how to solve the problem of poverty essay

• Poverty and How This Problem Can Be Solved Words: 650
• World Poverty as a Global Social Problem Words: 1204
• Poverty: Causes and Reduction Measures Words: 1146
• Poverty, Its Social Context, and Solutions Words: 826
• Global Poverty: Tendencies, Causes and Impacts Words: 1697
• Child Poverty Assessment in Canada Words: 2325
• Poverty and Homelessness in Canada Words: 2561
• Global Poverty and Factors of Influence Words: 1465
• Wealth and Poverty Sources in America Words: 2266
• Poverty: Behavioral, Structural, Political Factors Words: 850
• The Issue of the Poverty in the USA Words: 2049
• Poverty as a Social Problem Words: 834
• Poverty Elimination in Perspective Words: 1099
• Social Policy and Welfare – Poverty and Deprivation Words: 1426
• Global Poverty and Human Development Words: 564
• Brazil’ Poverty and Inequality Words: 578
• Poverty and Homelessness: Dimensions and Constructions Words: 859

Poverty: Causes and Solutions to Problem

Introduction, the causes of poverty, inclusive economic growth as an answer to poverty, employment opportunities and entrepreneurship.

Poverty is a global economic and social problem that has persisted throughout the centuries. Attempts to establish the causes of poverty and the solutions to the issue have been made since the emergence of early civilizations. Despite the significant drop in the numbers of the extremely poor in the past few decades, particularly in developing countries, poverty remains one of the most serious challenges to governments worldwide. Economic growth can help alleviate many issues that cause poverty. Creating new jobs and improving universal access to education and medical care can considerably enhance the quality of life for low-income households. However, the research proves that economic development benefits the deprived groups only when governments implement targeted socio-economic policies and keep track of their efficiency.

There are multiple theories that try to establish the causes of poverty. Some of those explain it using solely economic models; others consider social factors as well. The first kind focuses on how low per capita income creates intergenerational poverty caused by inadequate access to education and health care (Sabah et al., 2017). However, these theories are somewhat limited, as, for example, in countries lacking quality education and health care, higher income does not necessarily guarantee a better life. Other theories point out the significance of social (ethnic, gender, religious) disparities as a limiting factor, especially in developing countries (Sabah et al., 2017). Several studies have established the relation between poverty and the size of the household. Islam et al. (2016) note that households with more than five members, a young head of the family, and female-headed households are the most vulnerable. Overall, most scholars agree that poverty is defined by limited access to vital resources. It is a complex phenomenon caused by a multitude of economic, political, and social factors, which requires a holistic approach in its analysis.

Numerous scholars have questioned the impact of economic growth on poverty levels over the last few decades. However, multiple studies prove that the economic boom at the end of the 20th century helped resolve long-standing poverty issues in developing countries. Khan et al. (2019) state that “economic growth at macro-level consequent better health services and improved quality of education, whereas at micro-level it consequent increased individual’s income and provided employment opportunities, thereby reducing poverty” (p. 769). Fosu (2017) attributes the significant change in poverty levels in Latin American and Asian countries in the last quarter of the 20th century to high GDP growth. However, GDP growth is not necessarily indicative of lower poverty rates. Fosu (2017) notes that “income is generally a better reflector of poverty than GDP is” (p. 313). According to Škare and Družeta (2016), economic growth in China and India resulted in a significant increase in per capita income, despite soaring income inequalities. While the perception of the relation between economic development and lower poverty levels has evolved significantly throughout the last decades, most researchers agree that growth is essential to fighting poverty.

Nevertheless, income inequality is a major factor that can reduce the positive impact of a healthy economy. Fosu (2017) states that income disparities in Botswana have persisted despite rapid GDP growth, while lesser progress in the Ghanaian economy had a more significant impact on poverty levels. Corruption is another factor that can hinder the positive effect of growth. Niyimbanira (2017) notes that in many African countries, economic development primarily benefited the elites and did not change much for low-income households. Škare and Družeta (2016) conclude that the original “trickle-down” theory of the post-war period, which implies that a healthy economy guarantees lower poverty levels, needs serious reconsideration. The latest research shows that while economic growth is essential in order to alleviate poverty, its impact can vary significantly depending on other social and political factors. Therefore, it should be used to implement social policies and make investments in jobs, education, and health sectors that target the most deprived and vulnerable groups.

Economic development contributes to the creation of new jobs, which can significantly reduce poverty levels. Nguyen (2016) states that “there is a positive relationship between high unemployment and widespread poverty” (p. 115). Therefore, the reduction of unemployment rates should be one of the governments’ main priorities in developing countries. Nguyen (2016) observers that the Caribbean states with a high focus on human capital have been far more successful in handling the poverty issue than other countries in the region. Niyimbanira (2017) underpins the significance of creating job opportunities that can provide a decent stable income for unemployed youth. Along with job creation, increasing the minimum wage is crucial to reduce poverty in developing countries (Niyimbanira, 2017). The poor are often inclined to accept any job offers, even those that do not provide sufficient income (Ramadhani & Putra, 2019). However, it is important to notice that in countries where a significant fraction of the labor force is employed unofficially, raising the minimum wage will not change much (Ramadhani & Putra, 2019). Overall, sustainable job creation is arguably the most important tool in eliminating poverty.

In developed countries, policymakers often emphasize the crucial role of entrepreneurship in fighting poverty. Lee and Rodriguez-Pose (2020) note that “rapid growth forces firms to be more inclusive when hiring” (para. 9). However, as previously noted, lower unemployment does not guarantee a reduction in poverty levels, and the impact of entrepreneurship on the poor has to be studied in more detail. Lee and Rodriguez-Pose (2020) state that only entrepreneurship in tradable sectors contributes to reducing poverty. Thus, governments should prioritize investment in manufacturing, financial services, and research and development as entrepreneurship in these sectors might be of the greatest benefit to low-income families.

