..:: Causes of Poverty ::..

Poverty has many causes, some of them very basic. Some experts suggest, for instance, that the world has too many people, too few jobs, and not enough food. But such basic causes are quite intractable and not easily eradicated. In most cases, the causes and effects of poverty interact, so that what makes people poor also creates conditions that keep them poor. Primary factors that may lead to poverty include overpopulation, the unequal distribution of resources in the world economy, inability to meet high standards of living and costs of living, inadequate education and employment opportunities, environmental degradation, certain economic and demographic trends, and welfare incentives. For further information of the each factor click on the link.

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Overpopulation
Overpopulation, the situation of having large numbers of people with too few resources and too little space, is closely associated with poverty. read more >>

Global Distribution of Resources
Many experts agree that the legacy of colonialism accounts for much of the unequal distribution of resources in the world economy. In many developing countries, the problems of poverty are massive and pervasive. read more >>

High Standards of Living and Costs of Living
Because people in developed nations may have more wealth and resources than those in developing countries, their standard of living is also generally higher. Thus, people who have what would be considered adequate wealth and resources in developing countries may be considered poor in developed countries. more >>

Inadequate Education and Employment
Illiteracy and lack of education are common in poor countries. Governments of developing countries often cannot afford to provide for good public schools, especially in rural areas. more >>

Environmental Degradation
In many parts of the world, environmental degradation�the deterioration of the natural environment, including the atmosphere, bodies of water, soil, and forests�is an important cause of poverty. more >>

Economic and Demographic Trends
Poverty in many developed countries can be linked to economic trends. In the 1950s and 1960s, for example, most people in the United States experienced strong income growth. more >>

Individual Responsibility and Welfare Dependency
There are differing beliefs about individual responsibility for poverty. Some people believe that poverty is a symptom of societal structure and that some proportion of any society inevitably will be poor. more >>

Recent Facts of Poverty

Half the world � nearly three billion people � live on less than two dollars a day.

What is poverty?

Description of poverty, how is poverty described, how is poverty measured, responding to poverty and more information you can find in this section.