Almost two thirds (64 per cent) of the young rioters lived in the country's worst-off districts, with 42 per cent relying on free school meals. Two-thirds were classed as having special educational needs - three times the national average - and more than a third had been excluded from school in the past year.
Just one in 10 had achieved five or more A* to C grades in the GCSE school qualifications system, compared with more than half of pupils across the country.
The ministry concluded: "It is clear that compared to population averages, those brought before the courts were more likely to be in receipt of free school meals or benefits, were more likely to have had special educational needs and be absent from school, and more likely to have some form of criminal history."
Rhian Beynon, of the charity Family Action, described the figures as a "devastating indictment of the way society has failed some of the poorest and most disadvantaged younger men". She added: "Poverty, disadvantage and disaffection experienced by this group are root causes of the August riots, and now their futures will be blighted by criminal sentences."
Days after the disturbances, Prime Minister David Cameron said gangs were at the heart of the trouble and announced he was calling in the US "supercop" Bill Bratton to advise on tackling gangs.
But the Home Office found that only one in eight (13 per cent) of those arrested were gang members, rising to 19 per cent in London.
Just over three-quarters of those prosecuted had a previous conviction, including 26 per cent with 10 or more offences. Of those arrested, 40 per cent described themselves as white, 39 per cent as black, 11 per cent as mixed race, 8 per cent as Asian and 2 per cent from another background.
The figures also cast doubt on reports that foreign nationals were heavily involved in the disturbances. One in eight (13 per cent) of those jailed were born abroad, which is likely to reflect the make-up of the areas affected.
Nick Herbert, the Policing Minister, said: "These figures confirm that, in the vast majority of cases, existing criminals were out in force during the disturbances in August. The fact that half of recorded crimes were for offences like stealing and looting shows that most of what we saw was motivated by opportunity and greed."
Diane Abbott, the Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, among the areas worst hit, said: "The fact that David Cameron blames gangs, pure and simple, shows just how little the Government really knows about inner-city areas.
"It is a series of much more complex issues that the Government needs to start engaging with."
BLAME GAME: WHO POINTED THE FINGER
"At the heart of all the violence sits the issue of the street gangs ... In the past few days, there is some evidence that they have been behind the co-ordination of the attacks on the police and the looting that has followed." - Prime Minister David Cameron, August 11
"We need a sustained effort to tackle the gangs in our cities, something we knew about before these riots." - Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband, August 11
"The violence of the last five days raises searching questions ... Why does a violent gang culture exist in so many of our towns and cities?" - Home Secretary Theresa May, August 11
"I don't think anyone could have witnessed last week's events and somehow been complacent about gang culture ... there is even some anecdotal evidence that gangs were co-operating to maximise their looting opportunities." - Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, August 16
"The riots were a wake-up call on street gangs ... Gang members were not the sole perpetrators of the riots but they played a significant part." - Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, October 3
- Independent
