Poverty is a social phenomenon. Its perception changes in line with economic and political
changes in society. Until the end of the 1980s, poverty was understood as a one-dimensional
deprivation based on per capita income. Today, poverty is perceived as a multidimensional
deprivation. The theoretical background presents the concepts of poverty that have evolved
from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day: absolute, relative, relative deprivation
and social exclusion. Their operationalisation is also presented in more detail, providing a
detailed answer on how each concept measures poverty. The research carried out is based on a
multidimensional measurement of deprivation. In addition to the income dimension, the survey
includes seven dimensions: the material deprivation dimension, the subjective perception of
poverty dimension, the housing conditions dimension, the social ties dimension, the
employment dimension, the education dimension and the health dimension. The study also tests
four hypotheses, all of which aim to shed light on the topic from several perspectives. The
exercise shows how the income dimension and the other seven dimensions complement each
other. Lack of money at the level of the individual (income dimension) is reflected in other
areas (dimensions): how materially deprived the individual is, how he or she perceives the lack
of money personally, the conditions in which he or she lives, the extent to which he or she
interacts in the environment in which he or she lives, the extent to which he or she is present on
the labour market, the extent to which he or she is (un)successful in education, and the extent
to which he or she is in good health (health dimension). A poverty indicator based on income
alone (the income dimension) is essential, but it is not sufficient today to give a satisfactory
picture of the situation of those living below the poverty line.
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