What leads to poverty in society and how to overcome that?


Poverty is described as a condition where people live in penury, lead hand to mouth existence and are underfed. Peoples’ basic needs of clothing, food, and shelter are not met and their standard of living is poor. They have no means of support and find it extremely difficult to lead a normal comfortable life.

What leads to poverty in society?

  • Lack of good education as they cannot afford the fees.

  • Lack of good food to eat leading to malnourishment, ill-health, and stamina.

  • Lack of proper clothing to keep themselves warm and healthy or presentable to attend schools in uniform.

  • Lack of support system either in the form of financial or familial or emotional to instill good values or give proper guidance to them better their lives.

  • Lack of adequate sources within their reach to outgrow their situation.

  • Some physical handicap or deformity that refrains an individual in growing economically.

  • Bad habits like gambling, smoking, drug addiction and alcoholism that deplete their finances and ruin their lives.

  • Criminal offenses that law books them under and they are unable to escape the stigma attached to their name to seek other employment.

  • Selfish political motives that don’t allow people to grow economically.

  • Lack of proper implementation of welfare programs for their upliftment by the government agencies.

  • Population growth and very poor ratio proportion of resources and people or people and job opportunities.

  • Low self-esteem amongst the poor that acts as a detriment to their growth.

  • Single earning member and many mouths to feed in a family impoverish them.

Types of poverty

  • Absolute poverty: Here people are unable to obtain adequate resources to maintain themselves in a healthy way and are synonymous with destitution. This type of poverty can be overcome with proper welfare schemes either by NGOs or the governmental agencies.

  • Relative poverty: This type of poverty is described when people fall below the poverty line as defined by the government of a country and occurs when people do not enjoy a minimum standard of living as determined by the government. This is a universal problem.

Poverty and its effects on peoples’ lives

  • Malnourishment affects the growth of both the individual and his family.

  • Low standard of living affects the individual's personality and may turn him into a criminal or offender or a psycho.

  • Poor quality of living presents a gloomy picture on the world map.

  • Rise in crimes and no offenses to overcome penury.

  • Spread of diseases and pollution due to poor living conditions and an unhealthy environment.

  • Rise in depression and psychiatric patients in society due to stressful living.

  • Lack of good morale due to impoverishment and hunger and lack of education causes insecure living conditions in society.

  • Increases corruption and bribery and demoralizes the entire community.

  • Affects the political scenario negatively as in an attempt to grow economically corrupt politicians may capture their vote bank with the lure of money and come to power.

Ways to overcome poverty

  • Poverty has to be dealt with in the home when a number of members’ work to uplift the economic condition of the family.

  • By the society with the help of NGOs and also by the government by implementing welfare schemes like free housing, zero interest loans, free education, subsidy schemes, free medical camps, and population control implementation to enhance the living standards of the downtrodden and poor.

Updated on: 30-Jul-2019

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