Education is another key factor that impacts average income growth. Ramadhani and Putra (2019) state that insufficient education limits one’s job opportunities and reduces potential income. Economic development can be used to improve access to high-quality education for the poor and increase their employment opportunities. Niyimbanira (2017) argues that low skills and the absence of decent education are the driving forces of unemployment and poverty in developing countries. For example, in South Sudan, over 80 percent of the earners in low-income households have no formal education (Shimeles & Verdier-Chouchane, 2016). However, despite the importance of universal primary education, poor families in African countries are often reluctant to send their children to school. According to Shimeles and Verdier-Chouchane (2016), “low returns to primary education reduce incentives for households to send children to school, thereby limiting the poverty mitigating scope of primary education” (p. 168). Targeted income subsidies for primary education could solve this problem (Shimeles & Verdier-Chouchane, 2016). However, to implement these initiatives, stable economic growth is required.

Higher education plays an equally important role in alleviating poverty. In the 2000s, Surin and Si-Saket provinces in northeastern Thailand have shown significant GDP per capita growth; however, only Surin managed to significantly reduce poverty levels (Moore & Donaldson, 2016). The success of the policies implemented in Surin was largely a result of well-educated local youth engagement in NGOs that offered support to local farmers and prevented the implementation of harmful initiatives (Moore & Donaldson, 2016). This case shows how economic growth can contribute to reducing poverty through better education, and how quality education, in turn, can lead to economic growth.

Ensuring universal access to medical care is a measure that can significantly improve the quality of life for the most marginalized groups. The inefficiency of the healthcare industry remains one of the most pressing issues in African countries. Health issues decrease individuals’ chances of getting well- paid jobs and contribute to poverty. Bawah et al. (2019) cite the Community Health and Family Planning Project (CHPS) as an example of a successful policy that addresses poverty issues in Ghana. The study confirms that qualified professionals in rural communities helped lower child mortality rates and decrease health issues among the populace (Bawah et al., 2019). Providing access to quality medical care, in this case, helped reduce the gap between the rich and the poor through decreasing the economic pressure on low-income households.

While poverty is a phenomenon usually associated with developing countries, it remains a pressing issue even in the US. In the developed countries, high costs of medical care can contribute towards higher poverty levels, especially among the minorities (Remler et al., 2017). Implementation of social policies in healthcare in the US is an example of the inclusive economic growth approach that can lead to poverty alleviation. Remler et al. (2017) state that “Medicaid reduced poverty among its recipients by a remarkable 17.1 percentage points” (p. 1834). Overall, the benefits of public health insurance programs have a significant correlation to poverty reduction (Remler et al., 2017). Therefore, in the developed countries, policymakers should seek to implement public programs and premium benefits, as they have proven to be efficient in the fight against poverty.

Poverty alleviation is a complex issue that requires a systematic approach. As the causes of poverty can vary significantly across the globe, empirical research is necessary to find efficient policies in every specific case. While economic growth arguably had a significant impact on poverty levels in less developed regions at the end of the 20th century, the research has proven that an increase in GDP has not benefited the poor in many countries. Numerous examples of inefficient use of political and financial assets in Africa, Latin America, and Asia show that economic development leads to a reduction in poverty only when the governments implement targeted pro-poor policies. Employment and education opportunities, as well as accessible health care for low-income households, should be prioritized. Numerous studies confirm that targeting these areas leads to a significant reduction in poverty levels in the long term, and it helps to close the gap between the poorest and the rich. The most recent research established that inequality has a strong impact on poverty levels. Therefore, it is vital to ensure that low-income households actually benefit from economic growth, and it does not lead to larger income discrepancies instead.

Bawah, A. A., Philips, J. F., Asuming, P. O., Jackson, E. F., Walega, P., Kanmiki, E. W., Sheff, M. C., & Oduro, A. (2019). Does the provision of community health services offset the effects of poverty and low maternal educational attainment on childhood mortality? An analysis of the equity effect of the Navrongo experiment in Northern Ghana . SSM – Population Health, 7.

Fosu, A. K. (2017). Growth, inequality, and poverty reduction in developing countries: Recent global evidence . Research in Economics, 71 (2), 306-336.

Islam, D., Sayeed, J., & Hossain, N. (2016). On determinants of poverty and inequality in Bangladesh . Journal of Poverty, 21 (4), 1-20.

Khan, H. U. R., Nassani, A. A., Aldakil, A. M., Abro, M. M. Q., Islam, T., & Zaman, K. (2019). Pro-poor growth and sustainable development framework: Evidence from two step GMM estimator . Journal of Cleaner Production, 206, 767-784.

Lee, N., & Rodriguez-Pose, A. (2020). Entrepreneurship and the fight against poverty in US cities . Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, preprint.

Moore, J. D., & Donaldson, J. A. (2016). Human-scale economics: Economic growth and poverty reduction in northeastern Thailand. World Development, 85, 1-15. 

Nguyen, H. Q. (2016). Relationship between economic growth, unemployment and poverty: Analysis at provincial level in Vietnam . International Journal of Economics and Finance, 8 (12), 113-119.

Niyimbanira, F. (2017). Analysis of the impact of economic growth on income inequality and poverty in South Africa: The case of Mpumalanga province. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, 7 (4), 254-261.

Remler, D. K., Korenman, S. D., & Hyson, R. T. (2017). Estimating the effects of health insurance and other social programs on poverty under the Affordable Care Act . Health Affairs, 36 (10), 1828-1837.

