writing a essay about poverty

Poverty Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on poverty essay.

“Poverty is the worst form of violence”. – Mahatma Gandhi.

How Poverty is Measured?

For measuring poverty United nations have devised two measures of poverty – Absolute & relative poverty.  Absolute poverty is used to measure poverty in developing countries like India. Relative poverty is used to measure poverty in developed countries like the USA. In absolute poverty, a line based on the minimum level of income has been created & is called a poverty line.  If per day income of a family is below this level, then it is poor or below the poverty line. If per day income of a family is above this level, then it is non-poor or above the poverty line. In India, the new poverty line is  Rs 32 in rural areas and Rs 47 in urban areas.

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Causes of Poverty

According to the Noble prize winner South African leader, Nelson Mandela – “Poverty is not natural, it is manmade”. The above statement is true as the causes of poverty are generally man-made. There are various causes of poverty but the most important is population. Rising population is putting the burden on the resources & budget of countries. Governments are finding difficult to provide food, shelter & employment to the rising population.

The other causes are- lack of education, war, natural disaster, lack of employment, lack of infrastructure, political instability, etc. For instance- lack of employment opportunities makes a person jobless & he is not able to earn enough to fulfill the basic necessities of his family & becomes poor. Lack of education compels a person for less paying jobs & it makes him poorer. Lack of infrastructure means there are no industries, banks, etc. in a country resulting in lack of employment opportunities. Natural disasters like flood, earthquake also contribute to poverty.

In some countries, especially African countries like Somalia, a long period of civil war has made poverty widespread. This is because all the resources & money is being spent in war instead of public welfare. Countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc. are prone to natural disasters like cyclone, etc. These disasters occur every year causing poverty to rise.

Ill Effects of Poverty

Poverty affects the life of a poor family. A poor person is not able to take proper food & nutrition &his capacity to work reduces. Reduced capacity to work further reduces his income, making him poorer. Children from poor family never get proper schooling & proper nutrition. They have to work to support their family & this destroys their childhood. Some of them may also involve in crimes like theft, murder, robbery, etc. A poor person remains uneducated & is forced to live under unhygienic conditions in slums. There are no proper sanitation & drinking water facility in slums & he falls ill often &  his health deteriorates. A poor person generally dies an early death. So, all social evils are related to poverty.

Government Schemes to Remove Poverty

The government of India also took several measures to eradicate poverty from India. Some of them are – creating employment opportunities , controlling population, etc. In India, about 60% of the population is still dependent on agriculture for its livelihood. Government has taken certain measures to promote agriculture in India. The government constructed certain dams & canals in our country to provide easy availability of water for irrigation. Government has also taken steps for the cheap availability of seeds & farming equipment to promote agriculture. Government is also promoting farming of cash crops like cotton, instead of food crops. In cities, the government is promoting industrialization to create more jobs. Government has also opened  ‘Ration shops’. Other measures include providing free & compulsory education for children up to 14 years of age, scholarship to deserving students from a poor background, providing subsidized houses to poor people, etc.

Poverty is a social evil, we can also contribute to control it. For example- we can simply donate old clothes to poor people, we can also sponsor the education of a poor child or we can utilize our free time by teaching poor students. Remember before wasting food, somebody is still sleeping hungry.

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7 Essays About Poverty: Example Essays and Prompts

Essays about poverty give valuable insight into the economic situation that we share globally. Read our guide with poverty essay examples and prompts for your paper.

In the US, the official poverty rate in 2022 was 11.5 percent, with 37.9 million people living below the poverty line. With a global pandemic, cost of living crisis, and climate change on the rise, we’ve seen poverty increase due to various factors. As many of us face adversity daily, we can look to essays about poverty from some of the world’s greatest speakers for inspiration and guidance.

There is nothing but a lack of social vision to prevent us from paying an adequate wage to every American citizen whether he be a hospital worker, laundry worker, maid or day laborer. There is nothing except shortsightedness to prevent us from guaranteeing an annual minimum—and livable—income for every American family. Martin Luther King Jr., Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?

Writing a poverty essay can be challenging due to the many factors contributing to poverty and the knock-on effects of living below the poverty line . For example, homelessness among low-income individuals stems from many different causes.

It’s important to note that poverty exists beyond the US, with many developing countries living in extreme poverty without access to essentials like clean water and housing. For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers .

Essays About Poverty: Top Examples

1. pensioner poverty: fear of rise over decades as uk under-40s wealth falls, 2. the surprising poverty levels across the u.s., 3. why poverty persists in america, 4. post-pandemic poverty is rising in america’s suburbs.

• 5. The Basic Facts About Children in Poverty
• 6. The State of America’s Children 
• 7. COVID-19: This is how many Americans now live below the poverty line

10 Poverty Essay Topics

1. the causes of poverty, 2. the negative effects of poverty, 3. how countries can reduce poverty rates, 4. the basic necessities and poverty, 5. how disabilities can lead to poverty, 6. how the cycle of poverty unfolds , 7. universal basic income and its relationship to poverty, 8. interview someone who has experience living in poverty, 9. the impact of the criminal justice system on poverty, 10. the different ways to create affordable housing.

There is growing concern about increasing pensioner poverty in the UK in the coming decades. Due to financial challenges like the cost of living crisis, rent increases, and the COVID-19 pandemic, under 40s have seen their finances shrink.

Osborne discusses the housing wealth gap in this article, where many under the 40s currently pay less in a pension due to rent prices. While this means they will have less pension available, they will also retire without owning a home, resulting in less personal wealth than previous generations. Osborne delves into the causes and gaps in wealth between generations in this in-depth essay.

“Those under-40s have already been identified as  facing the biggest hit from rising mortgage rates , and last week a study by the financial advice firm Hargreaves Lansdown found that almost a third of 18- to 34-year-olds had stopped or cut back on their pension contributions in order to save money.” Hilary Osborne,  The Guardian

In this 2023 essay, Jeremy Ney looks at the poverty levels across the US, stating that poverty has had the largest one-year increase in history. According to the most recent census, child poverty has more than doubled from 2021 to 2022.

Ney states that the expiration of government support and inflation has created new financial challenges for US families. With the increased cost of living and essential items like food and housing sharply increasing, more and more families have fallen below the poverty line. Throughout this essay, Ney displays statistics and data showing the wealth changes across states, ethnic groups, and households.

“Poverty in America reflects the inequality that plagues U.S. households. While certain regions have endured this pain much more than others, this new rising trend may spell ongoing challenges for even more communities.” Jeremy Ney,  TIME

In this New York Times article, a Pulitzer Prize-winning sociologist explores why poverty exists in North America.

The American poor have access to cheap, mass-produced goods, as every American does. But that doesn’t mean they can access what matters most. Matthew Desmond,  The New York Times

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released its annual data on poverty, revealing contrasting trends for 2022. While one set of findings indicated that the overall number of Americans living in poverty remained stable compared to the previous two years, another survey highlighted a concerning increase in child poverty. The rate of child poverty in the U.S. doubled from 2021 to 2022, a spike attributed mainly to the cessation of the expanded child tax credit following the pandemic. These varied outcomes underscore the Census Bureau’s multifaceted methods to measure poverty.

“The nation’s suburbs accounted for the majority of increases in the poor population following the onset of the pandemic” Elizabeth Kneebone and Alan Berube,  Brookings

5.  The Basic Facts About Children in Poverty

Nearly 11 million children are living in poverty in America. This essay explores ow the crisis reached this point—and what steps must be taken to solve it.

“In America, nearly 11 million children are poor. That’s 1 in 7 kids, who make up almost one-third of all people living in poverty in this country.” Areeba Haider,  Center for American Progress

6.  The State of America’s Children  

This essay articles how, despite advancements, children continue to be the most impoverished demographic in the U.S., with particular subgroups — such as children of color, those under five, offspring of single mothers, and children residing in the South — facing the most severe poverty levels.

“Growing up in poverty has wide-ranging, sometimes lifelong, effects on children, putting them at a much higher risk of experiencing behavioral, social, emotional, and health challenges. Childhood poverty also plays an instrumental role in impairing a child’s ability and capacity to learn, build skills, and succeed academically.” Children’s Defense Fund

7.  COVID-19: This is how many Americans now live below the poverty line

This essay explores how the economic repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic 2020 led to a surge in U.S. poverty rates, with unemployment figures reaching unprecedented heights. The writer provides data confirming that individuals at the lowest economic strata bore the brunt of these challenges, indicating that the recession might have exacerbated income disparities, further widening the chasm between the affluent and the underprivileged.

“Poverty in the U.S. increased in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic hammered the economy and unemployment soared. Those at the bottom of the economic ladder were hit hardest, new figures confirm, suggesting that the recession may have widened the gap between the rich and the poor.” Elena Delavega,  World Econmic Forum

If you’re tasked with writing an essay about poverty, consider using the below topics. They offer pointers for outlining and planning an essay about this challenging topic.

One of the most specific poverty essay topics to address involves the causes of poverty. You can craft an essay to examine the most common causes of extreme poverty. Here are a few topics you might want to include:

• Racial discrimination, particularly among African Americans, has been a common cause of poverty throughout American history. Discrimination and racism can make it hard for people to get the education they need, making it nearly impossible to get a job.
• A lack of access to adequate health care can also lead to poverty. When people do not have access to healthcare, they are more likely to get sick. This could make it hard for them to go to work while also leading to major medical bills.
• Inadequate food and water can lead to poverty as well. If people’s basic needs aren’t met, they focus on finding food and water instead of getting an education they can use to find a better job.

These are just a few of the most common causes of poverty you might want to highlight in your essay. These topics could help people see why some people are more likely to become impoverished than others. You might also be interested in these essays about poverty .

