MORE than one in three children in Newport are living in poverty, new figures have found - making it the most impoverished local authority area in Wales.

Data analysis from child poverty charity coalition End Child Poverty has shown 34 per cent of children in Wales were living in poverty during the 2020/2021 financial year - up from 31 per cent before the Covid-19 pandemic.

And the figure in Newport was even more stark, with an estimated 36.3 per cent of children in poverty - more than anywhere else in Wales. In the UK only London and the North East of England have higher rates.

The study uses the UK Government's official measure of 'low income', which is when a household's total income before housing costs is less than 60 per cent of the UK's median income.

In Gwent, only Monmouthshire had a level of child poverty lower than the national average, at 27 per cent - the lowest in Wales. This is, however, up from 23.4 per cent in 2019/2020.

Child poverty levels in Blaenau Gwent (35.5), Caerphilly (34.7) and Torfaen (34.4) were all also higher than the Welsh average, and up from the year before.

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The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health officer for Wales, Dr David Tuthill, said: "Child poverty rates in Wales have grown at a pace far greater than the rest of the UK.

"This has disastrous implications for young people, their families and their futures across Wales.

"The Welsh Government must ensure that this is the highest peak, and child poverty rates go steadily down from here.

"We need to see a revised strategy to reduce child poverty.

"An updated strategy should provide national targets to reduce child poverty rates, with clear accountability across government and set specific targets and actions to reduce child health inequalities.

"We want to ensure the best possible future for children in Wales, free from a life adversely affected by poverty."