Figures reveal child poverty rising in Cheshire and Merseyside

CHAMPs Public Health Collaborative (CHAMPs) has released new figures which show child and family poverty remains a significant and urgent challenge across Cheshire and Merseyside.

The latest data, published in July 2025, reveals that over 111,000 children and young people aged 0 to 16 are living in relative low income families – an increase from the previous year. Alarmingly, almost two-thirds (64%) of these children are in households where at least one adult is in work, underlining the reality of in-work poverty.

The report also highlights:

• 24.82% of children in the sub-region live in poverty, with 14.7% in absolute poverty.

• The percentage of children living in poverty varies widely between local areas, from 14.7% to 32.3%.

• There is an 11-year gap in Healthy Life Expectancy between the most and least deprived communities, closely linked to child poverty rates.

CHAMPs says this shows a need for a coordinated, system-wide action to tackle child and family poverty, drawing on local partnerships, targeted investment, and a focus on the wider social determinants of health.

These findings build on the CHAMPS led Rapid Situational Analysis of Child and Family Poverty in Cheshire and Merseyside (August 2024), which the sector in Cheshire and Warrington was involved in developing through our transformation programme, alongside other partners. That earlier report set out strategic recommendations for tackling child poverty, and the latest data shows the challenge has only intensified.

The full dataset and analysis are available via the C&M Child and Family Poverty Data Library and the All Together Fairer learning hub, which offer resources, tools and policy insights to help partners take effective action.