Driving Forces of Poverty

Poverty has many causes, some of them very basic. Some experts suggest, for instance, that the world has too many people, too few jobs, and not enough food. But these basic causes are complex and not easily eradicated. In most cases, the causes and effects of poverty interact, so that what makes people poor also creates conditions that keep them poor. Primary factors that may lead to poverty include overpopulation; the unequal distribution of resources in the world economy; inability to meet high standards of living and costs of living; inadequate education and employment opportunities; environmental degradation; certain economic and demographic trends; and welfare incentives.
Overpopulation, the situation of having large numbers of people with too few resources and too little space, is closely associated with poverty. It can result from high population de...