The UK's performance on poverty and deprivation ranks 16th out of 18 industrialised countries ? People living in Glasgow Shettleston are 3.8 times more likely to die before they are 65 years old than those living in Wokingham

In industrialised countries, wealth and affluence are widely perceived to be growing, although not at the same rate for everyone. But economic growth is not the same as genuine human development. Poverty in Plenty applies accepted measures of human poverty � education, health and employment � to the UK, and assesses how our food and housing policies contribute to a sustainable way of life. It draws on the work of leading research institutes and campaigning groups to determine the real state of society in the UK. Using a range of indicators to measure livelihoods and well-being, the report shows how widespread poverty is and highlights the vast geographical disparities in levels of poverty that exist within the UK. It goes on to set out what urgently needs to be done to address the sobering trends revealed and describes effective policies that will allow us to improve the current situation. The findings are of vital importance to those working on social issues in the public and voluntary sectors, and to students and general readers wanting the truth behind the public statistics.

Jane Seymour is an independent researcher and writer on health and environment issues.

Originally published in 2000