Absolute poverty

Absolute poverty is a level of poverty at which certain minimum standards -- for example for nutrition, health and shelter -- cannot be met. The term "Absolute poverty" is perhaps slightly misleading, since there is no "absolute" standard that defines absolute poverty: the level of income necessary for these minimum standards is often referred to as the poverty line, which various institutions and individuals define differently.

Absolute poverty can be contrasted with relative poverty[?] which is a poor standard of living relative to the rest of society.

External links

• http://www.census.gov/hhes/poverty/povmeas/papers/elastap4.html
• http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/spru/research/summs/measpov.htm
• http://www.econ.queensu.ca/cea2001/papers/sharpe-paper.pdf
• http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/papers/relabs.htm
• http://www.worldbank.org/research/peg/wps11/