Facts about Poverty

The World Bank estimates that over 1 billion people across the world are living in a state of extreme poverty (earning <$1 per day), with the majority of these people primarily located in Sub-Saharan Africa & Southern Asia.

"People are living in poverty if their income and resources (material, cultural and social) are so inadequate as to preclude them from having a standard of living which is regarded as acceptable by Irish society generally. As a result of inadequate income and other resources people may be excluded and marginalised from participating in activities which are considered the norm for other people in society." This is the Irish Government's definition of poverty in its National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-20161.

What it means is that people are living in poverty if they do not have enough money to do the things that most people in Ireland take for granted. Poverty can mean not having the money to buy enough food for your family, not being able to afford to heat your home in winter or having to buy second-hand clothes because you can't afford new ones. Poverty is more than not having the money for material things. It can also mean that you don't have the money for social activities like going to the cinema or having a meal out with friends or to have a holiday. This can lead to people feeling cut off from the rest of society because they don't have the money to participate.

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