Poverty affects everyone, and the impacts of an impoverished lifestyle are very real. Furthermore, the disparities when comparing adult poverty to child poverty are also significant. This opens the doors to multiple possible essay topics. Here are a few points to include:

• When children live in poverty, their development is stunted. For example, they might not be able to get to school on time due to a lack of transportation, making it hard for them to keep up with their peers. Child poverty also leads to malnutrition, which can stunt their development.
• Poverty can impact familial relationships as well. For example, members of the same family could fight for limited resources, making it hard for family members to bond. In addition, malnutrition can stunt the growth of children.
• As a side effect of poverty, people have difficulty finding a safe place to live. This creates a challenging environment for everyone involved, and it is even harder for children to grow and develop.
• When poverty leads to homelessness, it is hard for someone to get a job. They don’t have an address to use for physical communication, which leads to employment concerns.

These are just a few of the many side effects of poverty. Of course, these impacts are felt by people across the board, but it is not unusual for children to feel the effects of poverty that much more. You might also be interested in these essays about unemployment .

Different countries take different approaches to reduce the number of people living in poverty

The issue of poverty is a major human rights concern, and many countries explore poverty reduction strategies to improve people’s quality of life. You might want to examine different strategies that different countries are taking while also suggesting how some countries can do more. A few ways to write this essay include:

• Explore the poverty level in America, comparing it to the poverty level of a European country. Then, explore why different countries take different strategies.
• Compare the minimum wage in one state, such as New York, to the minimum wage in another state, such as Alabama. Why is it higher in one state? What does raising the minimum wage do to the cost of living?
• Highlight a few advocacy groups and nonprofit organizations actively lobbying their governments to do more for low-income families. Then, talk about why some efforts are more successful than others.

Different countries take different approaches to reduce the number of people living in poverty. Poverty within each country is such a broad topic that you could write a different essay on how poverty could be decreased within the country. For more, check out our list of simple essays topics for intermediate writers .

You could also write an essay on the necessities people need to survive. You could take a look at information published by the United Nations , which focuses on getting people out of the cycle of poverty across the globe. The social problem of poverty can be addressed by giving people the necessities they need to survive, particularly in rural areas. Here are some of the areas you might want to include:

• Affordable housing
• Fresh, healthy food and clean water
• Access to an affordable education
• Access to affordable healthcare

Giving everyone these necessities could significantly improve their well-being and get people out of absolute poverty. You might even want to talk about whether these necessities vary depending on where someone is living.

There are a lot of medical and social issues that contribute to poverty, and you could write about how disabilities contribute to poverty. This is one of the most important essay topics because people could be disabled through no fault of their own. Some of the issues you might want to address in this essay include:

• Talk about the road someone faces if they become disabled while serving overseas. What is it like for people to apply for benefits through the Veterans’ Administration?
• Discuss what happens if someone becomes disabled while at work. What is it like for someone to pursue disability benefits if they are hurt doing a blue-collar job instead of a desk job?
• Research and discuss the experiences of disabled people and how their disability impacts their financial situation.

People who are disabled need to have money to survive for many reasons, such as the inability to work, limitations at home, and medical expenses. A lack of money, in this situation, can lead to a dangerous cycle that can make it hard for someone to be financially stable and live a comfortable lifestyle.

Many people talk about the cycle of poverty, yet many aren’t entirely sure what this means or what it entails. A few key points you should address in this essay include:

• When someone is born into poverty, income inequality can make it hard to get an education.
• A lack of education makes it hard for someone to get into a good school, which gives them the foundation they need to compete for a good job. 
• A lack of money can make it hard for someone to afford college, even if they get into a good school.
• Without attending a good college, it can be hard for someone to get a good job. This makes it hard for someone to support themselves or their families. 
• Without a good paycheck, it is nearly impossible for someone to keep their children out of poverty, limiting upward mobility into the middle class.

The problem of poverty is a positive feedback loop. It can be nearly impossible for those who live this every day to escape. Therefore, you might want to explore a few initiatives that could break the cycle of world poverty and explore other measures that could break this feedback loop.

Many business people and politicians have floated the idea of a universal basic income to give people the basic resources they need to survive. While this hasn’t gotten a lot of serious traction, you could write an essay to shed light on this idea. A few points to hit on include:

• What does a universal basic income mean, and how is it distributed?
• Some people are concerned about the impact this would have on taxes. How would this be paid for?
• What is the minimum amount of money someone would need to stay out of poverty? Is it different in different areas?
• What are a few of the biggest reasons major world governments haven’t passed this?

This is one of the best essay examples because it gives you a lot of room to be creative. However, there hasn’t been a concrete structure for implementing this plan, so you might want to afford one.

Another interesting topic you might want to explore is interviewing someone living in poverty or who has been impoverished. While you can talk about statistics all day, they won’t be as powerful as interviewing someone who has lived that life. A few questions you might want to ask during your interview include:

• What was it like growing up?
• How has living in poverty made it hard for you to get a job?
• What do you feel people misunderstand about those who live in poverty?
• When you need to find a meal, do you have a place you go to? Or is it somewhere different every day?
• What do you think is the main contributor to people living in poverty?

Remember that you can also craft different questions depending on your responses. You might want to let the interviewee read the essay when you are done to ensure all the information is accurate and correct.

The criminal justice system and poverty tend to go hand in hand. People with criminal records are more likely to be impoverished for several reasons. You might want to write an essay that hits on some of these points:

• Discuss the discriminatory practices of the criminal justice system both as they relate to socioeconomic status and as they relate to race.
• Explore just how hard it is for someone to get a job if they have a criminal record. Discuss how this might contribute to a life of poverty.
• Dive into how this creates a positive feedback loop. For example, when someone cannot get a job due to a criminal record, they might have to steal to survive, which worsens the issue.
• Review what the criminal justice system might be like for someone with resources when compared to someone who cannot afford to hire expert witnesses or pay for a good attorney.

You might want to include a few examples of disparate sentences for people in different socioeconomic situations to back up your points. 

Affordable housing can make a major difference when someone is trying to escape poverty

Many poverty-related problems could be reduced if people had access to affordable housing. While the cost of housing has increased dramatically in the United States , some initiatives exist to create affordable housing. Here are a few points to include:

• Talk about public programs that offer affordable housing to people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Discuss private programs, such as Habitat for Humanity , doing similar things.
• Review the positive impacts that stable housing has on both adults and children.
• Dive into other measures local and federal governments could take to provide more affordable housing for people.

There are a lot of political and social angles to address with this essay, so you might want to consider spreading this out across multiple papers. Affordable housing can make a major difference when trying to escape poverty. If you want to learn more, check out our essay writing tips !

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Essay on Poverty: Samples in 100, 200, 300 Words

• Updated on  
• Oct 14, 2023

Poverty is a deep-rooted problem that continues to affect a large portion of the world’s population today. It touches on several aspects of human life including but not limited to political, economic, and social elements. Even though there are several methods to escape poverty, still issues arise due to a lack of adequate unity among the country’s citizens. Here are some essays on poverty which will give you insights about this topic.

Table of Contents

• 1 Essay on Poverty in 100 words
• 2 Essay on Poverty in 200 words
• 3.1 Reasons Behind Poverty
• 3.2 World Poverty Conditions
• 3.3 Role of NGOs to Eradicate Poverty
• 3.4 What Can be Done by Us?

Essay on Poverty in 100 words

Poverty is defined as a state of scarcity, and the lack of material possessions to such an extreme extent that people have difficulties in fulfilling their basic needs. Robert McNamara, a former World Bank President, states that extreme poverty is limited by illiteracy, malnutrition, disease, high infant mortality rate, squalid conditions of living, and low life expectancy.

In order to eradicate poverty in a country, strict measures need to be taken on all levels. The political system needs to address this issue with utmost sincerity and strategic implementation in such a way that it improves the lives of people, especially the ones living below the poverty line. 

Also Read: Speech on Made in India

Essay on Poverty in 200 words

Poverty is like a parasite that degrades its host and eventually causes a lot of damage to the host. It is basically the scarcity of basic needs that leads to an extremely degraded life and even low life expectancy. It includes a lack of food, shelter, medication, education, and other basic necessities. Poverty is a more serious circumstance where people are forced to starve. It can be caused by a variety of factors depending upon the country. 

Every country that is hit with pandemic diseases, experiences an increase in poverty rates. This is because of the fact that poor people are unable to receive adequate medical care and hence are unable to maintain their health. This renders the people powerless and even puts their liberty in jeopardy. This is because of the fact that poor people can become trapped in a vicious cycle of servitude. The condition of poverty is a distressing one that causes pain, despair, and grief in the lives of the ones it affects. 

This is also a negative scenario that prevents a child from attending basic education. It’s the lack of money that prevents people from living sufficiently. Also, it is the cause of more serious social concerns such as slavery, child labour, etc. Hence action is needed on the same with utmost sincerity. 

Essay on Poverty in 300 words

Poverty is a multifaceted concept that includes several aspects such as social aspects, political elements, economic aspects, etc. It is basically associated with undermining a variety of essential human attributes such as health, education, etc. Despite the growth and development of the economies of countries, poverty still exists in almost every one of them. 

Reasons Behind Poverty

There are several contributing reasons behind poverty in a nation. Some of them are mentioned below:-

• Lack of literacy among citizens
• Lack of Capital in the country
• Large families and a rapidly growing population
• Limited employment opportunities

There are even urban areas where the slum population is increasing. These are deprived of many basic amenities such as sanitation, drainage systems, and low-cost water supply, etc. 

World Poverty Conditions

According to UNICEF , around 22000 children lose their lives each day due to poverty. There are approximately 1.9 billion children in developing countries in the world and India is also among them. Out of these, approximately 640 million don’t have a proper shelter, 270 million are living without medical facilities, and approximately 400 million don’t have access to safe water. This worldwide situation is growing at a fast pace. 