Ramadani, F., & Putra, F. S. (2019). Having a job is Not enough to escape poverty: Case of Indonesian working poors. IPTEK Journal of Proceedings Series, 6, 58-64.

Sabah, A, Rusdi, O., & Mohd Udin, M. (2017). Theories of poverty to the integrative theory. A comparative analysis: Accordance to the situation of Iraq . IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 22 (5), 47-50.

Shimeles, A. & Verdier-Chouchane, A. (2016). The key role of education in reducing poverty in South Sudan . African Development Review, 28 (2), 162-176.

Škare, M., & Družeta R. P. (2016). Poverty and economic growth: A review . Technological and Economic Development of Economy, 22 (1), 156-175.

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Solutions to poverty that actually work

We're behind on progress towards ending poverty, but that doesn't mean that it's impossible. Here are nine solutions that work.

Aug 28, 2024

Last year, the United Nations announced that the world is “nowhere near” meeting the Sustainable Development Goals , a series of humanitarian targets to reach by 2030. This includes the number one goal: “End poverty in all its forms everywhere.” 

However, that doesn’t mean that we can’t end poverty . Every day, countless initiatives, interventions, and projects are led by Concern, our partners, and the communities we work with that help thousands of families break the cycle of poverty , once and for all. Here are nine solutions to poverty that actually work.

Learn more about how we're working to end poverty

Every year, Concern reaches tens of millions of people around the world with proven methods and programs that reduce poverty. Learn more about our work — and how you can be a part of it.

1. Foster equality

One of the main causes of poverty is inequality — the systemic barriers that lead to groups of people going without representation in their communities. For a community or country to work its way out of poverty, all groups must be involved in the decision-making process — especially when it comes to having a say in the things that determine your place in society. 

One key example of this is gender equality. According to the UN , the cost of women’s unpaid labor adds up to $10 trillion per year. That’s 13% of the global GDP. In parts of Africa and Asia , women own less than 20% of agricultural land, yet make up 60% of the agricultural workforce. Former FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said in 2016 that “women are the backbone of our work in agriculture… when women have opportunities, the yields on their farms increase – also their incomes. Natural resources are better managed. Nutrition is improved. And livelihoods are more secured.”

Gender is just one of the many inequalities, and many people face more than one form of marginalization at a time. While correcting these inequalities won’t be a solution to poverty in and of itself, it’s essential to every other solution we work towards.

2. Build resilience

Poverty is most likely to occur when there is a high combination of inequality and risk. In this case, risk being the hazards a person or a group faces, combined with their level of vulnerability within a community. 

For instance, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has suffered decades of ongoing conflict. Millions of Congolese have been displaced to temporary camps and shelters, and still face the threat of violence. Those hazards are compounded when you take into account other crises currently affecting the country, and are even greater for internally-displaced women and children, as well as the elderly and disabled. 

This is why emergency and humanitarian responses are key to fighting poverty in fragile contexts such as the DRC. With health and nutrition emergencies, such as the protracted hunger crisis in the DRC or the rising cholera epidemic in the country, we work to ensure that communities (and especially the most vulnerable members of each community) have the resources they need, including food assistance, cash transfers, and medical care, as well as longer-term development solutions that help build resilience — giving even displaced communities the material and financial safety nets they need to handle uncertain situations. 

3. Focus on communities most affected by the climate crisis

When we talk about “ resilience ” in the context of Concern’s work, more often than not we are speaking about climate resilience. According to the World Bank , climate change could force an additional 100 million people into extreme poverty over the next decade without any urgent action taken. Climate resilience comprises a series of responses to climate change that help the communities most affected by the crisis to weather the storms (and every other weather event that may threaten their safety and way of life). 

At Concern, many of the communities where we respond to the climate crisis are affected largely through agriculture and pastoralism, which they rely on for both their livelihoods and food. Solutions like Climate Smart Agriculture are proven to help farmers adapt to the changing ecosystem on their land and improve both the quality and quantity of their harvests. Early warning/early action (EWEA) and other disaster risk reduction strategies help communities avoid excessive loss and damage when a disaster hits.

What we talk about when we talk about resilience

“Resilient” isn’t something we call people we work with in order to downplay their suffering. It’s something we help them cultivate at a community level.

4. Increase access to education

According to UNESCO, if all students in low-income countries had just basic reading skills (and nothing else), an estimated 171 million people could escape extreme poverty. If all adults completed secondary education, we could cut the global poverty rate by more than half. Education develops skills and abilities, corrects some of the inequities that come from marginalization, and decreases risk and vulnerability. 

Some of the key areas of focus for making sure that education is truly for all involve breaking down the barriers to education — creating access in remote areas and supporting teachers in their work to deliver quality education . We also ensure that education is available to children living in fragile contexts, which often adapts to the events that they’ve faced (such as violence, conflict, and displacement) to ensure that they have the proper psychosocial support to really learn, rather than fall behind. 

5. Improve food and nutrition security

Poverty is fueled by inequality, vulnerability, and hazards, and hunger is a driving force behind vulnerability. When a person doesn’t have enough to eat, their immune system is more easily compromised, they don’t have the physical or cognitive strength to make it through the day, and they often lack enough energy to work. This creates a vicious cycle between poverty and hunger . 

Stark evidence now demonstrates the enormous scale of nutritional issues in low-income countries, as well as their human and financial costs. As a result, Concern — along with many other NGOs and governments — has made an unprecedented commitment to prioritizing nutrition in the fight to end poverty. Many of our livelihood programs also include nutrition components, such as our recent work in Ethiopia and Kenya with Lifesaving Education and Assistance to Farmers . Getting the right amount of calories and nutrients every day can go a long way to ending poverty. 

