Almost three-quarters of Pakistani and Bangladeshi children in the UK are being brought up in families that are living on poverty-level income, new research suggests.
The Millennium Cohort Study, which is tracking children born between 2000 and 2002, has found that 73 per cent of the Pakistani and Bangladeshi seven-year olds were in families estimated to be living on less than 60 per cent of the average national household income.
Just over half of the black children (51%) in the Millennium cohort were in such low-income families, compared with one in four white (26%) and Indian (25%) children. Predictably, low income was strongly linked to joblessness among parents, say researchers at the Institute of Education, University of London, who collected information from almost 14,000 families in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2008/9.
Among fathers, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis had the highest unemployment rate (15%) well above the UK average of 6 per cent. Unemployment among black fathers was also high (11%) but Indians were less likely to be unemployed (4%) than whites (5.5%).
Almost two-thirds (64%) of white and Indian mothers had jobs, compared with half (52%) of black mothers and only 17 per cent of Pakistani and Bangladeshi mothers.
Three in four Pakistani and Bangladeshi children in UK living in poverty at age 7 - Institute of Education, University of London
The Millennium Cohort Study, which is tracking children born between 2000 and 2002, has found that 73 per cent of the Pakistani and Bangladeshi seven-year olds were in families estimated to be living on less than 60 per cent of the average national household income.
Just over half of the black children (51%) in the Millennium cohort were in such low-income families, compared with one in four white (26%) and Indian (25%) children. Predictably, low income was strongly linked to joblessness among parents, say researchers at the Institute of Education, University of London, who collected information from almost 14,000 families in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2008/9.
Among fathers, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis had the highest unemployment rate (15%) well above the UK average of 6 per cent. Unemployment among black fathers was also high (11%) but Indians were less likely to be unemployed (4%) than whites (5.5%).
Almost two-thirds (64%) of white and Indian mothers had jobs, compared with half (52%) of black mothers and only 17 per cent of Pakistani and Bangladeshi mothers.
Three in four Pakistani and Bangladeshi children in UK living in poverty at age 7 - Institute of Education, University of London