Role of NGOs to Eradicate Poverty

The approaches by NGOs basically include helping the poor by providing various public services such as medical services etc.

They also play a major role in mobilizing the services recommended by the government. They have various approaches and strategies that directly help the poor in various ways.

What Can be Done by Us?

We help in eradicating poverty by increasing employment opportunities.

Ensuring financial services and providing the same is another such measure that can be taken.

Recognizing social entrepreneurs as people of influence, conveying to them the seriousness of this situation, and then eventually making people aware of the same is another thing that can be done. 

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Writing an essay on poverty in 200 words requires you to describe various aspects of this topic such as what causes poverty, how it affects individuals and society as a whole, etc. The condition of poverty is a distressing one that causes pain, despair, and grief in the lives of the ones it affects.

An essay on poverty may be started as follows:- Poverty is a deep-rooted problem that continues to affect a large portion of the world’s population today. It touches on several aspects of human life including but not limited to political, economic, and social elements. Even though there are several methods to escape poverty, still issues arise due to a lack of adequate unity among the country’s citizens.

Poverty in 100 words: Poverty is defined as a state of scarcity, and the lack of material possessions to such an extreme extent that people have difficulties in fulfilling their basic needs. Robert McNamara, a former World Bank President, states that extreme poverty is limited by illiteracy, malnutrition, disease, high infant mortality rate, squalid conditions of living, and low life expectancy. In order to eradicate poverty in a country, strict measures need to be taken on all levels. The political system needs to address this issue with utmost sincerity and strategic implementation in such a way that it improves the lives of people, especially the ones living below the poverty line.

For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

Deepansh Gautam

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100 Poverty Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Poverty is a global issue that affects millions of people around the world. From lack of access to basic needs such as food, shelter, and healthcare to limited opportunities for education and employment, poverty is a complex and multifaceted problem that requires attention and action.

If you are tasked with writing an essay on poverty, it can be challenging to come up with a compelling topic that will engage your readers. To help you get started, here are 100 poverty essay topic ideas and examples to inspire your writing:

• The impact of poverty on children's education
• The cycle of poverty and how to break it
• Poverty and its connection to mental health issues
• The role of government policies in alleviating poverty
• Poverty and its effects on healthcare access
• Poverty and its impact on crime rates
• The relationship between poverty and homelessness
• Poverty and food insecurity
• Poverty and its impact on rural communities
• The connection between poverty and environmental degradation
• Poverty and its effects on mental health
• The role of education in breaking the cycle of poverty
• Poverty and its impact on women and children
• The effects of poverty on access to clean water
• Poverty and its connection to drug addiction
• The impact of poverty on access to healthcare in developing countries
• Poverty and its effects on access to quality education
• The relationship between poverty and human trafficking
• Poverty and its impact on access to affordable housing
• The role of technology in addressing poverty
• Poverty and its effects on access to clean energy
• The connection between poverty and political instability
• Poverty and its impact on access to basic sanitation
• The role of microfinance in alleviating poverty
• Poverty and its effects on access to legal services
• The relationship between poverty and social inequality
• Poverty and its impact on access to transportation
• Poverty and its effects on access to job opportunities
• The connection between poverty and domestic violence
• Poverty and its impact on access to vocational training
• The role of entrepreneurship in addressing poverty
• Poverty and its effects on access to affordable childcare
• Poverty and its connection to food deserts
• The impact of poverty on access to mental health services
• Poverty and its effects on access to clean air
• The relationship between poverty and child labor
• Poverty and its impact on access to quality healthcare
• Poverty and its effects on access to affordable education
• The connection between poverty and human rights violations
• Poverty and its impact on access to safe drinking water
• The role of community organizations in addressing poverty
• Poverty and its effects on access to public transportation
• Poverty and its connection to income inequality
• The impact of poverty on access to legal representation
• Poverty and its effects on access to affordable housing in urban areas
• The relationship between poverty and social exclusion
• Poverty and its impact on access to reproductive healthcare
• Poverty and its effects on access to affordable childcare in rural areas
• The connection between poverty and environmental justice
• Poverty and its impact on access to quality education in developing countries
• The role of social entrepreneurship in addressing poverty
• Poverty and its effects on access to clean energy in developing countries
• Poverty and its connection to human trafficking in urban areas
• The impact of poverty on access to mental health services in rural communities
• Poverty and its effects on access to affordable healthcare in developing countries
• The relationship between poverty and access to clean water in rural areas
• Poverty and its impact on access to vocational training in urban areas
• Poverty and its effects on access to job opportunities in rural communities
• The connection between poverty and access to legal services in developing countries
• Poverty and its impact on social inequality in urban areas
• Poverty and its effects on access to affordable childcare in developing countries
• The role of technology in addressing poverty in rural communities
• Poverty and its connection to food insecurity in urban areas
• The impact of poverty on access to clean air in developing countries
• Poverty and its effects on access to public transportation in rural areas
• Poverty and its connection to income inequality in urban areas
• The relationship between poverty and social exclusion in developing countries
• Poverty and its impact on access to reproductive healthcare in rural communities
• Poverty and its effects on access to safe drinking water in urban areas
• The connection between poverty and environmental justice in developing countries
• Poverty and its impact on access to quality education in rural communities
• Poverty and its effects on access to legal representation in urban areas
• The role of community organizations in addressing poverty in developing countries
• Poverty and its connection to human rights violations in rural communities
• The impact of poverty on access to mental health services in urban areas
• Poverty and its effects on access to affordable healthcare in rural communities
• The relationship between poverty and access to clean water in developing countries
• Poverty and its impact on access to vocational training in rural communities
• Poverty and its effects on access to job opportunities in developing countries
• The connection between poverty and access to legal services in urban areas
• Poverty and its impact on social inequality in rural communities
• Poverty and its effects on access to affordable childcare in urban areas
• The role of technology in addressing poverty in developing countries
• Poverty and its connection to food insecurity in rural communities
• The impact of poverty on access to clean air in urban areas
• Poverty and its effects on access to public transportation in developing countries
• Poverty and its connection to income inequality in rural communities
• The relationship between poverty and social exclusion in urban areas
• Poverty and its impact on access to reproductive healthcare in developing countries
• Poverty and its effects on access to safe drinking water in rural communities
• The connection between poverty and environmental justice in urban areas
• Poverty and its effects on access to legal representation in rural communities
• The role of community organizations in addressing poverty in urban areas
• Poverty and its connection to human rights violations in developing countries
• Poverty and its effects on access to affordable healthcare in urban areas
• The relationship between poverty and access to clean water in rural communities
• Poverty and its impact on access to vocational training in developing countries
• Poverty and its effects on access to job opportunities in urban areas

These are just a few examples of the many topics you could explore in an essay about poverty. Whether you choose to focus on the impact of poverty on education, healthcare, or social inequality, there are endless possibilities for engaging and informative writing on this important issue. By selecting a topic that resonates with you and conducting thorough research, you can create a compelling and thought-provoking essay that sheds light on the complexities of poverty and inspires action towards positive change.

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Essay about Poverty Causes and Effects: Writing Guide and Topics

Poverty is a dreaded term, and the thought of its visitation elicits nasty reactions. As a high school, college, or university student, you must be well-versed in how to write an essay about poverty causes and effects. As it is a cause-and-effect essay , at least mostly, you must come up with supporting ideas for the causes and effects of poverty.

Sometimes, it can be descriptive causes of poverty essays. So when asked to write a short essay on poverty, you should first understand your writing type.

Writing a good poverty essay needs time and dedication. Getting a topic is never guaranteed as most people have always chosen the best. However, you can get a topic for your poverty essay with creativity and critical thinking.

In this article, apart from offering free topics for poverty essays, we advise you on how to write such essays. When you need help, too, our custom essay writing service is ready to help.

How to Begin a Poverty Essa (An Eye-Catching Introduction)

We can never tire reiterating that any essay begins with a sound, clear, and concise introduction. In your introduction, here are some questions to ask yourself:

• What is poverty?
• What are the causes of poverty?
• What are the causes and effects of poverty?
• What are the different eradication strategies for poverty?
• How many people are affected by poverty globally?

The above questions can also be part of the topic ideas for your poverty essay.

The introduction should also have an elaborate poverty essay thesis. The poverty thesis should highlight the gist of the entire essay in either one or two sentences. It helps the reader identify the plan and intention of the essayist when writing a poverty essay.

Your introduction should also have some statistics to show the gravity of the issue globally. And when using quoted statistics, ensure they are recent, from a scholarly source, and well-referenced.

If you write an argumentative or persuasive essay on poverty, follow the right introduction to the poverty essay format.

How to Format/Outline a Poverty Essay

When writing a cause-and-effect essay on poverty, a persuasive poverty essay, or an essay on the causes of poverty, an outline precedes the other sections.

Your global poverty essay should begin with a great topic. After the topic, outline the introduction.

The body paragraphs come immediately after the introduction. Depending on the length of the poverty essay, it can follow the five-paragraph format. The body paragraphs should contain one idea. For instance, if you are writing a short essay on poverty in the world, your ideas can be poor governance, lack of education, and climate change. Those points should be in their paragraphs.

If it is How to end poverty essay, some potential considerations would be policy changes, education, fair sharing of resources, and environmental conservation.  The same applies when writing a short essay on helping the poor.

30 Suitable Topics for Essays on Poverty

Here is a list of some suitable poverty essay topics. They can help you brainstorm for the best topics or better yet you can choose and use them in your essays, research papers, theses, and dissertations.

