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.
Treatment of Cost of Living Support Schemes in FYE 2023 HBAI release
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 are included in the HBAI estimates of household income and further details can be found in the HBAI Quality and Methodology Information Report.
DWP have published separate analysis illustrating the impact of Cost of Living support on HBAI low income estimates for FYE 2023.
Below Average Resources
DWP are developing a new poverty measure named ‘Below Average Resources’ (BAR) based on the approach proposed by the Social Metrics Commission (SMC). The BAR approach provides a more expansive view of available resources (both savings and inescapable costs) than the income measurement adopted under HBAI, and includes some methodological changes proposed by the SMC.
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 2023 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 and estimates by educational attainment of the individual are not currently available for FYE 2023.
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
Access the underlying data used to produce the statistics through the UK data archive.
Read a guide to sources of data on earnings and income published by the Office for National Statistics.
Previous releases
Find archived HBAI reports on the National Archives website.
Last updated 21 March 2024 + show all updates
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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 2023 to the collection.
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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.
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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'.
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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.
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Added information about the next release of HBAI statistics, due to be published on 23 March 2023.
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Added a link to the latest release of HBAI statistics: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2021.
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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.
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Added a note about the information in the next release of HBAI statistics, this will be published on 31 March 2022.
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Added information about the 2022 review of the material deprivation questions in the Family Resources Survey (FRS).
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Added a link to the latest release of these statistics: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2020.
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Added a note about the information in the next release of HBAI statistics, this will be published on 25 March 2021.
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Added a link to 'Households below average income: 1994/95 to 2018/19'.
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Added a link to a statistical notice about the development of a new measure of poverty.
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Revised information about Stat-Xplore, including a link to an updated version of the user guide to HBAI data on Stat-Xplore.
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Added a link to 'Households below average income: 1994/95 to 2017/18'.
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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.
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Added 'Households below average income: 1994/1995 to 2016/2017'.
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Published Households below average income: 1994/1995 to 2015/2016.
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Published a statistical notice about a change in methodology for the HBAI report, to take effect for the 2015/16 publication.
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Published Households below average income: 1994/1995 to 2014/2015.
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Added link to background information about a new statistics publication 'Income dynamics' due to be published in February/March 2017.
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Published Households below average income: 1994/1995 to 2013/2014.
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Published Households below average income (HBAI) stats for 1994/95 to 2012/13.
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Added "Re-grossed Households below average income (HBAI) estimates 2002/03 to 2011/12"
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Published next release date for these statistics (1 July 2014).
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Published new statistical note confirming changes to the 2012/13 HBAI report, provisionally scheduled for publication in June 2014.
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Link added to statistical notice about proposed changes to future publications
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First published.