Collection

Households below average income (HBAI) statistics

Statistics on the number and percentage of people living in low-income households in the UK.

These publications provide statistics and commentary on living standards in UK households, as determined by disposable income. They include the number and percentage of people living in low-income households, and changes in income patterns over time.

Find future households below average income (HBAI) statistics release dates in our statistics release calendar.

There is more about DWP statistics on the Statistics at DWP page.

Email team.hbai@dwp.gov.uk with any questions or feedback.

Changes to the next release of HBAI statistics

The next release of HBAI statistics will be published on 21 March 2024.

Level of Educational Attainment

Development work to improve reporting on categories of level of education has identified a separate issue with the FRS variable EDUCQUAL. This variable is used to present estimates of low income for working age adults split by level of educational attainment.  These estimates will not be available on 21 March 2024, affecting the following tables: 5_3db_BHC, 5_3db_AHC, 5_6db, and 5_9db. This breakdown will also be removed from Stat Xplore. We will provide an update on restoring the estimates when validation checks are complete.

Cost of Living Support Schemes

During the financial year 2022 to 2023 the government announced and implemented additional support for families with several cost of living support schemes, depending on people’s circumstances. These payments will be included in the HBAI estimates of household income.

Below Average Resources

DWP are developing a new additional poverty measure. The first Official Statistics in Development publication in the series was published on 18 January 2024. We encourage all potential users of these statistics to respond to the accompanying analytical consultation, which closes on 11 April 2024.

HBAI data on Stat-Xplore

HBAI data is available from financial year ending (FYE) 1995 to FYE 2022 on the Stat-Xplore online tool. You can use Stat-Xplore to create your own HBAI analysis. Please note that data for FYE 2021 is not available on Stat Xplore.

HBAI information is available at an individual level, and uses the net, weekly income of their household. Breakdowns allow analysis of individual, family (benefit unit) and household characteristics of the individual.

Read the user guide to HBAI data on Stat-Xplore.

We are seeking feedback from users on the HBAI data in Stat-Xplore – email team.hbai@dwp.gov.uk with your comments.

Latest release

Background information and guidance

Previous releases

Find archived HBAI reports on the National Archives website.

Published 14 June 2013
Last updated 22 February 2024 + show all updates
  1. Added information to the page about changes to the next release of the Households Below Average Income statistics. The next release will be published on 21 March 2024.

  2. Amended link to 'Read a guide to sources of data on earnings and income published by the Office for National Statistics', under heading 'Background information and guidance'.

  3. Removed content relating to the changes to the next release of Households Below Average Income and added Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2022 to the collection.

  4. Added information about the next release of HBAI statistics, due to be published on 23 March 2023.

  5. Added a link to the latest release of HBAI statistics: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2021.

  6. Added a note about the next release of HBAI statistics (due to be published on 31 March). Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the range of statistics we publish, this year’s statistical release will be more limited than in previous years.

  7. Added a note about the information in the next release of HBAI statistics, this will be published on 31 March 2022.

  8. Added information about the 2022 review of the material deprivation questions in the Family Resources Survey (FRS).

  9. Added a link to the latest release of these statistics: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2020.

  10. Added a note about the information in the next release of HBAI statistics, this will be published on 25 March 2021.

  11. Added a link to 'Households below average income: 1994/95 to 2018/19'.

  12. Added a link to a statistical notice about the development of a new measure of poverty.

  13. Revised information about Stat-Xplore, including a link to an updated version of the user guide to HBAI data on Stat-Xplore.

  14. Added a link to 'Households below average income: 1994/95 to 2017/18'.

  15. Added information that HBAI data is now available on Stat-Xplore - an online tool that lets you create customised tabulations and view results in interactive charts.

  16. Added 'Households below average income: 1994/1995 to 2016/2017'.

  17. Published Households below average income: 1994/1995 to 2015/2016.

  18. Published a statistical notice about a change in methodology for the HBAI report, to take effect for the 2015/16 publication.

  19. Published Households below average income: 1994/1995 to 2014/2015.

  20. Added link to background information about a new statistics publication 'Income dynamics' due to be published in February/March 2017.

  21. Published Households below average income: 1994/1995 to 2013/2014.

  22. Published Households below average income (HBAI) stats for 1994/95 to 2012/13.

  23. Added "Re-grossed Households below average income (HBAI) estimates 2002/03 to 2011/12"

  24. Published next release date for these statistics (1 July 2014).

  25. Published new statistical note confirming changes to the 2012/13 HBAI report, provisionally scheduled for publication in June 2014.

  26. Link added to statistical notice about proposed changes to future publications

  27. First published.