• Child poverty and its impact on growth and development
• Is poverty inevitable?
• Is there a nexus between poverty and world hunger?
• Explore the causes and consequences of poverty in India.
• What are the most successful nations in eradicating poverty?
• Which countries have the highest poverty index?
• The impacts of poverty in our society.
• Poverty definition essay.
• Real-life examples of poverty.
• Poverty as a multifaceted issue.
• Exploring the American stagnant poverty line
• The connection between poverty and homelessness
• How poverty affects aboriginal communities
• Poverty in contemporary society.
• Poverty and crime rates.
• Prejudice and poverty.
• How poverty affects the progress of students
• Does terrorism cause poverty?
• Wars and poverty: A case study of Congo, Somali, and Iraq.
• Human Conflict and Poverty.
• How the United Nations and the Red Cross are fighting Poverty.
• State and Non-state actors in poverty eradication.
• Family planning and poverty.
• Poverty and access to quality healthcare.
• The link between culture and poverty.
• Does poverty in a nation depict poor governance?
• How poverty acts as a factor in human trafficking and prostitution.
• How is poverty measured?
• Capitalism and poverty?
• The Role of the Great Depression on Poverty.

Related Reading: Informative speech topics and ideas.

Concluding an Essay on Poverty (Leave the Audience Yearning for More)

Now, even after writing an excellent poverty essay, it must end. You don't bring it to an end anyhow. Instead, you will have a closing sentence that signals the reader that the essay, albeit great, is ending.

The best thing to do here is to highlight the essay's main points. Choose the best words to use when summarizing ideas. Again, you will need to restate the thesis in a reinvented format this time.

Make the conclusion memorable, like the introduction to your essay about poverty. You will score the best grades when you balance the introduction, body, and conclusion.

If you cannot find ideas for writing a poverty essay, our professional paper writers can help you. We are a known paper writing service .

From research papers to essays, term papers, thesis, thesis proposals, dissertations, dissertations, and research paper proposals, GradeCrest has experts in any field. Get a custom essay that is professionally done.

If you have written a poverty essay and need some editing, we can correct your poverty essay fast. Get to submit a paper that is devoid of plagiarism, relevant, and informative. After all, there are many reasons  people seek essay writing services .

Useful Resources:

• Facts on Poverty
• Poverty World Clock (Real-time poverty index calculator)
• Defining Poverty
• Eradicating poverty

Gradecrest is a professional writing service that provides original model papers. We offer personalized services along with research materials for assistance purposes only. All the materials from our website should be used with proper references. See our Terms of Use Page for proper details.

5 Essays About Poverty Everyone Should Know

Poverty is one of the driving forces of inequality in the world. Between 1990-2015, much progress was made. The number of people living on less than $1.90 went from 36% to 10%. However, according to the World Bank , the COVID-19 pandemic represents a serious problem that disproportionately impacts the poor. Research released in February of 2020 shows that by 2030, up to ⅔ of the “global extreme poor” will be living in conflict-affected and fragile economies. Poverty will remain a major human rights issue for decades to come. Here are five essays about the issue that everyone should know:

“We need an economic bill of rights” –  Martin Luther King Jr.

The Guardian published an abridged version of this essay in 2018, which was originally released in Look magazine just after Dr. King was killed. In this piece, Dr. King explains why an economic bill of rights is necessary. He points out that while mass unemployment within the black community is a “social problem,” it’s a “depression” in the white community. An economic bill of rights would give a job to everyone who wants one and who can work. It would also give an income to those who can’t work. Dr. King affirms his commitment to non-violence. He’s fully aware that tensions are high. He quotes a spiritual, writing “timing is winding up.” Even while the nation progresses, poverty is getting worse.

This essay was reprinted and abridged in The Guardian in an arrangement with The Heirs to the Estate of Martin Luther King. Jr. The most visible representative of the Civil Rights Movement beginning in 1955, Dr. King was assassinated in 1968. His essays and speeches remain timely.

“How Poverty Can Follow Children Into Adulthood” – Priyanka Boghani

This article is from 2017, but it’s more relevant than ever because it was written when 2012 was the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. That’s no longer the case. In 2012, around ¼ American children were in poverty. Five years later, children were still more likely than adults to be poor. This is especially true for children of colour. Consequences of poverty include anxiety, hunger, and homelessness. This essay also looks at the long-term consequences that come from growing up in poverty. A child can develop health problems that affect them in adulthood. Poverty can also harm a child’s brain development. Being aware of how poverty affects children and follows them into adulthood is essential as the world deals with the economic fallout from the pandemic.

Priyanka Boghani is a journalist at PBS Frontline. She focuses on U.S. foreign policy, humanitarian crises, and conflicts in the Middle East. She also assists in managing Frontline’s social accounts.

“5 Reasons COVID-19 Will Impact the Fight to End Extreme Poverty” – Leah Rodriguez

For decades, the UN has attempted to end extreme poverty. In the face of the novel coronavirus outbreak, new challenges threaten the fight against poverty. In this essay, Dr. Natalie Linos, a Harvard social epidemiologist, urges the world to have a “social conversation” about how the disease impacts poverty and inequality. If nothing is done, it’s unlikely that the UN will meet its Global Goals by 2030. Poverty and COVID-19 intersect in five key ways. For one, low-income people are more vulnerable to disease. They also don’t have equal access to healthcare or job stability. This piece provides a clear, concise summary of why this outbreak is especially concerning for the global poor.

Leah Rodriguez’s writing at Global Citizen focuses on women, girls, water, and sanitation. She’s also worked as a web producer and homepage editor for New York Magazine’s The Cut.

“Climate apartheid”: World’s poor to suffer most from disasters” – Al Jazeera and news Agencies

The consequences of climate change are well-known to experts like Philip Alston, the special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. In 2019, he submitted a report to the UN Human Rights Council sounding the alarm on how climate change will devastate the poor. While the wealthy will be able to pay their way out of devastation, the poor will not. This will end up creating a “climate apartheid.” Alston states that if climate change isn’t addressed, it will undo the last five decades of progress in poverty education, as well as global health and development .

“Nickel and Dimed: On (not) getting by in America” – Barbara Ehrenreich

In this excerpt from her book Nickel and Dimed, Ehrenreich describes her experience choosing to live undercover as an “unskilled worker” in the US. She wanted to investigate the impact the 1996 welfare reform act had on the working poor. Released in 2001, the events take place between the spring of 1998 and the summer of 2000. Ehrenreich decided to live in a town close to her “real life” and finds a place to live and a job. She has her eyes opened to the challenges and “special costs” of being poor. In 2019, The Guardian ranked the book 13th on their list of 100 best books of the 21st century.

Barbara Ehrenreich is the author of 21 books and an activist. She’s worked as an award-winning columnist and essayist.

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About the author, emmaline soken-huberty.

Emmaline Soken-Huberty is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon. She started to become interested in human rights while attending college, eventually getting a concentration in human rights and humanitarianism. LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and climate change are of special concern to her. In her spare time, she can be found reading or enjoying Oregon’s natural beauty with her husband and dog.

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• Poverty Essay for Students in English

Essay on Poverty

Poverty is a disease that has no cure. The deeper this disease is, the deeper its wound. By the way, man lives under compulsion. But usually one wants to avoid it. Poverty is a condition of extreme poverty for any person or human being. This is a situation when a person starts to lack important things in his life such as the roof, necessary food, clothes, medicines, etc. to continue his life.

The causes of poverty are excessive population, fatal and contagious diseases, natural disasters, low agricultural yields, unemployment, casteism, illiteracy, gender inequality, environmental problems, changing trends in the economy of the country, untouchability, little or limited access to people's rights, Problems such as political violence, sponsored crime, corruption, lack of encouragement, inaction, ancient social beliefs, etc. have to be faced.

Poverty has become a big problem of the world, efforts are being made across the world today to remove poverty, but the problem is that it does not take the name of ending. This problem affects a human's economic and daily life. Poverty teaches man to live like a slave in which he has to change the place over time, in this situation due to the lack of education of the poor, his nature and speech also make a difference. Living in a world of poor people has become a curse. Getting enough money to get food is like getting relief from a curse for the poor, that's why they do not have access to education.

Reasons of Poverty

There are many reasons that have continued with carrying it for a long time. Because of this,  freedom, mental and physical fitness, and lack of security in a person remains. It is very important that in order to live a normal life, the country and the whole world will have to work together to bring proper physical and mental health, complete education, a home for everyone, and other important things.

In today's time, there is the problem of poverty which gives all the pain, pain, and despair to the poor. Due to the lack of money from poverty, I show the lack of many things. Poverty makes children spend life in compulsion. If forced to make bread, sometimes in bringing children's books. At that time he is also unable to raise children.

We can tell poverty in many ways like it has become a common thing in India. Most of the people here are unable to get the things they need. Here a vast section of the population is illiterate, hungry, and forced to live without clothes and a home. About half of India's population suffers from this epidemic of poverty.

A poor person lives his life without possession of basic things like food for two times, clean water, house, clothes, proper education, etc. There are many reasons for poverty in India. Incorrect distribution of national income is also a reason. People in the low-income group are much poorer than those in the high-income group. Children of poor families never get proper education, nutrition, and a happy childhood environment. The main cause of poverty is illiteracy, corruption, growing population, weak agriculture, the growing gap between rich and poverty, etc.

Measures to Control Poverty

Corruption has to be erased.

Unemployed will have to give proper employment

A growing population will have to be stopped

Farmers have to be given proper facilities for farming

Education should be provided to children for proper education

Poverty is not just a human problem but it is a national problem. It should be solved by implementing some effective methods on a quick basis. Every person should be united by ending corruption. A problem has been created in which he does not get even the basics. That is why at present, many measures are being taken to prevent poverty so that the standard of living of people around the world can be improved.

Short Essays on Poverty

Poverty is akin to being a slave, as a person cannot achieve anything he desires. It has various faces that alter depending on who you are, where you are, and when. It can be defined in various ways depending on how a person feels or experiences it.

Poverty is a state that no one wants to be in, but it must be removed owing to cultural norms, natural disasters, or a lack of adequate education. The individual who is experiencing it frequently wishes to flee. Poverty is a call for poor people to earn enough money to eat, have access to education, have adequate shelter, dress appropriately, and take steps to protect themselves from social and political violence.