6. Increase access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene services

Like hunger and malnutrition, contaminated water can lead to debilitating illnesses. What’s more, over the last 20 years, the lack of safe drinking water and basic sanitation has gone up  — from affecting 197 million people in 2004 to 211 million people in 2024. This adds up: The waterborne illnesses that result from this shortage contribute to 1.4 million deaths per year, as well as 50% of global malnutrition. 

The link between improved water access and declining poverty rates goes beyond health. When communities have better access to safe and clean water, those who often spend their time collecting water from further away will have more time to spend on other, more meaningful pursuits. Water is also an issue of gender equality : Current estimates suggest that women and girls collectively spend 200 million hours every day walking long distances to fetch water.

7. Provide quality and affordable healthcare for all

One of the knock-on effects of nutritional or waterborne diseases is that the most vulnerable people — people who are often more likely to get these illnesses in the first place — usually lack affordable and quality healthcare options, both for treatment and preventative care. This is also true for people who sustain injuries that may prevent them from working. 

What’s more, maternal health is a huge link in the chain of how we end poverty. Pregnant people need regular checkups and more nutritional care to ensure that their child is born with the best possible future for their health and development (malnourished mothers often pass that on to their unborn child). Concern helps to train local healthcare workers who in turn work within their communities, monitoring childhood nutrition , and providing health demonstrations. We’ve also found mobile clinics to be an effective way of providing regular care in hard-to-reach communities, whether they’re in the remote Lake Chad Basin or on one of Bangladesh’s many islands . 

8. Achieve lasting peace

While estimates around data for the country vary, Syria ’s poverty rate has increased from approximately 12% in 2007 to 83% in 2019. On the other hand, the end of conflict in Cambodia helped to grow its middle class: The country’s poverty rate dropped from 47.8% in 2007 to 13.5% by 2014. 

Ending all wars and conflicts is a tall order, but conflict is one of the biggest contributors to poverty, and ending poverty will ultimately become a political issue and part of a larger peacekeeping mission.

9. Give people cash

Cambodia’s transition from wartime to peace included the repatriation of over 300,000 refugees. This could have been a disaster, placing a strain on resources and creating financial dire straits. One of the reasons the transition was so smooth, however (and one of the reasons that Concern worked itself out of a job in Cambodia) was cash and credit. 

Concern worked with many Cambodian returnees and local governments to establish a microfinancing model in the country, including village savings and loans and cash transfer services. People were able to get the tools and resources they needed to rebuild their lives and homes, without falling into further debt due to high interest rates. Between 1998 and 2018, Cambodia’s economy grew by an average of 8% each year, and its middle class began to flourish. This is an example of how Concern was able to hand over its programming entirely to local partners to continue the work to end poverty. 

While the traditional image of humanitarian aid may be crates of supplies like food, water, and tents, distributing cash has become more common. It’s cheaper and faster to get into a country, gives its recipients the autonomy to make their own purchasing decisions, and supports local and national economies. Sometimes, a small startup grant (even as small as $100) is all it takes to help a family living below the poverty line to launch a new business, while keeping on top of their bills and keeping their children fed and in school. 

Ultimately, this is the theory that underscores all of our solutions to poverty: Help people get the resources they need to offset risks and work with communities to reduce the inequalities and vulnerabilities that many of their members face, so that when emergencies strike, they aren’t left further behind.

Concern’s work to end poverty

At Concern, we work to sustainably end poverty by addressing inequality and risk, tailoring solutions that support the specific forms of inequality and vulnerabilities faced within each community. 

Equality, particularly gender equality, is a pivotal part of all of our programs, and we work with community members and leaders to question and challenge the underlying assumptions that perpetuate equality gaps while designing solutions that accommodate people of all genders, levels of ability, ages, races, social status, and more. We aim for equality of outcomes, not equality of inputs. 

From there, we look at the specific risks and conditions that cause poverty in a specific country, region, or community. Often our solutions to poverty work with families to build livelihoods that include more than one source of income. We mentor program participants and train them on business management, marketing, bookkeeping, and other essential skills. We also provide cash grants and help to establish local Village Savings and Loans Associations (and other similar committees) to help create community safety nets. 

What we have found through more than 55 years of work is that the communities and individuals we work with already know what they want to do, they just need a few resources to make it happen. We provide those resources, along with some sustainable means of keeping them up long after we’re needed.

Support Concern's work

Solutions to poverty in action

How does education affect poverty? It can help end it.

Climate Smart Agriculture: Back to the basics to fight climate change and hunger

Speedboats and midwives - delivering maternity care on remote islands in Bangladesh

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How to Cope with the Issues on Poverty and Unemployment

Last Updated: July 16, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Alex Kwan and by wikiHow staff writer, Kira Jan . Alex Kwan is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and the CEO of Flex Tax and Consulting Group in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has also served as a Vice President for one of the top five Private Equity Firms. With over a decade of experience practicing public accounting, he specializes in client-centered accounting and consulting, R&D tax services, and the small business sector. There are 32 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 99,364 times.

Unemployment and poverty are linked, since a lack of income makes it hard for people to make ends meet. What can communities and governments do to reduce poverty and unemployment? Whether you’re a student or an activist, we’ve outlined the top strategies and policies recommended by experts to help you understand these complex economic issues. The solutions fall into three major buckets–helping people become more employable, creating more jobs, and supporting governmental programs to stop the cycle of poverty.

Promote education for everyone.

• Donate to scholarship funds. For instance, you can donate to the Children’s Scholarship Fund to support K-8 education in the U.S. at https://scholarshipfund.org/
• Support afterschool tutoring programs and mentorship programs that connect students with caring adults. [5] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Visit https://secure.givelively.org/donate/afterschool-alliance to donate.
• Give money to funds that pay for transport to and from school. Search online to find local and state funds that support kids near you.

