Absolute Poverty and Relative Poverty Measure Different Things
Poverty is the state of lacking money and resources. Two different definitions are used, and arguments about poverty are often arguments about which one.
Poverty is the condition of not having enough. Two measures dominate the statistics. *Absolute poverty* sets a fixed line — an income below which basic needs cannot be met. *Relative poverty* sets the line against the society you live in, typically below sixty per cent of median income. A country can reduce one while the other rises.
- The state of being poor. *Living in poverty.*
- Scarcity of something. *A poverty of ideas.*
- Poverty line — the threshold used to count the poor. *Below the poverty line.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | poverty | Child poverty. |
| Adjective | poor | A poor household. |
| Verb | impoverish | Impoverished by the war. |
| Adjective | impoverished | An impoverished region. |
| Compound | poverty line | Above the poverty line. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Child poverty rose for a third year.Usually a relative measure.
- Extreme poverty has fallen worldwide.Measured against a fixed international line.
- The report shows a poverty of ambition.Figurative: a lack.
How poverty is measured
- Absolute poverty — below a fixed subsistence line
- Relative poverty — below a share of median income
- Material deprivation — lacking specific necessities
- Multidimensional poverty — health, education and living standards together
- Fuel poverty — unable to afford adequate heating
From Old French *poverte*, from Latin *paupertas*, from *pauper*, poor. The same root gives *pauper* and, through French, *poor* itself.
Absolute or relative poverty?
Absolute uses a fixed line; relative compares with the surrounding society. Both are used, and they can move in opposite directions.
What is fuel poverty?
Being unable to afford to heat a home adequately. Definitions vary, but most combine income, energy costs and the efficiency of the building.