It's a problem that goes unnoticed yet significantly impacts a person's social life. Poverty is an entirely avoidable problem, but there are various reasons why it has persisted in the past.

Poverty robs people of their freedom, mental health, physical well-being, and security. Everyone must strive to eradicate poverty from the country and the world, ensuring appropriate physical and mental health, full literacy, a home for all, and other necessities for living a simple life.

When a person cannot do anything according to his will, he is said to be in poverty. Many different faces alter depending on who you are, where you are, and time. It can be characterized in a variety of ways, depending on how the person feels or what they have achieved. Poverty is a circumstance that no one wants to be in, even if it is forced upon them due to a lack of experience, nature, natural disasters, or a lack of suitable education. Humans have won it, but they prefer to stay away from it. Poverty is a call for needed clothing and protection against social and political violence for the poor to earn enough money to buy food, receive an education, and find a suitable place to live.

This is an unseen problem that harms a person's social life. Even though numerous factors have contributed to its long-term persistence, poverty is a perfectly preventable problem. As a result, a person's freedom, mental and physical well-being, and sense of security are all compromised. It is critical to bring poverty and poverty from worldwide to work together to live everyday life, provide adequate physical and mental health, complete education, a home for everyone, and other essential things.

FAQs on Poverty Essay for Students in English

1. What are the Effects of Poverty?

When people are not able to afford their basic necessities. For example medications and hospital fees are impossible to afford for that means they choose crook ways of obtaining money i.e. stealing, robbery, etc.  

2. What are the Possible Ways to Remove Poverty?

Since India is a developing country, eliminating poverty here is much tougher than in other countries but still some measures can be taken and government assistance would be much helpful in this step which requires some relevant planning and policies for those who fall under the poverty line. Another major factor of poverty is illiteracy and unemployment. Therefore education is the most efficient tool to confine the poverty line in the country. 

3. What is the Poverty Line?

The Below Poverty Line (BPL) signifies the state of people who fall under poverty status. It also symbolizes an economic drawback. In addition, it is used for people who are in need of help and assistance from the government.

4. What are the causes of poverty?

Poverty has several causes, including a lack of access to essentials such as water, food, shelter, education, and healthcare. Poverty is also caused by inequities such as gender or ethnic discrimination, bad governance, conflict, exploitation, and domestic violence. These disparities not only cause a person or a society to fall into poverty, but they can also prevent people from receiving social assistance that could help them get out of it. Due to political upheaval, past or present conflict, corrupt authorities, and lousy infrastructure that restricts access to education, clean water, healthcare, and other essentials, children and communities in fragile states confront greater poverty rates.

5. What can we do to put an end to extreme poverty?

We can aid in the eradication of extreme poverty by determining what causes it in a particular community and then determining what needs to change. Because poverty manifests itself differently in different regions and is caused by different circumstances, the work to end extreme poverty differs depending on the situation. More economic resources are needed to assist people in increasing their income and better providing for themselves and their families. To ensure that poverty does not return, the work must be sustainable, regardless of the solution. As a result, the community must be involved at every stage.

6. What criteria are used to assess poverty?

Each country's government determines poverty levels by conducting home surveys of its citizens. The World Bank, for example, assists and may conduct their surveys, although data collecting is time-consuming and slow. New high-frequency surveys are being created and tested, leveraging estimations and mobile phone technologies. If you want to learn more about these topics, download the Vedantu App that has been specifically designed and curated for students by experts.

7. What is the poverty cycle?

Poverty can be a catch-22 situation. To escape poverty, a person requires access to possibilities such as education, clean water, local medical services, and financial means. Poverty creates a generational cycle if these critical factors are not there. If parents cannot afford to take their children to school, they will struggle to find work when they grow up. Even natural disasters and conflicts can exacerbate the poverty cycle by bringing more people.

8. What are the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of goals for countries worldwide to work together in a global partnership for the benefit of people, the environment, and prosperity. The Sustainable Development Goals aim to abolish extreme poverty for all people everywhere by 2030 and to reduce the proportion of people living in poverty in all forms by at least half. In September 2015, the United Nations member states accepted this objective as one of 17 to end extreme poverty.

Essay on Poverty

Essay generator.

In a world where wealth and progress are often spotlighted, poverty remains a critical global issue. This essay seeks to explore poverty’s definition, implications, and how students can effectively discuss it in writing competitions.

Poverty is not just an economic condition but a multidimensional phenomenon. It entails a lack of basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter, and extends to deprivation in education, health, and dignity. It’s a state where individuals or groups are unable to enjoy minimal standards of life and well-being.

The Dimensions of Poverty

• Income Poverty: This is the most commonly understood dimension of poverty, where individuals or households do not have enough income to meet their basic needs, such as food, shelter, clothing, and healthcare.Poverty thresholds or poverty lines are often used to define income poverty, which varies from one region or country to another.
• Material Deprivation: Material deprivation goes beyond income and focuses on the lack of access to essential goods and services, including safe housing, clean water, sanitation, and education.It considers the inability to afford items necessary for a decent standard of living.
• Multidimensional Poverty: Multidimensional poverty measures take into account a range of factors, including income, health, education, and living conditions, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of poverty.
• Health Poverty: Lack of access to quality healthcare and nutritious food can lead to health poverty. People in poverty often have higher rates of illness, malnutrition, and limited access to healthcare services.
• Education Poverty: Education poverty refers to the limited access to quality education and the high dropout rates among children living in poverty. It can perpetuate the cycle of poverty by limiting opportunities for future generations.
• Social Exclusion: Social exclusion refers to the isolation and discrimination faced by individuals or groups living in poverty. They may be excluded from social activities, decision-making processes, and access to public services.
• Vulnerability and Insecurity: Poverty often leads to vulnerability and insecurity, as individuals and families lack financial stability and may be at risk of falling further into poverty due to unexpected expenses, job loss, or economic shocks.
• Environmental Poverty: Environmental poverty highlights the connection between poverty and environmental degradation. Poor communities may lack access to clean water, face the consequences of climate change, or be forced to live in hazardous environments.
• Food Insecurity: Food insecurity is a dimension of poverty related to inadequate access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. It can result in malnutrition and hunger.
• Inter-generational Poverty: Inter-generational poverty occurs when poverty is passed down from one generation to the next, often due to limited access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.
• Urban and Rural Poverty: Poverty can manifest differently in urban and rural areas, with urban poverty often characterized by issues like slums, overcrowding, and informal employment, while rural poverty may be related to agriculture and landlessness.
• Gender Poverty: Gender poverty acknowledges that poverty affects women and men differently. Women often face additional barriers and discrimination, making them more vulnerable to poverty.

Causes of Poverty

• Lack of Education: Limited access to quality education can hinder people’s ability to secure well-paying jobs, leaving them stuck in low-paying or informal employment.
• Unemployment and Underemployment: A lack of job opportunities or the presence of jobs with low wages and poor working conditions can lead to poverty.
• Low Wages and Income Inequality: Even when employed, individuals may earn insufficient wages to cover basic needs, and income inequality can exacerbate poverty by concentrating wealth among a small percentage of the population.
• Health Issues: High medical expenses, lack of access to healthcare, and chronic health conditions can lead to poverty due to medical bills and reduced earning capacity.
• Family Structure: Single-parent households, especially those headed by women, often face a higher risk of poverty due to limited income and resources.
• Discrimination and Social Exclusion: Discrimination based on factors like race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or disability can limit opportunities and lead to economic disparities.
• Geographic Location: Poverty rates can vary significantly based on where people live, with rural areas often facing unique challenges such as limited access to services and economic opportunities.
• Economic Shocks and Vulnerability: Sudden economic downturns, natural disasters, or personal crises (e.g., illness or job loss) can push individuals and families into poverty or deepen existing poverty.
• Lack of Access to Financial Services: Limited access to banking and credit services can make it difficult for people to save, invest, or access funds in times of need.

The Global Impact

Poverty leads to a cycle of deprivation impacting education, health, and economic prospects, perpetuating a generational trap. It also hinders global development, as vast segments of the population are unable to contribute effectively to society.

• Economic Consequences
• Health and Well-being .
• Education and Human Capital
• Global Inequality
• Migration and Displacement
• Food Security
• Conflict and Instability
• Human Rights and Social Justice
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Global Health Challenges
• Environmental Impact

Writing About Poverty

For students participating in essay competitions, discussing poverty requires sensitivity and depth:

• Use Real-Life Examples : Incorporate case studies or stories to illustrate poverty’s impact.
• Statistical Evidence : Include relevant data to provide context and support your points.
• Global and Local Perspectives : Discuss poverty both as a global issue and within your local context.
• Propose Solutions : Offer innovative ideas or existing strategies that address poverty reduction.

Poverty is more than just a lack of income; it’s a lack of opportunity and security. Its complexity requires thoughtful understanding and action. In writing about poverty, students have the opportunity to raise awareness, challenge perceptions, and contribute to a more equitable world. Understanding and articulating this topic can be a powerful tool for change, making it an essential subject for essay competitions and beyond.

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• Poverty Essay

Poverty in India Essay

500+ words poverty in india essay.

Poverty is defined as a condition in which a person or family lacks the financial resources to afford a basic, minimum standard of living. Poor people don’t have adequate income; they can’t afford housing, health facilities and education which are essential for basic survival. So, poverty can be understood simply as a lack of money, or more broadly, barriers to everyday human life. With the help of this poverty essay, students will understand the meaning of poverty, the major causes of poverty and the efforts taken to eliminate poverty in India. So, students must go through this poverty in India essay in depth to get ideas on how to write effective essays and score high marks in exams.

What Causes Poverty?

