What is Poverty, Types, and Causes

What Does It Mean to Be Poor?

Poverty is a condition in which a person lacks financial resources and can not fulfill his necessities of life. In the Oxford Dictionary, poverty is defined as "the state of being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount". People or families who live in poverty may go without proper housing, clean water, healthy food, and medical attention.  However, poverty is not just about income; it also encompasses a lack of access to education, healthcare, and personal and professional growth opportunities. The World Bank defines poverty as living on less than $1.90 a day but this monetary threshold only scratches the surface of the issue.

Poverty is a global issue that affects both developing and developed countries. According to the United Nations, over 700 million people live in extreme poverty, with the majority residing in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa. However, poverty is not confined to these regions; it exists in every country, including wealthy nations like the United States and members of the European Union.  

Cycle of Poverty

When people spend their lives in poverty, they think they are useless or failures, with no hope for the future, and their relationships are affected. Mostly poor people believe that their grandfathers lived in poverty, their fathers lived in poverty, so they will always remain poor.

Every country faces poverty issues, especially in underdeveloped countries. In the continent of Africa, the poverty rate is so high that many people and children die due to a lack of necessities of life, like they have no food, no shelter, no jobs, no education, and even they have no clean water to drink. If we talk about Asian countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, etc, there are the majority of people live in poverty and are hardly surviving.

Types of poverty

Absolute Poverty:

It lacks of basic needs of humans, i.e., people do not have enough income to meet their basic needs of life, including food, shelter, safety, clean drinking water, education, healthcare, etc. People living in absolute poverty often struggle to survive on a day-to-day basis. The World Bank's definition of living on less than $ 1.90 a day is a measure of absolute poverty. 

Relative Poverty:

It is economic inequality in the location or society in which people live. It is defined as living below a certain percentage of the median income in a given country. Unlike absolute poverty, relative poverty takes into account social inequality and the standards of living in a particular society. They do have some money, but not enough to afford anything above the basics. For example, someone living in a wealthy country may be considered poor if their income is significantly lower than the national average, even if they can meet their basic needs.

Situational Poverty: 

Situational poverty is generally caused by a sudden crisis or loss and is often temporary. The reason for this type of poverty is mostly severe accidents, divorce, or any disaster. People experiencing situational poverty may have previously enjoyed a stable income but find themselves unable to meet their basic needs due to unforeseen events. This type of poverty is often reversible with the right support and intervention.

Generational Poverty:

It is handed over to individuals and families from one generation to the next. People are trapped because they accept that they are failures and can not change their fate; it is most dangerous because people do not try to improve their status. Families living in generational poverty often face systemic barriers that make it difficult to break the cycle. These barriers can include limited access to quality education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. Generational poverty is deeply entrenched and requires long-term, multi-faceted solutions to address.

Rural Poverty and Urban Poverty:

It occurs in rural areas where people mostly live on farming and agriculture, as well as there are fewer job opportunities, fewer educational facilities, and less healthcare. Factors contributing to rural poverty include limited access to markets, poor infrastructure, and vulnerability to environmental changes such as droughts and floods. Rural poverty is often more severe than urban poverty due to the lack of resources and services available in rural areas.

Urban poverty occurs in urban areas where large numbers of people live, so due to overcrowding, inadequate housing, and services. Urban poverty is characterized by the concentration of poor populations in cities and towns. While urban areas may offer more job opportunities and services, the cost of living is often higher, and the competition for resources is intense.

Causes of Poverty

Poverty is a result of unequal distribution of material resources and wealth on a global scale and within nations. The causes of poverty are complex and interlinked with injustice, inequality, ethnicity, gender, age, economics, social systems, and cultural attitudes.

Inequality:

There are gender inequality, caste system, and tribal affiliation are all economic and social inequalities that are the same thing. Gender inequality is a consistent feature of extreme poverty and a major obstacle to the abolition of poverty.

Economic inequality, where wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few, can limit opportunities for large segments of the population.

Unemployment:

When there are fewer job opportunities, people will face poverty. Unemployment is a reason for poverty, in which people do not have enough money to buy goods and services. Poverty and unemployment are closely related to one another. There are many reasons for unemployment, like fewer job opportunities, people who are not qualified, a lack of government support, and sometimes, a country's economic condition is not good.

According to the United Nations, "full and productive employment" is one of the main ways that people experiencing poverty can improve their well-being.

Educational System:

In underdeveloped countries, the educational system is very poor; educational institutions pass a large number of students every year, but these institutions do not properly educate them, so they are not capable of performing job requirements. In some countries, education is expensive people can not afford school fees, uniforms, and books.

UNESCO estimates that 171 million people could be lifted out of extreme poverty if they left school with basic reading skills. Education helps to eliminate poverty.

Government Support:

One of the major causes of poverty is a lack of government support, the ineffective government is unable to provide necessary infrastructure, healthcare, an effective educational system, and security for its citizens. As well as the effective government provides or tries to provide all the necessities of life and supports businessmen to enhance their businesses to increase job opportunities, increase pay scale, and improve the standard of living.

Health Issues:

Illnesses or disabilities can prevent people from working, leading to a loss of income. Medical costs also increase the financial burden on individuals and families. Poor access to affordable healthcare can exacerbate health issues, making it harder for people to escape poverty.

Environmental Factors:

Natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes can destroy homes, crops, and infrastructure, leaving communities in poverty. Long-term changes in climate patterns, such as droughts, rising sea levels, and extreme weather events, can affect food security, water supply, and livelihoods, pushing people into poverty.

Overuse or depletion of natural resources (e.g., soil degradation, deforestation, overfishing) can negatively impact agricultural production and community incomes.

Globalization:

Globalization can create economic opportunities, but it can also result in job losses in certain industries, particularly in developing nations where workers may not have the necessary skills to compete globally.

High levels of national debt, particularly in developing countries, can prevent governments from investing in programs aimed at alleviating poverty.

Impacts of Poverty

Poverty has a profound impact on individuals, affecting their physical and mental health, education, and overall quality of life. Poor individuals are more likely to suffer from malnutrition, disease, and mental health issues. They often have limited access to education and healthcare, which perpetuates the cycle of poverty. The stress of living in poverty can also lead to social isolation and a sense of hopelessness.

Poverty affects entire communities by limiting economic growth and social development. Poor communities often lack access to basic services such as clean water, sanitation, and healthcare. This can lead to higher rates of disease and lower life expectancy. Poverty also contributes to social issues such as crime, violence, and substance abuse, which further destabilize communities.

Conclusion:

In poverty, people can not afford to fulfill their basic needs like food, clean drinking water, healthcare, etc. Poverty is a great danger to the economic progress of the country, as it affects many other departments of the country.

In conclusion, addressing poverty requires a comprehensive and collaborative effort that goes beyond mere economic considerations. It involves addressing social, political, and cultural factors to create an environment where individuals and communities can break free from the cycle of poverty and achieve sustainable development.

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