Anyone who oppresses the poor is insulting God who made them. To help the poor is to honor God.

Proverbs 14:31

On the basis of social, economical and political aspects, there are different ways to identify the type of Poverty: 1. Absolute poverty:

Is the state by which an individual is unable to meet their immediate needs. In other words they are unable to obtain basic needs such as shelter, water, food and warmth. It contrasts with relative poverty, which is where individuals are poor by comparison to other members of society.

2. Relative Poverty::

A type of poverty that is determined by income distribution over a given population and defined according to societal norms. Example of Relative Poverty An individual with a low income, owns a used car while their neighbor has a higher income and just bought a new car.

3. Situational Poverty:

Is a period wherein a person falls below the poverty like because of an adverse event – Photo Credit: Flickr. Situational poverty is a period wherein an individual falls below the poverty line because of a sudden event. Situational poverty can be caused by a range of factors, such as: a divorce, death of the family head, illness, a natural disaster or loss of job.

4. Generational Poverty:

Is a term applied to families who have experienced poverty for at least two generations. It can affect every aspect of a person’s life: physical, social, emotional and mental.

5. Rural Poverty:

Refers to poverty in rural areas, including factors of rural society, rural economy, and political systems that give rise to the poverty found there.

6. Urban Poverty:


Residents of non-urbanized areas or non-urban clusters who earn below the income threshold (1) Residents of urbanized areas (50,000+ people) or urban clusters (2,500-50,000 people) who earn below the income threshold: General Source: Recent economic downturn related to the Great Recession