There are various factors that are responsible for poverty. The major causes are unemployment, illiteracy, increasing population, and lack of proper education and training. As people are not able to find work for themselves, they are not able to earn their livelihood. Due to this, they lack access to basic education, health care, drinking water and sanitation. They are unable to feed their families and children. The other causes of poverty include war, natural disasters, political instability, etc. For example, World War II impacted many countries and they had to suffer from poverty for a long time. It took a lot of effort for such countries to recover their normal state. Similarly, natural disasters affect some areas so badly that poverty and hunger arise.

How is Poverty Measured in India?

The minimum expenditure (or income) required to purchase a basket of goods and services necessary to satisfy basic human needs is called the Poverty Line. Poverty can be measured in terms of the number of people living below this line. It is measured by the State Governments and information is provided by Below Poverty Line (BPL) censuses. Different countries use different measures for measuring poverty but the basic concept remains the same. The definition of the poverty line remains the same, i.e, consumption required for maintaining the minimum standard of living in a country.

Efforts to Eliminate Poverty

Earning income is the first step towards poverty eradication. Poverty can be eliminated by empowering people, and by giving them a good education that will prepare them to have a better career and future. With the help of education, people can get good jobs which allow them to earn a good living. In this way, they will be able to provide their children with a better life. People should be given easy access to transportation, information, communication, technologies, and other public facilities and services to help remove poverty.

The government has also taken several steps to eradicate poverty in India. It has launched various programmes and schemes such as the Five Years Programme, Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana, Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana etc. These programmes help to generate wage employment for the poor, unskilled people living in rural areas. The government also has social security programmes to help a few specific groups such as poor women, elder people, and widows. Apart from these government initiatives, citizens of India have to take an active part in eliminating poverty because it can’t be achieved by just a few people. It needs the support of everyone.

Did you find “Essay on Poverty” useful for improving your writing skills? Do let us know your views in the comments section. Keep learning, and don’t forget to download the BYJU’S App for more interesting study videos.

Frequently asked Questions on Poverty in India Essay

How can poverty in india be abolished completely.

Abolishing poverty in India completely can be challenging. Steps should be taken to ensure equality in education so that everyone gets equal opportunities to find better livelihoods. Proper sanitation and water facility 3. Economic security and development

When was the first plan implemented for Poverty abolition?

The fifth five-year plan was first implemented in the year 1974-79 and since then the government has taken several steps and made many reservations to take this plan forward.

What is the relation between Poverty abolition and economic development?

Poverty abolition and economic development go hand in hand with each other and they are interlinked to each other. Eradication of poverty automatically improves the overall economic situation of a country.

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Essay on Poverty | Poverty Essay for Students and Children in English

February 14, 2024 by Prasanna

Essay on Poverty: As commented by Mahatma Gandhi decades back, ‘Poverty is the worst form of violence’. During recent years, Poverty is the biggest hurdle in an entire way towards India’s development. Poverty is a worse condition in which the person entirely fails to fulfil his/her physiological needs and the need for food and luxurious life. Poverty-stricken people can also have the best facility for fighting against the diseases and get balanced nutrition and proper medical assistance whenever required.

Even since the immemorial times, poverty has been a more comprehensive concerning issue, and it intensified more in India under the British rule, reaching a peak in the 1920s. The essay on poverty contains various facts and details that are important for understanding the students about the concerned agenda.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Long and Short Essays on Poverty for Students and Kids in English

We provide children and students with essay samples on a long essay of 500 words and a short essay of 150 words on the topic “Poverty” for reference.

Short Essay on Poverty 150 Words in English

Short Essay on Poverty is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Poverty is the lack of food, clothing, proper shelter, medicine, education, and other essential elements for better survival in the World. It is also the assurance of having equal human rights. Poverty is a worse situation that forces people to starve without proper shelter, clothing, ethical rights, and educational assistance.

Several reasons lead to poverty in any country. Even though there are several solutions to avoid the poverty attack, the lack of proper unity among a country’s residents for following the answers leads to the issues. This is another primary reason why the poverty rate is rapidly rising with each passing day.

The spread of the epidemic diseases also leads to the rising rate of poverty in any country. This is because most poor people cannot maintain their health status and get appropriate medical aid in such situations. Poverty is the adverse situation that makes the people unable to go to the service assurers for their needs, and go even more towards the diseases and illness due to unclean and unhygienic food and water and living in unhealthy situations.

It is the effect that makes people powerless and risks their freedom. This is because a poverty-stricken person might enter the vicious circle of slavery. But, this is an inescapable issue, and thus the person who is stuck in it has to live with it. Poverty is an adverse human situation that brings grief, pain, and despair in individuals’ lives. It is the lack of money and necessities for living luxuriously and adequately with access to all the essential elements. This is an adverse situation that might also make a child unable to enter the school and study during childhood, and this is also the reason behind worse social issues like child labour and slavery.

Poverty means the shortage of money for arranging even the perfect two times meal and have a healthy nutritious diet. Such people do not have enough money to afford the essentials for living a perfect and healthy human life. Thus, there are several ways available that one can use for defining poverty.

Poverty is the most common social issue in the underdeveloped or developing nations, like India and Africa. These nations have a higher poverty rate than the developed countries across the World. This is because a significant segment of people in these countries do not have access to better-earning opportunities and income and cannot meet the basic needs of life. A more substantial segment of these nations’ population is illiterate, stays hungry, and lives without a home and proper clothes.

Poverty is also the primary reason that hinders the country’s economic, social, and political growth. Poor people do not have enough money to satisfy all their needs and lives the entire life without access to many facilities, including even a two-day meal and clean drinking water. Poor people are thus forced to enter into wrong paths and do crimes for earning their living. There are several reasons for poverty in a nation, and for India, it was mainly the British rule, slavery conditions, and rising epidemic illness rates. Children from low-income families do not even get access to education and facility to have proper schooling and medical aids. Many of them are not even aware of the modern advancements that the comparatively more prosperous people have access to.

Long Essay on Poverty 500 Words in English

Long Essay on Poverty is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Poverty is a worse situation that represents poor quality of life, rising illiteracy and malnutrition, lack of basic and essential elements of living, lower development of the human resource, and others. This is a more significant challenge, significantly hindering the growth of the developing nations, like India. Poverty is the phenomenon in which a segment of society does not have access to meeting the basic needs of life and have a healthier life. The experts also observe that poverty level is still declining since India’s last five years (reaching 26.1% in 1999-2000 to 35.97% in 1993-1994)

Poverty in India has also declined at the state level rapidly. In Madhya Pradesh, the poverty rate fell from 43.42% to 37.43%. Not only this, but in other states like UP, and Orissa too, the poverty rate has gone downwards. However, even though there is a downfall in the country’s poverty rate, to eradicate it from the routes, we must make use of some effective programs with combined efforts of Government. It is necessary for the Government of the country to formulate effective strategies for developing a socially poor sector of the society using the critical components like population control measures, and primary education made compulsory, employment generation, and others.

Several issues arise due to a higher poverty rate. Illiteracy increases with poverty as people cannot access proper education and get learning resources due to lack of money. Poverty also leads to rising malnutrition as poor people are unable to afford a proper two-time meal and get a nutritious diet to stay healthy. In turn, this leads to increasing illness and diseases that also remains uncured because of lack of medical aid. Due to poverty, families have lower income that is unable to meet their needs, and thus the children are also forced into child labour to meet the demands.

Unemployment is a significant cause of poverty as it leads to a shortage of money and affects the daily lives of the people. It also forces people to work against their will in harmful conditions. Poverty leads to social stress due to inequality in income between the rich and the poor. This also creates a worse issue for people as they have to stay out of their homes on roadways, sidewalks, open spaces, and without any shelter. Poverty is a worse issue that affects people from all the demographics and age group in adverse ways, causing severe losses and stress for them. This is a concerning factor, and only the Government of a nation can come up with practical ways to reduce the poverty rate.

Poverty is an adverse condition in which the people are left without shelter in a depriving state for basic necessities like food, water, clothes, etc. India has a higher poverty rate. A more significant segment of the entire population cannot afford even the two-time meals properly, have to sleep on the roadsides, wear dirty clothes, drink unclean water, and live in unhealthy and unhygienic conditions. Poor people lack access to proper and healthy nutrition, medical aid, educational assistance, and other essential services to better their lives and the lives of their children.

In urban India, poverty is rapidly rising due to the rise in urban population as people from many rural areas are shifting towards the urban ones. As people move in search of employment and a better lifestyle, but lack of employment opportunities forces them into a financially unstable situation where sometimes they are even forced to work under harmful and unpleasing conditions. In India, more than eight crore people’s income is still lower than the poverty line, and 4.5 crore urban people stand at the verge of the poverty level. A more significant number of urban people stays in the slums, and most of them are illiterates.

Despite many initiatives of Government and NGOs, there is still no satisfying effect regarding the lowering of the poverty level. Several reasons lead to poverty like one of India’s significant cause for poverty is the rising population, poor agriculture, lack of employment opportunities, corruption, a wider gap between poor and rich, epidemic diseases, and many more. A more significant per cent of the Indian population depends on the agriculture sector, which is getting poor rapidly. People also face a shortage of food due to poor agriculture and unemployment.

Furthermore, as there is no limitation on having children after marriage, the rising population also leads to poverty. There are more stomachs to feed, and the income cannot satisfy the same for many families. Furthermore, as the basic facilities are not available adequately, many people get poverty-stricken. With this, the poor become extra poor and richer ones get extra rich, widening the gap between both the segments.

Poverty leads to severe impacts ion the entire society and adversely affects the lives of the people. Poverty leads to illiteracy, lack of proper diet and nutrition, child labour, poor lifestyle and lousy sanitization, and other adverse effects. People are often unable even to get a proper two-time meal and clean drinking water, and due to lack of a healthy diet, the children are mostly malnutrition. Children are unable to study and get appropriate education, and thus the cycle of poverty continues in the families for generations. This eventually hinders the overall development of the nation.

