Family Resources Survey (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/family-resources-survey--2), a representative survey of 25 thousand households in the UK in FYE 2023.

Correction to cost of living support schemes for 2022 to 2023

In the 2022 to 2023 HBAI release, one element of the low-income benefits and tax credits Cost of Living Payment was not included, which impacted on the Family Resources based publications and therefore HBAI income estimates for this year.

Revised 2022 to 2023 data has been included in the time series and trend tables in the 2023 to 2024 HBAI release (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-for-financial-years-ending-1995-to-2024/technical-report-update-to-measures-using-material-deprivation-for-households-below-average-income-fye-2024). Stat-Xplore and the underlying dataset has also been updated to reflect the revised 2022 to 2023 data. Please use the data tables in the 2023 to 2024 HBAI release to ensure you have the revised data for 2022 to 2023.

Data tables

Summary data tables are available on this page, with more detailed analysis available to download as a Zip file.

The directory of tables is a guide to the information in the data tables Zip file.

HBAI data on Stat-Xplore

HBAI data is available from FYE 1995 to FYE 2023 on the Stat-Xplore online tool (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml). You can use Stat-Xplore to create your own HBAI analysis. Please note that data for FYE 2021 is not available on Stat-Xplore.

HBAI information is available at an individual level, and uses the net, weekly income of their household. Breakdowns allow analysis of individual, family (benefit unit) and household characteristics of the individual.

Read the user guide to HBAI data on Stat-Xplore (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/households-below-average-income-statistics-on-stat-xplore-user-guide).

We are seeking feedback from users on the HBAI data in Stat-Xplore: email xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) with your comments.