The findings were revealed by the Save the Children charity whose report found an increase in child poverty in the province.

The statistics are contained in a pack entitled Poverty produced by the charity and drawn from local and international research.

Nearly a third of children live in households whose only income derives from benefits and a further 18% of children live in households that claim Working Family Tax Credit.

Key findings

Children born into poor homes are 15 times more likely to die in house fires and four times more likely to die before the age of 20 They encounter greater educational difficulty, with their families unable to buy sufficient clothing or books Young people from poor households are three times less likely to attend further and higher education One in three lone parents at times go without food to enable their children to eat

The figures have increased since the previous report in 1995 and the charity has described its findings as "worrying".

The report also found that poorer children were more likely to be smaller and die at a higher rate than children from better-off families.

"Apart from higher mortality rates and health risks, poverty for children makes it more difficult for them to learn and gain the much-needed educational qualifications to help lift them out of the inevitable cycle of poverty," the report added.

One in six children do not have a properly fitting pair of shoes, a warm coat and three meals a day

Some of the worst poverty is faced by Traveller families where children remain 10 times more likely to die before the age of 10 than a child from the settled community.

Goretti Horgan, a researcher at Save the Children said the increase in poverty among children in the province was "absolutely outrageous".

"We will be lobbying assembly members, decision-makers and presenting our findings to Stormont to make sure that the facts are known," she said.

"Our findings have shown that poverty can affect so many aspects of children's lives and it is essential that the Children's Strategy will ensure that dealing with poverty is placed at the top of the agenda.

"It is not enough to be shocked and saddened by the statistics but we must work quickly to make sure that decisions are made to ensure that this appalling level of poverty does not continue and that all children in Northern Ireland have equal opportunity to health, education and hope for the future."

The pack is part of the Beat Poverty Campaign, which is aimed to raise awareness of and fight child poverty around the world.