Make job training more accessible.

• Governments can provide federally-funded or state-funded job training programs. These are often run by state workforce development commissions.

Create microfinance programs.

• New studies on the impacts of microfinance question whether it’s a solution that truly benefits the poor. While it may help empower female entrepreneurs living in poverty, microfinance can potentially worsen overall debt. [13] X Research source

Increase jobs in labor-intensive industries.

• Economists find that employing more people (rather than using machines) doesn’t result in the huge drop in productivity you might imagine. [15] X Research source

To address poverty and unemployment, education, job training, microfinance, and counseling must combine with policy transformation. Safety nets must cover all while infrastructure and hiring incentives create good jobs. Healthcare access and affordability need improving too. With coordination across sectors, cycles trapping people in poverty can end.

Invest in infrastructure.

• Beyond just providing jobs, infrastructure development makes the economy more connected. When there’s more infrastructure, it’s easier for people to travel around in order to buy or sell goods and services.
• For instance, to help alleviate poverty and unemployment in the rural Philippines, better access to roads and the internet could help farmers sell their goods. [17] X Research source

Reduce barriers to unemployment insurance.

• Some states specify that only people with a certain work history length can receive unemployment benefits, and adjusting work history requirements could more people eligible. [20] X Research source
• States also could consider eliminating waiting periods for people to receive their unemployment insurance benefits. Currently, 42 states require people to wait 1 week to receive benefits. [21] X Research source
• To receive unemployment benefits, you have to prove you lost your job through no fault of your own. States might consider changing what qualifies as an “acceptable” cause of unemployment. [22] X Research source

Create affordable housing.

• For example, one region might say you have to be 50% below the median income for an area while another region might say you qualify if your income is 80% below the median income.

Ensure access to clean water and sanitation.

• Communities can improve access to water by helping people create water safety plans for keeping water contaminant-free and building water filtration systems and wells. [27] X Trustworthy Source World Health Organization Health information and news provided by the World Health Organization Go to source
• Visit The Water Project ( https://thewaterproject.org/ ) or Charity Water ( https://www.charitywater.org/ ) to donate and support bringing clean water to those in need.

Improve access to healthcare.

• On the provider level, doctors have to understand that patients in poverty might face greater obstacles to getting treatment.
• Patients in poverty may find medications too expensive, may lack transportation to get to the doctor’s office, and may not have a work schedule that lets them easily see a doctor. [29] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Family Physicians Organization devoted to improving the health of patients, families, and communities Go to source

Offer counseling services to support families in poverty.

• Connect families in need to a Federally Qualified Health Center if they can’t afford to pay for psychological services. [32] X Research source

Increase access to financial services.

• For instance, creating free digital banking services can make it easy for people to access accounts. [34] X Research source
• In the U.S., predatory financial services, like high-cost mortgage firms, have historically targeted Black and Latino communities. Today, these communities are 30-86% more likely to be financially “underwater” as a result of high-cost mortgages. [35] X Research source

Support single-mother households.

• Support single mothers in your community by donating kids’ clothes and toys and contributing staples like canned goods to your local food bank. [37] X Research source
• If you know a single mother, offer to babysit, or carpool to school if you have kids of your own.
• In 2013, federal benefits reduced the poverty rate among single mothers by half.

Improve fairness in criminal justice systems.

• Incarceration negatively impacts communities of color more than white communities.
• Visit The Sentencing Project ( https://www.sentencingproject.org/actions/ ) to take action and connect with state and local partners working towards legal reform.

Expert Q&A

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• ↑ https://en.unesco.org/news/world-poverty-could-be-cut-half-if-all-adults-completed-secondary-education
• ↑ https://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/education/
• ↑ https://educateachild.org/explore/barriers-to-education
• ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2528798/
• ↑ Alex Kwan. Certified Public Accountant. Expert Interview. 23 April 2021.
• ↑ https://prospect.org/special-report/education-cure-poverty/
• ↑ https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/reports/2018/02/22/447115/better-training-better-jobs/
• ↑ https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/august-2015/microfinance-good-poor
• ↑ https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0018726716640865
• ↑ https://www.un.org/development/desa/socialperspectiveondevelopment/issues/employment-and-decent-work.html
• ↑ https://ideas.repec.org/a/sls/ipmsls/v28y20154.html
• ↑ https://www.brookings.edu/research/expanding-opportunity-through-infrastructure-jobs/
• ↑ https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2020/02/06/na020620the-philippines-a-good-time-to-expand-the-infrastructure-push
• ↑ https://www.cbpp.org/research/introduction-to-unemployment-insurance
• ↑ https://www.urban.org/research/publication/how-does-unemployment-affect-family-arrangements-children
• ↑ https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/cares-act-measures-strengthening-unemployment-insurance-should-continue
• ↑ https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/coronavirus-booker-introduces-bill-to-get-unemployment-assistance-immediately-to-laid-off-workers
• ↑ https://www.wpr.org/evers-aims-increase-unemployment-benefits-lower-barriers
• ↑ https://archives.hud.gov/local/nv/goodstories/2006-04-06glos.cfm
• ↑ https://www.hud.gov/topics/rental_assistance/phprog
• ↑ https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1087682
• ↑ https://thewaterproject.org/why-water/poverty
• ↑ https://www.who.int/westernpacific/activities/improving-access-to-safe-water-sanitation-and-hygiene
• ↑ https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/health/brief/poverty-health
• ↑ https://www.aafp.org/about/policies/all/poverty-health.html
• ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7525587/
• ↑ https://www.hrsa.gov/opa/eligibility-and-registration/health-centers/fqhc/index.html
• ↑ https://www.policylink.org/sites/default/files/BreakingTheCycle_0.pdf
• ↑ https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/financialinclusion/overview#2
• ↑ https://www.brookings.edu/testimonies/renewing-communities-and-providing-opportunities-through-innovative-solutions-to-poverty/
• ↑ https://parents-together.org/11-realistic-ways-to-support-single-parents-during-the-covid-19-crisis/
• ↑ https://www.americanactionforum.org/research/incarceration-and-poverty-in-the-united-states/

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7 Essays About Poverty: Example Essays and Prompts

Essays about poverty give valuable insight into the economic situation that we share globally. Read our guide with poverty essay examples and prompts for your paper.

