What are the Causes of Poverty?

Poverty refers to the extreme situation of scarcity of essential items that people don’t even get the adequate food, clothing, medicines, shelter, for subsistence existence.

What are the causes of poverty?

1. Overpopulation. The disproportionate rise in population leads to a situation when the demand is high and the supply is limited results into acute shortage of essential commodities.

2. Low agricultural output. The low agricultural output of crops results into inadequate supply of food grains.

3. Low production of industrial products. The low industrial productivity of essential items of daily use such as clothes, cooking utensils, etc. makes these items unaffordable for poor people.

4. Diseases: There is constant risk of breakage of diseases in unhygenic environment. These diseases affect the poor people very badly.

5. Flood and drought situation: The flood and drought situation causes heavy losses to the agriculturalist. When the food crops gets destroyed, it leads to shortage of food products. The flood also harms the hut and other shelter of poor people.

6. Illiteracy: Educated people get better opportunity to work. Illiterate people are often forced to do menial jobs.

7. Caste system: The division of labor on the basis of caste acts as a hurdle for the poor people who want to come out of poverty level.

8. Untouchability: The problem of untouchability is further worsening the condition of these poor people. These people are not allowed to undertake many professions and are forced to live life in misery.

9.Gender Inequality: There is prevalence of gender based inequality against women in various social, economic and religious activities. Women are not allowed to undertake economic activities. At workplaces, they get inadequate remuneration. This is leading to a condition called ‘Feminization of poverty’.