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Roughly half a million fewer children were in poverty in the UK in 2008-09 than was the case in 1998-99, .

The most recent figures calculate that 2.8 million children were living in poverty in the UK in 2008-09.

The headline measure for child poverty is the number of children living in households receiving 60% less than the median, or middle, household income before housing costs.

In England, the highest child poverty rates can be found in urban areas. Eight of the top 10 worst affected council areas are found in London, and there are no rural councils in the top 20 list, in the table below.

The coalition government has pledged to end child poverty by 2020.

To produce a more up to date snapshot of child poverty than is available from official figures, the campaign group End Child Poverty classified children as being in poverty either if they live in households which are receiving benefits for being out of work, or if they are receiving in-work tax credits but their income is less than 60% of the median.

It is this methodology that has been used to produce the

Figures for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be available later in 2011.