More than 800,000 children are now living below the poverty line across Australia, the highest number in more than two decades, alarming new research shows
The crisis has deepened over the past decade, with one in five Australian children now experiencing poverty compared to one in seven ten years ago.
Between 2021 and 2022 alone, a further 102,000 children were living in poverty due to rising living costs and stagnant household incomes.
‘Child poverty now at breaking point’
The researchers from Barnardos Australia say the data shows that urgent action to address child poverty in Australia is needed.
“Child poverty in Australia is now at breaking point,” Barnardos Australia Centre Manager Grace Hong said. “This is a crisis that’s completely preventable.”
Hong said families are being forced to skip meals and children are bearing the brunt of the impact.
“This can look like skipping meals, missing school, and social activities that are critical foundations of their childhood. We are talking about robbing children of so much, including their joy.”
System failing single mothers and their children
Almost half (44%) of children in single-parent households are living in poverty, which is more than three times the rate of children in two-parent families (13%).
Housing affordability is also a major driver of child poverty, with the analysis revealing lower-income families have seen rent increases of 17.8% in the two years to 2022, which is well above the 11.2% average for all households.
“The system is failing single mothers and their children, and we cannot accept that in Australia” Hong said.
“When 94 per cent of Parenting Payment recipients are women and they’re forced onto lower payments when their youngest child turns eight, it’s clear that poor policy design is just fuelling the crisis.”
Barnardos Australia has recommended a number of reforms to address the crisis, including adequate income support for families (particularly single parents), adequate crisis accommodation for families escaping domestic violence, and affordable housing solutions and rental assistance.
The organisation is also calling for accessible, affordable childcare enabling parents to work, and tailored services addressing the complex needs of families in crisis.
“Every child in Australia deserves to thrive and enjoy their childhood,” Hong said. “Through early intervention and a real coordinated national response, such as changes to income support payments, families will be empowered to break the cycle of disadvantage.”
Hong said child poverty is not inevitable.
“We know what works and we need to see actual change from our governments.”