by the World Bank

About the author: The World Bank is an institution owned by more than 180 member countries. It raises money, through contributions from member governments and the world’s capital markets, and uses those funds to aid developing nations.

Poor people live without fundamental freedoms of action and choice that the better-off take for granted. They often lack adequate food and shelter, education, and health, deprivations that keep them from leading the kind of life that everyone values. They also face extreme vulnerability to ill health, economic dislocation, and natural disasters. And they are often exposed to ill treatment by institutions of the state and society and are powerless to influence key decisions affecting their lives. These are all dimensions of poverty. . . .

Poverty is the result of economic, political, and social...