Defining Poverty
Poverty is a state or condition where individuals or communities are unable to meet their minimum standard of living due to insufficient financial resources. Those living in poverty often lack access to essential services such as housing, clean water, nutritious food, and healthcare.
Poverty isn’t solely determined by income but is also influenced by various factors like race, sexual identity, and educational opportunities.
Highlights
- Poverty denotes the lack of financial resources and basics for a minimum standard of living.
- Those living in poverty may lack housing, clean water, and healthcare.
- It’s both an individual concern and a broader societal problem.
- Governments utilize welfare programs to combat poverty.
- Poverty stems from a confluence of factors, not just income.
A Deeper Insight into Poverty
Poverty reflects an inadequacy of financial resources preventing individuals, households, and communities from acquiring basic necessities. This can impede access to food, clothing, shelter, and medical care.
Poverty’s implications span individual to societal levels, affecting mental health, educational opportunities, and societal stability. Typically, high poverty rates correlate with elevated crime rates, unemployment, and poor public health.
Governments often implement social welfare programs to elevate individuals and communities from poverty. The extent of these welfare programs varies significantly from country to country.
Poverty in Numbers
- 37.9 Million: This was the number of people living in poverty in the U.S. during 2022, which equates to 11.5% of the national population.
Exploring Different Aspects of Poverty
Poverty in the United States
In the United States, poverty status is determined based on income falling below a threshold set by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Census Bureau calculates poverty rates excluding institutionalized individuals, those living in military quarters, college dormitories, and persons under 14.
Poverty Thresholds for 2022
- For a family of four with two children under 18: $29,678 annually.
- For two individuals over 65 with no children under 18: $17,689 annually.
Measuring Global Poverty
Poverty has generally decreased in developed countries since the Industrial Revolution benefited production and agriculture. However, significant global disparities persist.
The current international poverty line is set at $2.15 per day. Nonetheless, 700.6 million people lived in extreme poverty in September 2023, according to the World Bank.
Poverty’s Impact on Children
Children growing up in poverty often endure severe and frequent health issues, missed educational opportunities, and heightened stress. Homeless children are particularly vulnerable, facing substantial barriers to healthcare and nutrition.
Root Causes of Poverty
Poverty is a persistent cycle influenced by various factors like socioeconomic status, ethnicity, gender, and location. Traditional causes include job scarcity, inadequate infrastructure, war, high living costs, social barriers, and lack of governmental support.
Common effects of poverty include substance abuse, lack of education, poor housing, increased disease, and social tension.
Discrimination and Poverty
Discrimination significantly contributes to poverty. Certain laws and societal beliefs can prevent communities from accessing essential services, amplifying poverty among marginalized groups such as individuals with HIV/AIDS, people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Statistics on LGBTQ+ Poverty Rates
- 17% of LGBT people in the U.S. lived in poverty in 2021 versus 12% of the non-LGBT community.
- 21% of transgender individuals and 20% of cisgender bisexual women lived in poverty in the U.S. in 2021.
- 26% of LGBT families with children experienced poverty in 2021.
Measuring Poverty
Poverty measurement often relies on income thresholds monitored and regularly updated by centralized bodies like the U.S. Census Bureau. This method uses data adjusted for inflation to outline income levels below which individuals are considered impoverished.
Strategies to Reduce Poverty
Organizations like the United Nations and World Bank advocate ardently for global poverty reduction, aiming to lower poverty to less than 3% of the world population by 2030. Their strategies include providing clean water access, agricultural education, building shelters, schools, and healthcare facilities.
Eradicating poverty requires a unified effort from communities, governments, and corporations to improve living standards through policies that encourage socioeconomic development and racial equity.
Nations and States with Highest Poverty Rates
- Global: South Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, Central African Republic, and Burundi.
- U.S. States: Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, West Virginia, and Kentucky.
Can We Solve Poverty?
Addressing poverty is complex and requires more than just welfare programs. While providing essentials like food and healthcare is vital, enabling individuals to gain skills, jobs, and education is crucial for long-term improvement in living standards.
Conclusion
Poverty reflects a state of insufficient resources and opportunities, impacting both individual lives and societal wellbeing. Through sustained collective efforts aimed at improving socioeconomic conditions and fighting systemic inequities, there is hope for significant poverty reduction in the future.
Related Terms: economic growth, unemployment, welfare, standard of living.
References
- U.S. Census Bureau. “Poverty in the United States: 2022”.
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. “Poverty Guidelines”.
- U.S. Census Bureau. “Differences Between Available Surveys & Programs for Poverty”.
- U.S. Census Bureau. “How the Census Bureau Measures Poverty”.
- U.S. Census Bureau. “Poverty Thresholds”.
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. “Programs that Use the Poverty Guidelines as a Part of Eligibility Determination”.
- The World Bank. “Fact Sheet: An Adjustment to Global Poverty Lines”.
- The World Bank. “Global Poverty Monitoring Technical Note: September 2023 Update to the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP)”.
- Frontiers. “Poverty, Racism, and the Public Health Crisis in America”.
- The World Bank. “Poverty”.
- National Library of Medicine. “Distribution and Determinants of Low Birth Weight in Developing Countries”.
- The World Bank. “A Child Under 15 Dies Every Five Seconds Around the World – UN Report”.
- UNICEF. “Levels and Trends in Child Mortality”.
- UCLA School of Law Williams Institute. “LGBT Poverty in the United States”.
- The World Bank. “Ending Extreme Poverty”.
- World Population Review. “Poverty Rate by Country 2024”.
- World Population Review. “Poverty Rate by State 2024”.