In the US, the official poverty rate in 2022 was 11.5 percent, with 37.9 million people living below the poverty line. With a global pandemic, cost of living crisis, and climate change on the rise, we’ve seen poverty increase due to various factors. As many of us face adversity daily, we can look to essays about poverty from some of the world’s greatest speakers for inspiration and guidance.

There is nothing but a lack of social vision to prevent us from paying an adequate wage to every American citizen whether he be a hospital worker, laundry worker, maid or day laborer. There is nothing except shortsightedness to prevent us from guaranteeing an annual minimum—and livable—income for every American family. Martin Luther King Jr., Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?

Writing a poverty essay can be challenging due to the many factors contributing to poverty and the knock-on effects of living below the poverty line . For example, homelessness among low-income individuals stems from many different causes.

It’s important to note that poverty exists beyond the US, with many developing countries living in extreme poverty without access to essentials like clean water and housing. For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers .

Essays About Poverty: Top Examples

1. pensioner poverty: fear of rise over decades as uk under-40s wealth falls, 2. the surprising poverty levels across the u.s., 3. why poverty persists in america, 4. post-pandemic poverty is rising in america’s suburbs.

• 5. The Basic Facts About Children in Poverty
• 6. The State of America’s Children 
• 7. COVID-19: This is how many Americans now live below the poverty line

10 Poverty Essay Topics

1. the causes of poverty, 2. the negative effects of poverty, 3. how countries can reduce poverty rates, 4. the basic necessities and poverty, 5. how disabilities can lead to poverty, 6. how the cycle of poverty unfolds , 7. universal basic income and its relationship to poverty, 8. interview someone who has experience living in poverty, 9. the impact of the criminal justice system on poverty, 10. the different ways to create affordable housing.

There is growing concern about increasing pensioner poverty in the UK in the coming decades. Due to financial challenges like the cost of living crisis, rent increases, and the COVID-19 pandemic, under 40s have seen their finances shrink.

Osborne discusses the housing wealth gap in this article, where many under the 40s currently pay less in a pension due to rent prices. While this means they will have less pension available, they will also retire without owning a home, resulting in less personal wealth than previous generations. Osborne delves into the causes and gaps in wealth between generations in this in-depth essay.

“Those under-40s have already been identified as  facing the biggest hit from rising mortgage rates , and last week a study by the financial advice firm Hargreaves Lansdown found that almost a third of 18- to 34-year-olds had stopped or cut back on their pension contributions in order to save money.” Hilary Osborne,  The Guardian

In this 2023 essay, Jeremy Ney looks at the poverty levels across the US, stating that poverty has had the largest one-year increase in history. According to the most recent census, child poverty has more than doubled from 2021 to 2022.

Ney states that the expiration of government support and inflation has created new financial challenges for US families. With the increased cost of living and essential items like food and housing sharply increasing, more and more families have fallen below the poverty line. Throughout this essay, Ney displays statistics and data showing the wealth changes across states, ethnic groups, and households.

“Poverty in America reflects the inequality that plagues U.S. households. While certain regions have endured this pain much more than others, this new rising trend may spell ongoing challenges for even more communities.” Jeremy Ney,  TIME

In this New York Times article, a Pulitzer Prize-winning sociologist explores why poverty exists in North America.

The American poor have access to cheap, mass-produced goods, as every American does. But that doesn’t mean they can access what matters most. Matthew Desmond,  The New York Times

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released its annual data on poverty, revealing contrasting trends for 2022. While one set of findings indicated that the overall number of Americans living in poverty remained stable compared to the previous two years, another survey highlighted a concerning increase in child poverty. The rate of child poverty in the U.S. doubled from 2021 to 2022, a spike attributed mainly to the cessation of the expanded child tax credit following the pandemic. These varied outcomes underscore the Census Bureau’s multifaceted methods to measure poverty.

“The nation’s suburbs accounted for the majority of increases in the poor population following the onset of the pandemic” Elizabeth Kneebone and Alan Berube,  Brookings

5.  The Basic Facts About Children in Poverty

Nearly 11 million children are living in poverty in America. This essay explores ow the crisis reached this point—and what steps must be taken to solve it.

“In America, nearly 11 million children are poor. That’s 1 in 7 kids, who make up almost one-third of all people living in poverty in this country.” Areeba Haider,  Center for American Progress

6.  The State of America’s Children  

This essay articles how, despite advancements, children continue to be the most impoverished demographic in the U.S., with particular subgroups — such as children of color, those under five, offspring of single mothers, and children residing in the South — facing the most severe poverty levels.