For controlling poverty, there are specific measures that we can take to solve the issue for ensuring a better lifestyle for all the people staying on the planet. There are specific effective measures like farmers must receive proper and necessary access to facilities for better agriculture. The illiterate people must get adequate access to education and training to understand several aspects of a better life. People must be given training for family planning and sex education for population control. Every child must go to school, and there must also be new employment opportunities for all type of people.

Poverty Essay Conclusion

Poverty is not an individual-level problem, but it is a broader issue for the entire nation and the planet. This is a significant threat to human resource development and must be taken care of on a priority basis. People must consider essential and effective measures to control the poverty rate. We must combined work to eradicate all the loopholes in the government systems and encourage the organizations which work to handle the poverty crisis.

The article contains an essay on poverty to satisfy various students’ educational and academic requirements from different classes. This is a concerning factor. The students must understand the issue sufficiently to eradicate the problem and ensure a better and developed lifestyle for all the people Worldwide.

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Poverty in the United States

How it works

Poverty is a major issue in our world today, it is when people are not able to afford a minimum standard of living to survive. Poverty is the removal of financial stability to afford necessities. Bill Fay, veteran journalist defined poverty as a pervasive human condition of being unable to obtain or provide a standard level of food, water, and shelter. In 2015, a study was done and reported that 60% of people will experience at least 1 year of poverty. 40% of adults have reported difficulty to provide themselves with basic human needs such as food, shelter, healthcare, clothes, etc.

(Poverty in America ). Poverty within United States affects all society and its capability to progess as whole, a lack of education and skilled workers means that there isn’t enough to promote more wealth for everyone. Living in poverty can become a nasty cycle if nothings is to be done which leads to being a public problem. Unemployment and low income communities sets an environment where it prevents from kids going to school to get an education which would stop them from find a promising career in the future.

Poverty can be a never-ending cycle if individuals are not willing or capable to get out which can lead a pattern from one generation to another.. Stated in Kids in America are Hungry , in 2016 over 40 million people lived in poverty, of that number, 13 million were children. Poverty can be can be a huge threat to a childrens lives that can prevent them from getting opportunities and resources that can make a big difference for their future education. Poverty eliminates the option for people/children to focus on personal improvement due to limited resources. Not only does poverty affect the poor but it affects everyone as well, it places economic, social, and psychological costs on individuals. A report was done by the Children’s Defense Fund and they stated, when children do not succeed as adults, all of society pays the price: businesses are able to find fewer good workers, consumers pay more for their goods, hospital and health insurers spend more treating preventable illness, teachers spend more time on remediation and special education, citizens feel less safe on the streets (Bangs, R. 2015, pg. 95). Research shows that growing up young in poverty can harmfully affect children’s health including social and mental developments (The Range of Poverty in America ). The economic system makes it extremely difficult for people to live above the poverty line and can prevent individuals from upward social mobility.

When it comes to solving poverty and making a difference, there are many career choices that can help with certain issues such as hunger, job opportunities, substance abuse, crime, family stability, etc. I believe the best career choice to go towards is being a teacher when it comes to fighting against poverty. Education in poor communities receive less funding and limited resources compared to more wealthier communites. According to The Borgen Project, children spend approximately 1,200 hours a year in an academic setting. A teacher’s responsibility is being able to influence and educate how important it is to have a stable mental health, education, and living conditions for the future (Borgen Project, 2018). Education is vital and fundamental that provides tools, resources, and opportunities for students to avoid situations that can lead them into poverty and help them succeed in the future. Dr. Robert Hawkins explains, low-income communities need to have teachers who understand the situation they’re in and be able to support them academically and help them in every way they can to make sure they are prepared for real-world problems and help them succeed, (Hawkins, 2016).

Becoming a teacher can help shape and guide children into going towards the right direction in life and help them get out of poverty by providing support and education. To be apart of solving poverty in America or just help make a difference, I would purse to be a middle school teacher. Middle school teachers work with children from 6th to 8th grade where the children are becoming more advanced and complexed learners, the teachers continue to supervise the students and teach them essential life skills and lead them towards the right path before starting high school (Hawkins, 2016). In order to pursue a career in education I must earn a Bachelors degree, which includes taking all general education requirement courses like history, math, writing, science as the common main courses and then cultural humanities, psychology, sociology, art, computer science, etc. depending on what college I attend to. With general education I must also take additional core education courses that is relevant to what subjects I need to teach in middle school which would be math, science, or language arts. Other courses I would potentially have to take would include student assessment methods, instructional strategies, multiculturalism, human development, and any additional educational courses that I need to take depending on what I will be interested in teaching (Pearson, n.d.). While working on a Bachelor’s degree I must also participate in student teaching for atleast a semester where I must have a certain number of hours for supervised education experience in order to sit for licensure. After getting a Bachelor’s degree and hours for student teaching I then have to get licensed or certified for whichever state I plan on teaching at. All states require prospective teachers to complete and pass the states required tests for instructor, then finally apply for the state’s teaching certificate (USDL, 2018).

Pursing a career in education to help solve America’s problem with poverty, can help children by guiding them with support and essential life skills to prevent them from falling into the viscious cycle of poverty. Through the act of teaching, teachers can help improve children’s self-esteem and boost their confidence when they’re more likely be living in a lack of support kind of environment. Becoming a teacher will not solve the problem of poverty as a whole but will most definitely mak a difference starting with children who are the future of America.

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Sample essay on poverty.

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Poverty is a common social issue that has troubled nations for thousands of years. While nations like the United States of America have worked diligently to eradicate it domestically, it still widely exists internationally. The following essay on poverty presents a few arguments from prominent scholars regarding solutions to poverty and should prove especially valuable to those readers considering buying an essay for their own use. Take note how this writer has stressed the importance of noting that while the challenges facing poverty are daunting, the solutions are feasible and can happen.

Poverty: A multifaceted issue

Poverty has been a consistent problem throughout history. No matter what the median income, unemployment or overall prosperity level is, there will always be people who are homeless and hungry. Despite being one of the most prosperous countries in the world, the United States is not immune to it either. Even today, there are still people struggling to find shelter, feed their kids and find warm clothing. For children, growing up in poverty conditions can have adverse effects that last a lifetime. This social problem has various impacts on different institutions and people. However, there are feasible solutions that are available to alleviate this social problem. In discussing poverty in the United States, the following essay utilizes three major perspectives: the general condition, the emerging middle class poverty and the relationship between small businesses and strategic measures to alleviate poverty. 

As you can see, there are over a billion people living in poverty around the world.

America's stagnant poverty line

According to Howard Glennerster in "United States Poverty Studies and Poverty Measurement: The Past Twenty-Five Years," poverty has been a steady condition in United States history. Not only that, but today there is even more discussion focused on the “culture and race of poverty” (Glennerster, 10). More and more aid seems to be going to minorities in which there is a high density (such as African-American or Hispanic communities). Moreover, the attention has also been placed on women on welfare ( click here to read about how poverty impacts teen pregnancy rates). This segment of the population has retracted to working multiple jobs while taking care of children (Glennerster, 13). Therefore, in the mainstream sense of the term, Glennerster attributed a majority poverty related issues to minorities and single mothers. This mainstream analysis indicates the general level of poverty that is evident in most countries as well.

Allan Singer, in "Business Strategy and Poverty Alleviation," focused on the issue of poverty with regard to small business owners who don’t have these social problems integrated with their own interests. For instance, he boldly claims that “entrepreneurs and corporations overwhelmingly do not view the alleviation of global poverty as a strategic priority” (Singer, 225). Essentially, personal interests overcome the need to help others. Interestingly enough, Singer does not label poverty as a lack of income or assets, but an issue of “capability-deprivation” because of the circumstances some people are born under (Singer 226). Singer views this perspective as an unfair facet because people do not have control over their futures based on sociological limitations of their location or demographic ( read more about how unemployment impacts young adults). Finally, he placed emphasis on the role of government and businesses to alleviate this issue.

Blaming the recent economic crisis

Finally, Stephanie Chen, in "The New Hungry: College-Educated, Middle-Class Cope With Food Insecurity," maintains her position on poverty from the perspective of a recently bogged down economy . She argued that “more than 50 million American were living in a food insecure home at some point in 2009” (Chen, 1). She compares this to the 36 million in 2006. The main dilemma that these poverty stricken individuals face is whether to pay their mortgages or put food on the table. Surely, Chen focuses her discussion not on the minorities or single mothers, but on the working class families that are struggling. Her evidence comes from the hundreds of food banks across the country that is struggling to meet demands from various areas of the spectrum from the homeless to the middle class (Chen, 2). 

These three perspectives offer a wide range of social problems resulting from poverty . For instance, Glennerster’s perspective on minorities places the blame like a laser beam of Hispanics and African-Americans. As a result, the widely launched government aid programs were targeted towards these minorities (Glennerster, 10). Consequently, this raises the larger issue of generalization and racism. If the country’s resources are being utilized for a specific segment of the population, then it singles them out for extraneous scrutiny by those not reaping the tax payer benefits.

Moreover, since small businesses (even custom writing services like Ultius ) are the primary catalysts of jobs, Singer argues that the major consequences of greedy business owners are that they are not helping the job creation process enough (Singer, 226). Also, this process also puts duress on governments to intervene either positively or negatively to encourage businesses to foster job creation. Finally, the middle class poverty issue is primarily affecting the local state and city governments that are under pressure to fund and supply food banks for people that don’t have the means to do so (Chen, 3). Therefore, the issue of poverty under these perspectives influences not only local and state governments, businesses, but also people’s attitudes towards those suffering from poverty. 

