This paper provides an overview of the main trends in child income poverty since the mid-2000s, and explores to what extent child poverty trends are linked to demographic, policy and/or labour market changes. Trends in poverty and the standard of living of children in low-income families since the onset of the Great Recession are also closely examined: nearly 1 in 7 children is income-poor in the OECD, and child poverty increased in almost two/thirds of OECD countries with the Great Recession. About 1 in 10 children across the OECD live in a family with a standard of living below the 2005 poverty line. Children in low-income families experienced a decline in their standard of living in many countries, with the largest decline among families with the smallest incomes.
Child poverty in the OECD
Trends, determinants and policies to tackle it
Working paper
Share
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Abstract
In the same series
-
10 February 202653 Pages
-
Working paper3 December 202568 Pages
-
Working paper
How to get robust comparisons across countries and over time
3 December 202557 Pages -
Working paper
Insights from labour market data
30 June 202571 Pages -
Working paper
Insights and examples from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study in New Zealand
30 June 202554 Pages -
Working paper
Cross‑country evidence on income mobility from tax record data
27 June 202545 Pages -
27 June 202550 Pages
-
Working paper25 June 202590 Pages
Related publications
-
Report
Rationale, empirical approaches and future directions
20 March 2026145 Pages -
Report
Governance, monitoring and data development
23 September 2025213 Pages -
17 September 202511 Pages
-
Policy brief
New estimates and policy challenges
9 June 202512 Pages