EXTREME POVERTY: CHARACTERISTICS, WORLD DATA, CAUSES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The p extreme OVERTY is defined as the highest degree of economic hardship that does not allow a person to cover more of their basic living needs. There are various parameters to determine from what level is considered extreme poverty.

For example, the World Bank estimates that it occurs when a person lives on less than $ 1.25 a day. Other international organizations establish different figures, but close to each other. This vital situation has, among other characteristics, the nutritional deficiencies it produces and the low educational level.

Percentage of population living on less than $ 1.25 a day. By Cflm001, via Wikimedia Commons

Furthermore, extreme poverty is also characterized by associated labor exploitation or the increase in infectious diseases and the death rate. The causes of extreme poverty are quite numerous; certain organisms indicate some related to the natural environment, such as lack of resources, drought or climate.

There are others that are related to the actions of the human being himself, such as armed conflicts or economic activity without social perspectives. For some decades now, international plans have been put in place that try to reduce the number of extreme poverty.

According to the data, the total number of affected has decreased significantly, but around 10% of the world population still suffers from it.

characteristics

Extreme poverty is one of the great problems facing the planet. Despite efforts to reduce the number of affected, the most recent estimates indicate that there are still 1.4 billion people suffering from this situation; 900 million of them go hungry every day, without access to drinking water or basic services such as education.

The United Nations Organization defines poverty as follows:

“Poverty goes beyond the lack of income and resources to guarantee a sustainable livelihood. Its manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other basic services, social discrimination and exclusion, and lack of participation in decision-making ”.

Another definition is that of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: “a human condition that is characterized by the continuous or chronic deprivation of the resources, capacity, options, security and power necessary to enjoy a standard of living adequate and other civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights ”.

Income that defines extreme poverty

The income threshold that marks extreme poverty is quite diffuse. There are many determining factors, such as the area of ​​the world that is being discussed, access to services that cover basic needs or the country's infrastructure.

However, in general, the figure indicated by the World Bank is usually used to define extreme poverty. According to that body, it is considered that those who live with less than 1.25 US dollars a day suffer from it; This reference is measured on the international prices of 2005.

Multidimensional poverty

Other organizations add different criteria to establish what extreme poverty is. Thus, the term multidimensional poverty is used when considering that there are factors involved beyond the economic ones.

For this type of poverty, the so-called Unsatisfied Basic Needs (UBN) scale was created. This takes into account five basic criteria; it is considered that if any of these are not met, the person (or household) is in poverty.

The characteristics of the NBI are: overcrowding, when more than three people live in the same house for each room; housing, considering that it must be decent; sanitary conditions, referring to the lack of hygienic facilities in homes; education, when a minor is not in school; and the capacity for subsistence.

Child poverty

One of the characteristics of extreme poverty is that it particularly affects children. According to UNICEF, there are more than 1 billion children who survive with serious vital deficiencies.

On the other hand, poverty affects the little ones in a more severe way than the older ones. The lack of adequate nutrition causes serious consequences on their cognitive development and their health.

World data

As mentioned above, in recent decades some plans have been developed to try to tackle the problem of extreme poverty. The total numbers are down a lot, but they are still far from disappearing.

The latest estimates offered by the UN and the World Bank indicate that 10.7% of the world's population lives on less than $ 1.90 a day. This represents an approximate number of 767 million people.

These data -for 2013- represent a great improvement compared to 12.4% in 2012 and, much more compared to the 35% of extreme poverty that existed in 1990.

Geographical distribution

The geographical distribution of extreme poverty indices shows great inequality between the regions of the planet. The areas with the highest percentage of the population in this situation are South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

In the first, the data indicate that 18.8% of the inhabitants are below the threshold set by this circumstance.

For its part, Sub-Saharan Africa has 42.7% of its population living on less than $ 1.90 a day. This means that half of the world's poor come from that area: about 389 million.

Furthermore, compared to advances in other regions, Africans have seen very little improvement. In fact, the 10 poorest countries on the planet are on that continent.

Latin America managed to improve its total figures thanks to the economic growth of Brazil. However, Honduras, Colombia, Guatemala, Panama and Brazil itself still present worrying indices.

Something similar happened in Asia. There, the positive evolution of China and India lowered the total figures. Before that, the two demographic giants accumulated 50% of the world's extreme poverty.

Mostly rural

Another recurring fact about extreme poverty is that it occurs much more in rural areas than in urban ones. According to the FAO, this is also associated with less education. They are people dedicated to agriculture and, for the most part, under 18 years of age.

A good part of the agricultural properties are small family-owned plots that hardly provide for mere subsistence. Day laborers are also a very affected sector, as are herders.

Difference by gender

The UN presented a report that noted the greater presence of women among those affected by extreme poverty.

The reason is that they often suffer discrimination that aggravates the already precarious economic situation of their countries. In addition, domestic work, which in traditional societies is reserved for women, does not have any type of remuneration.

According to the United Nations report - which analyzed 89 countries - there are 4.4 million more women in extreme poverty than men.

Extreme child poverty

Boys and girls are the ones who suffer the most from extreme poverty. It is true that shortages affect the entire population, but its consequences are more serious in the process of growth. In this way, the little ones suffer its effects on survival, health, nutrition and education.