Big liberal government as solution to poverty

The solutions presented by all three articles indicate that government intervention is the solution. For instance, Glennerster cited that poverty management over the past twenty-five years has been alleviated by government programs targeted towards specific demographics (Glennerster, 14). He also offered solutions by enhancing education levels in order to promote a long term solution. Conversely, Singer argued that since governments have control over tax payer dollars and small businesses have control over job creation; the solution would be derived from the synergy of these two institutions working together (Singer, 227). Furthermore, by utilizing funding and coordinating business strategy to help alleviate poverty, the cooperative partnerships between these two entities would surely help promote long term job growth. Finally, while Chen doesn’t offer a direct solution, the context of middle class poverty reflects that only short term support is needed. Therefore, by helping food banks and local city governments push through enhanced demand for the short term, this would suffice until a long term solution has been found.

The evidence suggests that these solutions would, in time improve the social condition of poverty. By first focusing on short term alleviation through food banks and local city support, the immediate issue of feeding people would be met. For the long-term, the government would play a very influential role in helping stimulate employment (like through community education ). This would require the help and partnership of small businesses with interests that align with the federal government. Finally, as long as short term aid is readily replaceable with long term solutions, poverty can be eliminated.

The following sample essay on poverty was brought to you by Ultius, the platform that matches you with qualified freelance writers for editing and essay writing services .

Works Cited

Glennerster, Howard. "United States Poverty Studies and Poverty Measurement: The Past Twenty-Five Years." The Social Service Review 76.1 (2002): 1-26. JSTOR. Web. 7 Mar. 2011.<http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/324609>

Singer, Alan. "Business Strategy and Poverty Alleviation." Journal of Business Ethics 66.2/3 (2006): 225-231. JSTOR . Web. 7 Mar. 2011.<http://www.jstor.org/stable/25123827>

Chen, Stephanie. “The New Hungry: College-Educated, Middle-Class Cope With Food Insecurity.” CNN . 13 Dec. 2010. CNN. 7 Mar. 2011. <http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/food.insecurity.holidays.middle.class/index.html>

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Poverty and the Environment Expository Essay

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Poverty and the environment

World poverty, persistence of global poverty, addressing global poverty, benefits of global poverty, reference list.

Poverty exists when one lacks typical socially acceptable things or possessions. People who are in poverty lack basic needs vary from one context to another. The common understanding of basic needs is things necessary for continued existence.

Many people around the globe face the problem of poverty. Poverty links to human population and their activities on the environment. The human population affects the environment negatively due to poverty resulting to environmental degradation and a cycle of poverty.

Poverty and the environment are interlinked as poverty leads to degradation of the environment. On the other hand, the issues of poverty eradication and degradation of the environment are often treated separately hence failure in addressing the issues effectively and reducing poverty around the globe.

Human activities have led to destruction of the environment and the trend shows that there is a bleak future ahead unless the destructive activities on the environment are halted or regulated to avoid destroying the environment further as the future generations are in jeopardy (Ezeonu, 2004).

For instance, people living in poverty destroy natural resources such as forests to clear land to plant food. Consequently, deforestation leads to environment challenges like flooding. Moreover, the high number of human population also causes destruction of the environment when people live on land near rivers and clear tracts of forests to inhabit.

Close to forty per cent of the world’s total population live in poverty according to World Bank estimate in 2004(Whitman, 2008). Explosion in population causes a strain on the environment and pushes millions of people into poverty. Poverty varies from one country to another and poverty in developing countries is dire than in the developed countries.

Poverty depends on class, race and gender. For example, more women than men live in poverty (Kendall, 2009). The poor struggle in their lives as they are disadvantaged in the society and often face prejudice of being lazy.

World poverty is caused by a number of factors such as inequality of resource distribution, wars and conflicts, natural disasters such as earthquakes, flooding and droughts, degradation of the environment and social inequality among others. It is important to note that the levels of world poverty have reduced with global economic growth but many people are still living in poverty.

The reasons for persistence of world poverty are things such as discriminatory trade policies that favor only the developed countries at the international market and exploit the developing nations hence they are unable to make a profit that can be used in fighting poverty (Wade, 2004).

Wars and conflicts that emerge in countries from time to time keep people in poverty for instance the war in Iraq has contributed to high levels of poverty to the citizens. Other factors such as corruption in governments make fighting poverty impossible as a few rich embezzle public funds.

The continued unequal distribution of resources confines people to poverty. Furthermore, those born in poor families are unable to breakaway from the cycle as they do not get opportunities to acquire education and thus grow and live in poverty as their poor parents (Pogge, 2008).

However, world poverty can be addressed by acknowledging that poverty and the environment are connected. Then look for ways of helping people to acquire food without having the need to deforest. If people can access food they are can concentrate on economic activities to improve their situation.

Governments should also deal with corruption because it leads to misuse of funds that would have been used to lift the standards of living of the people.

The international business laws and policies should also change to give all countries a fair opportunity at the international market. More importantly, people should be empowered through training and given access to loans to start small businesses to gain a source of livelihood.

Some countries may favor continued world poverty because it enables them to take advantage of the poor countries that depend on them by exploiting resources in such countries through multinational corporations.

The organizations in such countries that concern themselves with the issue of poverty may never want to see poverty eradicated because they would not have any business and many of their employees would become jobless. The countries may also want poverty to continue so that they can lend loans with high interest to poor nations (Mack, 2009). Thus, world poverty may benefit a few countries.

Ezeonu, I.C. Poverty and the environment: sociologizing environmental protection in sub-Saharan Africa. Review of Black Political Economy , 31(3), 33-42.

Kendall. D. (2010). Social problems in a diverse society . 5 th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Mack, E. (2009). Absolute poverty and global justice: empirical data, moral theories, initiatives. New York: Ashgate Publishing Ltd.

Pogge, W.T. (2008). World poverty and human rights: cosmopolitan responsibilities and reforms . United Kingdom: Polity.

Wade, R.H. (2004). On the causes of increasing world poverty and inequality, or why the Matthew effect prevails. New Political Economy, 9 (2), 163-188.

Whitman, S. (2008). World poverty . Infobase Publishing: New York.

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English that goes straight to the heart

Essay on Poverty

The situation where one is unable to fulfil the minimum requirements of life such as food, clothing, housing, education, and health facilities is referred to as poverty. 

After reading our post ‘Essay on Poverty’ you will be able to understand the meaning of poverty, the causes of poverty and how to deal with it.

Poverty is the inability to secure the minimum human needs of food, clothing, housing, education, and health. When a person is unable to fulfil these basic needs, it leads to pain and distress.

Poverty can be categorized in many ways. In one of the methods of categorizing poverty, the people who always remained poor or are usually poor but sometimes have a little more money are grouped together and are known as chronic poor. The people who are rich most of the time but sometimes become poor are known as occasionally poor. The people who are never poor are called the non-poor. They can be categorized as not-so-poor, middle-class, upper-middle-class, rich, very rich, millionaires, and billionaires.

The problem of poverty can be solved by accelerating the pace of economic growth. A higher growth rate creates new employment and income-earning opportunities. Efforts should be made to incorporate new and modern techniques of production so as to improve productivity and production. Similarly, mechanization should be followed in the agriculture sector so as to improve production. An increase in production would lead to higher income and thereby, help eradicate poverty.

In addition to rapid economic growth, it is necessary to ensure that the increased income does not remain concentrated in a few hands. In other words, to remove poverty it is necessary to remove the inequality of income and wealth. This can be achieved by means of legislative and fiscal measures. Legislative measures include such measures as the Minimum Wages Act , Minimum Support Price, Right to Education, etc. Such measures raise the income earning capacity of people and improve their standard of living.

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On the other hand, fiscal measures comprise taxation and subsidy measures of the government. A high rate of taxes can be levied on the high-income group while the poor are granted subsidies. In this sense, the purchasing power is transferred from the rich to the poor. Similarly, pensions, scholarships, grants, etc. can be granted to the poor. Both the legislative as well as fiscal measures are aimed at encouraging an egalitarian society and reducing poverty.

A high population growth rate offsets the benefits of a high economic growth rate. Even when the level of national income is high, the per capita income will remain low if the population growth rate is high. Thus, to combat poverty, it becomes necessary to control the population growth rate.

People should be made aware of the benefits of a small family and different family control measures. Another measure of controlling the population is encouraging female education and employment. Stress should also be laid on other similar measures such as education, research in the field of family planning, and population control.

Poor are worse hit by the rising prices. Rising prices reduce purchasing power and make it difficult for the poor to purchase even the basic necessities. To reduce poverty steps must be taken to ensure stability in the prices. A two-fold methodology can be adopted for price stability. First, by increasing the production of goods and services, and second, by distributing the essential goods to the poor through fair price shops and ration shops.

Unemployment is one of the major causes of poverty. Steps must be taken to eradicate unemployment. India is a labour-abundant country, and one of the measures to increase employment can be to adopt labour-intensive techniques of production. Similarly, to absorb the labour in rural areas cottage and small-scale industries must be encouraged.

Self-employment must be encouraged in both rural areas and urban areas. Self-employed persons should be provided with such facilities as credit, marketing, transportation, technical training, etc. Besides, to improve employment in the country, it is necessary to make the education system more job-oriented, so that people have the practical knowledge and skill required for gainful employment. A reduction in unemployment through these measures will help in the reduction of poverty.

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Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Poverty in America — Life in Poverty: Defying the Odds

Life in Poverty: Defying The Odds

• Categories: Child Poverty Poverty in America

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Words: 438 |

Published: Jan 25, 2024

Words: 438 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

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Defying the odds, works cited.

• ASHBERY, JOHN. "My Philosophy Of Life". Midwest Studies In Philosophy 33.1 (2009): 1-2. Web.
• Kass, Leon. Life, Liberty, And The Defense Of Dignity. 1st ed. San Francisco: Encounter Books, 2002. Print.

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