Sustainable Societies

Poverty

Poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon, characterized by low income, low consumption, hunger and malnutrition, poor health, lack of education and skills, lack of access to water and sanitation, and vulnerability to economic and social shocks. These characteristics are closely integrated with one another: low income restricts access to basic goods and services, and lack of access to goods and services limits income- generating opportunities. Poverty is also often associated with historic patterns of discrimination against certain social groups. The number of people living under the poverty line of $1 a day is about 1.2 billion people (20% of the world's population). The poorest 20% of the world's people receive only 1.1% of world income and the gap between the richest and poorest countries has increased. About 75% of the poor live in rural areas in developing countries where degraded land and depleted natural resources, often from overexploitation by those who are not poor, increase the difficulties of overcoming poverty.