“Growing up in poverty has wide-ranging, sometimes lifelong, effects on children, putting them at a much higher risk of experiencing behavioral, social, emotional, and health challenges. Childhood poverty also plays an instrumental role in impairing a child’s ability and capacity to learn, build skills, and succeed academically.” Children’s Defense Fund

7.  COVID-19: This is how many Americans now live below the poverty line

This essay explores how the economic repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic 2020 led to a surge in U.S. poverty rates, with unemployment figures reaching unprecedented heights. The writer provides data confirming that individuals at the lowest economic strata bore the brunt of these challenges, indicating that the recession might have exacerbated income disparities, further widening the chasm between the affluent and the underprivileged.

“Poverty in the U.S. increased in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic hammered the economy and unemployment soared. Those at the bottom of the economic ladder were hit hardest, new figures confirm, suggesting that the recession may have widened the gap between the rich and the poor.” Elena Delavega,  World Econmic Forum

If you’re tasked with writing an essay about poverty, consider using the below topics. They offer pointers for outlining and planning an essay about this challenging topic.

One of the most specific poverty essay topics to address involves the causes of poverty. You can craft an essay to examine the most common causes of extreme poverty. Here are a few topics you might want to include:

• Racial discrimination, particularly among African Americans, has been a common cause of poverty throughout American history. Discrimination and racism can make it hard for people to get the education they need, making it nearly impossible to get a job.
• A lack of access to adequate health care can also lead to poverty. When people do not have access to healthcare, they are more likely to get sick. This could make it hard for them to go to work while also leading to major medical bills.
• Inadequate food and water can lead to poverty as well. If people’s basic needs aren’t met, they focus on finding food and water instead of getting an education they can use to find a better job.

These are just a few of the most common causes of poverty you might want to highlight in your essay. These topics could help people see why some people are more likely to become impoverished than others. You might also be interested in these essays about poverty .

Poverty affects everyone, and the impacts of an impoverished lifestyle are very real. Furthermore, the disparities when comparing adult poverty to child poverty are also significant. This opens the doors to multiple possible essay topics. Here are a few points to include:

• When children live in poverty, their development is stunted. For example, they might not be able to get to school on time due to a lack of transportation, making it hard for them to keep up with their peers. Child poverty also leads to malnutrition, which can stunt their development.
• Poverty can impact familial relationships as well. For example, members of the same family could fight for limited resources, making it hard for family members to bond. In addition, malnutrition can stunt the growth of children.
• As a side effect of poverty, people have difficulty finding a safe place to live. This creates a challenging environment for everyone involved, and it is even harder for children to grow and develop.
• When poverty leads to homelessness, it is hard for someone to get a job. They don’t have an address to use for physical communication, which leads to employment concerns.

These are just a few of the many side effects of poverty. Of course, these impacts are felt by people across the board, but it is not unusual for children to feel the effects of poverty that much more. You might also be interested in these essays about unemployment .

Different countries take different approaches to reduce the number of people living in poverty

The issue of poverty is a major human rights concern, and many countries explore poverty reduction strategies to improve people’s quality of life. You might want to examine different strategies that different countries are taking while also suggesting how some countries can do more. A few ways to write this essay include:

• Explore the poverty level in America, comparing it to the poverty level of a European country. Then, explore why different countries take different strategies.
• Compare the minimum wage in one state, such as New York, to the minimum wage in another state, such as Alabama. Why is it higher in one state? What does raising the minimum wage do to the cost of living?
• Highlight a few advocacy groups and nonprofit organizations actively lobbying their governments to do more for low-income families. Then, talk about why some efforts are more successful than others.

Different countries take different approaches to reduce the number of people living in poverty. Poverty within each country is such a broad topic that you could write a different essay on how poverty could be decreased within the country. For more, check out our list of simple essays topics for intermediate writers .

You could also write an essay on the necessities people need to survive. You could take a look at information published by the United Nations , which focuses on getting people out of the cycle of poverty across the globe. The social problem of poverty can be addressed by giving people the necessities they need to survive, particularly in rural areas. Here are some of the areas you might want to include:

• Affordable housing
• Fresh, healthy food and clean water
• Access to an affordable education
• Access to affordable healthcare

Giving everyone these necessities could significantly improve their well-being and get people out of absolute poverty. You might even want to talk about whether these necessities vary depending on where someone is living.

There are a lot of medical and social issues that contribute to poverty, and you could write about how disabilities contribute to poverty. This is one of the most important essay topics because people could be disabled through no fault of their own. Some of the issues you might want to address in this essay include:

• Talk about the road someone faces if they become disabled while serving overseas. What is it like for people to apply for benefits through the Veterans’ Administration?
• Discuss what happens if someone becomes disabled while at work. What is it like for someone to pursue disability benefits if they are hurt doing a blue-collar job instead of a desk job?
• Research and discuss the experiences of disabled people and how their disability impacts their financial situation.

People who are disabled need to have money to survive for many reasons, such as the inability to work, limitations at home, and medical expenses. A lack of money, in this situation, can lead to a dangerous cycle that can make it hard for someone to be financially stable and live a comfortable lifestyle.

Many people talk about the cycle of poverty, yet many aren’t entirely sure what this means or what it entails. A few key points you should address in this essay include:

• When someone is born into poverty, income inequality can make it hard to get an education.
• A lack of education makes it hard for someone to get into a good school, which gives them the foundation they need to compete for a good job. 
• A lack of money can make it hard for someone to afford college, even if they get into a good school.
• Without attending a good college, it can be hard for someone to get a good job. This makes it hard for someone to support themselves or their families. 
• Without a good paycheck, it is nearly impossible for someone to keep their children out of poverty, limiting upward mobility into the middle class.

The problem of poverty is a positive feedback loop. It can be nearly impossible for those who live this every day to escape. Therefore, you might want to explore a few initiatives that could break the cycle of world poverty and explore other measures that could break this feedback loop.

