Low-income gap

Part A - Short definition:

The low-income gap measures how many dollars are required to bring a low-income unit up to the low-income line.

Part B - Detailed definition:

The low-income gap measures by how many dollars an income falls below a low-income line. The variable is zero for income at or above the line. The maximum value for this field is the applicable low-income line.

The low-income gap ratio is an alternate measure that expresses the low-income gap as a fraction of the low-income line. This statistic is zero if the income is at or above the line and is one if the income is zero or negative.

Reported in:

2011

Reported for:

Population in private households and, depending on the definition used, economic families and persons not in economic families aged 15 years and over in private households or, private households.

Question number(s):

Not applicable

Responses:

Not applicable

Remarks:

The gap and gap ratio are calculated for each of the six low-income lines available on the NHS. These variables are appropriate for distributions and some statistics.

See also Income status and related low-income line definitions.