According to UNICEF, some 300 million children go to bed each day without being able to eat properly. Among them, 90% end up suffering severe long-term nutritional problems due to a lack of micronutrients.

Causes

The causes of extreme poverty are complex and encompass historical, environmental, political and economic factors. It is a complex issue to which, in addition, some factors that perpetuate the situation must be added.

To the above, it must be added that the reasons for the appearance of extreme poverty are different depending on the area. This makes it difficult to find a general casuistry.

Geographic environment and scarcity of resources

Some areas of the planet have hard geographical characteristics for humans. They are places where phenomena such as drought, hurricanes or periodic floods make economic development more difficult.

One of the consequences is that the resources are not sufficient for the population, causing the inhabitants to suffer from famines.

Demography

While in European countries the birth rate has been declining for years, in other areas it continues to increase. It is estimated that by the year 2050, it will reach 9 billion inhabitants. Keep in mind that in 2011 there were only 7 billion people on Earth.

This large increase means that resources are insufficient in many areas. Furthermore, for religious, cultural and structural reasons, the nations with the highest demographic growth tend to be the ones with the most economic problems.

Historical causes

One of the most difficult aspects to analyze when identifying the causes of extreme poverty is historical events. Organizations like Intermón Oxfam point to colonization as one of the reasons for the lack of economic development in many countries.

The extraction of resources from colonized places caused a general impoverishment of the area, in addition to stopping the establishment of its own economic structures and not limited to the enrichment of an elite.

However, other authors do not agree with this view. For them, the actions of the colonial powers meant the contribution of new technologies, without the negative aspects outweighing the positive ones.

There is a little more consensus on the so-called economic colonialism. This was established in many countries when the political administrators of the colonies left, but the companies that controlled the wealth remained.

Environmental problems

Closely related to geographic location, countries that face extreme environmental events often tend to have worse economic indicators. This ends up being reflected in the percentage of the population below the extreme poverty line.

The degradation of fertile lands due to drought causes severe famines in many places.

Looking ahead, climate change and deforestation are two of the most important challenges to overcome. Not only because of the ecological aspect, but because it threatens to increase poverty rates in the most affected areas.

Economic causes

Many experts do not hesitate to point out the responsibility of the economic system in the appearance and perpetuation of extreme poverty. Large multinationals are those that extract natural resources from less developed countries. The problem comes when the average salary is much lower than the value of what has been achieved.

Furthermore, these large companies tend to get very favorable treatment from governments; This results in a very low tax payment. In short, generally the benefits of the country's resources are not used to improve the situation of the general population.

Corruption

Corruption in all areas also has an impact on the impoverishment of the population. The funds that should be destined to alleviate extreme situations or create better economic structures end up being monopolized by the corrupt.

In some undeveloped countries, multinationals engaged in the extraction and exploitation of natural resources take advantage of corruption to consolidate their position. In the end, as discussed above, the country's wealth tends to benefit only a few.

Sociopolitical causes

One of the most important causes when generating situations of extreme poverty is war. Apart from the deaths it causes, the infrastructure of the affected area is damaged, in addition to paralyzing the possible social policies of the governments.

Likewise, armed conflicts make many inhabitants have to abandon their homes, becoming refugees. Losing everything, they go straight into poverty and can only survive thanks to international aid.

Gender inequality also appears within the socio-political motives. The economic gap between men and women is notable in many countries, without them having access to the labor market.

Consequences

Malnutrition and associated diseases

The most direct consequence of extreme poverty is the lack of adequate food. Malnutrition affects children in a special way and leads to problems in their physical and mental development.

The problems are compounded by the frequent lack of drinking water. The infrastructures in poor areas are very deficient and the water does not arrive or is contaminated by old pipes and without sanitary security.

Migration

Poverty, whether extreme or not, is one of the most common causes for emigration. The search for opportunities causes many to risk leaving their places of origin, often putting themselves in the hands of mafias to make the trip.

The population that chooses to emigrate is usually young, causing demographic balance to be lost in less developed countries.

Social problems

Another consequence of extreme poverty situations is the social disruption that it causes. There is a risk of increased crime as a way of trying to earn the income necessary to survive.

Similarly, cases of prostitution and the appearance of mafia organizations that try to take advantage of the situation are increasing.

Education

Areas in which extreme poverty occurs often do not have quality educational centers. This eliminates the possibility of acquiring studies and, consequently, of aspiring to improve employment.

In addition, family members in this situation place the educational needs of children below the nutritional and economic needs. It is not uncommon that, even today, many children have to start work at a very young age to help their case, or engage in begging.

References

1. Oxfam Intermón. The causes of poverty in the world. Retrieved from blog.oxfamintermon.org
2. Mans Unides. Extreme poverty. Retrieved from mansunides.org
3. UNICEF. The goal: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. Retrieved from unicef.org
4. World Bank Group. Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2016. Recovered from openknowledge.worldbank.org
5. Today, Chris. The definition of extreme poverty has just changed - here's what you need to know. Retrieved from odi.org
6. Nuru International. Extreme Poverty. Retrieved from nuruinternational.org
7. The Globalist. Extreme Poverty Worldwide Today. Retrieved from theglobalist.com