The Nature of Povery

Poverty is pronounced deprivation of well-being. But what is “deprivation,” and how can it be measured Traditionally poverty was understood primarily as material deprivation, as living with low income and low consumption, characterized primarily by poor nutrition and poor living conditions. However, it is easy to observe that income poverty in most cases is associated with so-called human poverty—the low health and education levels that are either the cause or the result of low income. Income and human poverty also tend to be accompanied by such social deprivations as high vulnerability to adverse events (for example, disease, economic crisis, or natural disaster), voicelessness in most of society’s institutions, and powerlessness to improve one’s living circumstances. This multidimensional nature of poverty is revealed by interviews with the poor themselves and confirmed by special sociological studies.


The broader definition of poverty as a multidimensional phenomenon leads to a clearer understanding of its causes and to a more comprehensive policy aimed at poverty reduction. For example, in addition to the issues of economic growth and income distribution, it brings to the  fore equitable access to health and education services and development of social security systems. Poverty reduction strategies also must allow for the fact that different aspects of poverty interact and reinforce each other. For example, improving social security not only makes poor people feel less vulnerable, but also allows them to take advantage of higherrisk opportunities, such as moving to another location or changing qualifications. And increasing poor people’s representation and participation not only helps them overcome the feeling of being excluded from society, but also contributes to better targeting of public health and education services.