Many business people and politicians have floated the idea of a universal basic income to give people the basic resources they need to survive. While this hasn’t gotten a lot of serious traction, you could write an essay to shed light on this idea. A few points to hit on include:

• What does a universal basic income mean, and how is it distributed?
• Some people are concerned about the impact this would have on taxes. How would this be paid for?
• What is the minimum amount of money someone would need to stay out of poverty? Is it different in different areas?
• What are a few of the biggest reasons major world governments haven’t passed this?

This is one of the best essay examples because it gives you a lot of room to be creative. However, there hasn’t been a concrete structure for implementing this plan, so you might want to afford one.

Another interesting topic you might want to explore is interviewing someone living in poverty or who has been impoverished. While you can talk about statistics all day, they won’t be as powerful as interviewing someone who has lived that life. A few questions you might want to ask during your interview include:

• What was it like growing up?
• How has living in poverty made it hard for you to get a job?
• What do you feel people misunderstand about those who live in poverty?
• When you need to find a meal, do you have a place you go to? Or is it somewhere different every day?
• What do you think is the main contributor to people living in poverty?

Remember that you can also craft different questions depending on your responses. You might want to let the interviewee read the essay when you are done to ensure all the information is accurate and correct.

The criminal justice system and poverty tend to go hand in hand. People with criminal records are more likely to be impoverished for several reasons. You might want to write an essay that hits on some of these points:

• Discuss the discriminatory practices of the criminal justice system both as they relate to socioeconomic status and as they relate to race.
• Explore just how hard it is for someone to get a job if they have a criminal record. Discuss how this might contribute to a life of poverty.
• Dive into how this creates a positive feedback loop. For example, when someone cannot get a job due to a criminal record, they might have to steal to survive, which worsens the issue.
• Review what the criminal justice system might be like for someone with resources when compared to someone who cannot afford to hire expert witnesses or pay for a good attorney.

You might want to include a few examples of disparate sentences for people in different socioeconomic situations to back up your points. 

Affordable housing can make a major difference when someone is trying to escape poverty

Many poverty-related problems could be reduced if people had access to affordable housing. While the cost of housing has increased dramatically in the United States , some initiatives exist to create affordable housing. Here are a few points to include:

• Talk about public programs that offer affordable housing to people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Discuss private programs, such as Habitat for Humanity , doing similar things.
• Review the positive impacts that stable housing has on both adults and children.
• Dive into other measures local and federal governments could take to provide more affordable housing for people.

There are a lot of political and social angles to address with this essay, so you might want to consider spreading this out across multiple papers. Affordable housing can make a major difference when trying to escape poverty. If you want to learn more, check out our essay writing tips !

Solutions to Poverty

Subscribe to the center for economic security and opportunity newsletter, isabel v. sawhill isabel v. sawhill senior fellow emeritus - economic studies , center for economic security and opportunity.

April 26, 2007

Thank you for inviting me to testify on what might be done to reduce poverty in America. As a Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the Center on Children and Families at Brookings, I have done extensive work on these issues; although I should note that the views I will express are my own and should not be attributed to other staff, trustees, or funders of the Brookings Institution. Let me first summarize my testimony.

First, I strongly believe that reducing poverty requires a focus both on what government needs to do and on what individuals need to do. We need a combination of responsible policies and responsible behavior.

Second, although there are many things that might be done to reduce poverty in the U.S., I want to argue for a focus on three priorities: getting a good education, not having children before you marry, and working full-time. Government should expect people to make real efforts to comply with each of these norms. When they do, then government should reward such behavior by making sure that those who play by the rules will not be poor. The analysis we have done at Brookings shows that individuals who play by these rules are much less likely to be poor than those who don’t.

Third, one of the most effective policies we could put in place to ensure that everyone gets a good education would be to provide very high-quality early education to all children from low-income families. Many people believe that education in the preschool years only affects young children. In fact, the evidence from both neuroscience and from carefully done program evaluations shows that preschool experiences have long-lasting effects and may be the most cost-effective way to insure that more children are successful in the K-12 years, graduate from high school, go on to college, and earn more as adults. The federal government could further this goal by providing matching funding to states that are willing to invest in high-quality early education for those living in low-income neighborhoods, starting in the first year of life.

Fourth, too many of our teens and young adults are having children before they are married and before they are ready to be good parents. In my view, the solution to this problem resides as much in the larger culture-in what parents, the media, faith communities and key adults say and do-as it does in any shift in government policy per se. However, government can help by providing resources to those fighting this battle in the nongovernmental sector, by insuring that its own policies do not inadvertently encourage childbearing outside of marriage, and by supporting programs that have had some success in reducing early, out-of-wedlock childbearing.

Finally, encouraging and rewarding work is also very important. I support the idea of work requirements in welfare, and perhaps in other programs as well, but I fear that the kind of increased employment we’ve seen among welfare mothers will be a Pyrrhic victory if we don’t find ways to provide more assistance in the form of a higher minimum wage, a more generous EITC, and additional child care and health care assistance. In my testimony today-at the suggestion of your staff-I will focus especially on preschool education and on the need to decrease childbearing outside of marriage and increase the share of children growing up in two-parent, married families. But I have written elsewhere about the importance of providing additional work supports for low-income working families.

Economic Studies

Center for Economic Security and Opportunity

Wendy Edelberg, Noadia Steinmetz-Silber

October 31, 2024

Anthony F. Pipa, Zoe Swarzenski

The Brookings Institution, Washington D.C.

Friday, 9:00 am - 11:30 am EST

Home / Essay Samples / Social Issues / Food Shortage / Combatting Poverty: Strategies for Effective Solutions

Combatting Poverty: Strategies for Effective Solutions

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• Topic: Food Shortage , Homelessness

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