1.5 Million Children Living in Severe Poverty in UK

According to Reuters, a report released by Save the Children says that there are families with children living in severe poverty in the United Kingdom. According to the report, about 1.5 million children in the country are now living in severe poverty. Family living in poverty is described as one making average of 7,000 pounds a year (which is about 13,960 US dollars).

The report comes just a week before Gordon Brown, who has raised the issue of poverty in the UK and has said that his government will implement policies to help children living in poverty, takes the office of the Prime Minister.

The United Kingdom is 4^th richest country in the world, so this report comes as a shock to many.

Titled Severe Poverty in the UK, the report says that: London, the nation's capital, has the highest level of poverty.

Poverty In UK

According to the Poverty Site UK which provides statistics and report on poverty in the country, in the year 2005/06 approximately 13 million people in the country were living in a family where the earnings was less than the standard low income threshold.

Looking at ethnicity and poverty, it is reported that one third of employment age Bangladeshi and Black Africans are unemployed. Another starting fact is that "Around two-fifths of Bangladeshis and Pakistanis are not in paid work and say that they do not want paid work, a much higher proportion than that for any other ethnic group. Most Bangladeshi and Pakistani women are not in paid work"

UK Economy

UK's economy is fairly diversified with 74% of the labor force employed in service industry, 24% in industry and manufacturing and 1% in agriculture. Major industries include agriculture, manufacturing, mining, service and construction.

In 2006 unemployment rate was 5%, compared to 4.8% in the US Inflation stands at 2.3% and poverty rate (2002) is 17%.

Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown will be succeeding Tony Blair as Prim Minister of the UK on or after June 27, 2007.He is currently working as the Chancellor of the Exchequer (a position similar to Secretary of Treasury).