Key facts
- Scotland is projected to miss its child poverty reduction targets by a wide margin.
- The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) report indicates 21% of children in Scotland live in poverty.
- The Scottish government's legally binding target is to reduce relative child poverty to below 10% by 2030/31.
- JRF urges the government to implement a bolder, better-funded plan and reform local government funding.
- A survey found 67% of Scots believe their local council is underfunded.
Scotland is on track to miss its legally binding targets for reducing child poverty by a significant margin, according to a new report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). The charity's "Poverty in Scotland 2026" report found that 21% of children in Scotland remain in poverty, a figure that contradicts First Minister John Swinney's stated mission to "eradicate" it.
The JRF warned that without "radical change," Scotland will fail to meet its 2030/31 target of reducing relative child poverty to below 10%. The charity criticized the Scottish Government's plan to review the targets, suggesting it risks delaying action and lowering ambitions. Instead, JRF called for new, more ambitious targets and a "much bolder and properly funded plan" to address poverty, focusing on housing, work, and social security.
A commissioned survey of 3,381 adults in Scotland revealed that nearly two-thirds (67%) believe their local councils are too underfunded to provide necessary services, and 49% think councils are highly responsible for poverty reduction. The report also noted that while people are dissatisfied with council funding and services, trust remains high for individuals working within these services, such as teachers and nursery staff. JRF's associate director for Scotland, Chris Birt, emphasized the need for actions to match rhetoric and for reforms to benefit families in poverty, not just to save money.